PG: The Nullification of a Once-Valid Rating

Everybody is familiar with the official MPA ratings system. There’s G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17. G movies are usually suitable for all ages. PG-13 for movies are appropriate for ages 13 and up, with parental guidance recommended for viewers under 13. There’s R for movies more targeted at adults (with the caveat that anyone under 17 can get in with a parent or adult guardian). Then there’s NC-17, which means only adults can get into a film- something distributors and theater chains tend to avoid for the sake of profits. However, that second rating, originally designed for films appropriate for older kids, now bares almost no distinction whatsoever from the G rating. What is behind the ongoing nullification of this label? Through a series of notable examples over the years, I’m going to demonstrate what it once meant to be rated PG, and the worrying implications of so many modern projects being given such a rating.

But First, a Brief History of the Rating System

The MPA ratings system was created by Jack Valenti in 1968 as a more effective way for parents to educate themselves on the content of a film, before deciding whether to let their kids see it. G movies released thereafter typically included family fare like An American Tail (1986), Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971), and The Aristocats (1970). PG was assigned to projects like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Star Wars (1977), and Superman (1978). However, for years, there existed no middle ground between PG and R. In 1984, everything changed with the controversy which surrounded Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Gremlins (1984). Parents were outraged by the strong violence and gore in both movies. While the MPA ultimately did not deem either film’s content severe enough to receive an R, it was evident an adjustment was required for their system.

With that, the board’s members came together to invent the PG-13 rating. First applied to Red Dawn (1985), this was their solution for movies that weren’t extreme enough for an R, but too intense for a PG. Such a rating was also unsurprisingly given to all subsequent Indiana Jones sequels, as well as to Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).

PG Films Thereafter

Over the years since the formation of this new rating, the PG rating would continuously be applied to movies for older children, including the first two Shrek movies, The Sandlot (1993), or The Incredibles (2004).

With their rather vulgar humor, occasional drug use/references, and intense action sequences, pictures like these exemplified what content didn’t quite cut it for the little ones. All the while, many G films were still released theatrically including The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Finding Nemo (2003), and Toy Story 3 (2010).

But Then, a Disheartening Turn…

Throughout the 2010s, though, a troubling trend arose. More and more films began to receive the PG rating, to the point that only 24 kids’ movies were rated G. Remember Frozen (2013)? That was rated PG for “some action and mild rude humor.” Apparently, a Disney musical about a princess trying to stop her scapegoated sister from freezing the kingdom was deemed too extreme for a G.

By comparison, The Lion King (1994) and Beauty and the Beast (1991), both of which depict major characters being slain onscreen, are more deserving of the PG rating. Oh, and let’s not forget that Finding Nemo (2003) implicitly killed its title character’s mother and unborn siblings via a barracuda. Pretty grisly, if you ask me.

Or what about the Pixar masterpiece Inside Out (2015)? What’s that? You thought it was actually rated G? Ha-ha! No, this movie was rated PG for “mild thematic elements and some action.” Because, yeah, a movie about the emotions of an eleven-year-old moving from one state to another was really gonna be too much to handle for little kids.

Was there any foul language, bullying, crude/suggestive humor, drug use, or brutal violence? Of course not, but that didn’t stop a seemingly over-protective MPA from deciding otherwise.

A Rare Blockbuster That Got What It Deserved

In the summer of 2019, Disney and Pixar released one of the only two movies of theirs to get a G rating throughout all of the 2010s (the other being Monsters University [2013]). Toy Story 4 (2019) got exactly the rating it should have, with no particularly scary scenes or inappropriate content. It was simply a bittersweet and lighthearted story about letting go of a friendship.

No matter what the reason for that G rating, it was an absolute needle in the haystack of Disney’s cinematic output at the time.

Finally, A Couple of PG Movies with Teeth

In 2022, DreamWorks Animation put out the hit sequel Puss in Boots. The Last Wish. The story was unexpectedly mature, following Puss’ (Antonio Banderas) quest to track down the legendary Wishing Star in order to outrun Death (voiced magnificently by Wagner Moura).

In telling this tale, director Joel Crawford went all-out with tons of delightfully mean-spirited humor, frenetic action, a surprisingly high body count, and some pretty scary images. You’d have to be insane to give this a G, so it was no shock that the MPA rated it PG for “action/violence, rude humor/language, and some scary moments.”

Let’s also look at an offering from a company that pretty much exclusively offers up adult-oriented fare: A24. On April 25, the company released The Legend of Ochi, a live-action fantasy about a young girl who embarks on a mission to return an injured creature to his family.

Rated PG for “violent content, a bloody image, smoking, thematic elements and some language,” the movie had a little more of an edge to it content-and-storytelling-wise. In other words, the direct opposite of Inside Out and Frozen. 

What’s The Real Difference, and How Do We Solve This Issue?

Beyond the mere surface level of their content, these movies explored more mature themes- mortality, bigotry, etc.- that entailed just as mature content, yet still were digestible for older kids. Kids, as they grow up and their brains develop, can start handling more intense and serious ideas in their stories. It’s important not to coddle them, as if a story of childhood emotions could possibly require parental guidance. A good PG movie not only tests the waters of what each kid can handle. It can also open up deeper conversations about the themes it covers. But when the majority of kids’ movies are being rated this way- a trend continuing well into the 2020s- it not only devalues the rating itself, but coddles children who see these movies. By doing so, we are in danger of helping to create a generation of kids who cannot handle anything overtly intense or serious in their art. What is the merit of pretending like kids can’t handle tough subjects?

Put simply, give more kids’ movies the G rating. And actually be more discerning when you apply the PG rating. Do you think most parents are concerned about the content in movies like Inside Out 2 (2024), The Lion King (2019), or Klaus (2019)? More crucially, not coddling children about this stuff can open their minds up to more serious and complex concepts, instead of shielding them. Life is unpredictable, full of terror, sadness, nuance and joy. Art should always reflect that, especially when meant for kids, since their brains are actively striving to comprehend the world. Ideally, a PG movie should help kids mature emotionally and grasp complicated themes. Applying that rating to everything is only destined to accomplish the opposite.