Tweaks to movie ratings unveiled at Sundance

PARK CITY — Criticisms of the Motion Picture Association of America's voluntary movie-ratings system have only increased since the scathing documentary "This Film is Not Yet Rated" debuted at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

So perhaps it was just a coincidence that MPAA officials chose to unveil some changes — or at least clarifications — to their supposed "hush-hush" ratings system and process while the 2007 version of the festival is still in progress.

Dan Glickman, the MPAA's chairman and chief executive officer, said the 38-year-old ratings system has continued to evolve, and he insisted that a few specific changes have been in the works since he succeeded Jack Valenti as chairman nearly three years ago — well before the release of the documentary.

"The timing has more to do with the presence of so many filmmakers and motion-picture-industry officials in one place at one time," he said during an informal lunch and news conference with reporters at Deer Valley resort on Monday.

Joined by Joan Graves, the chairwoman of the MPAA's Classification and Ratings Administration, Glickman discussed some changes and new educational-outreach programs intended to make the administration's activities "more transparent" and "less opaque," a frequent criticism of the sometimes shadowy ratings process.

The ratings system was instituted nearly 40 years ago to help theaters and movie studios police themselves without the interference of governmental censorship boards, Glickman noted.

Graves said the announced changes should make the ratings-appeals process easier, and the ratings themselves more user-friendly for the system's "stakeholders," who include members of the National Association of Theater Owners, MPAA-participating studios and, of course, moviegoers — especially parents.

She noted that there have been increasing concerns over the R rating, especially in regards to violent horror movies such as the so-called "slasher" films. "We have had complaints that the R rating may not be appropriate for some of these films."

According to Graves, the raters are supposed to assign ratings to films that would be "equitable with what most people would give them."

She and Glickman said the MPAA is looking at several options, including finding ways to make the NC-17 rating — which is considered a box-office "kiss of death" by many — more viable for filmmakers, studios and theater owners.

Meanwhile, ratings bulletins for the MPAA now feature "descriptors" to more fully explain film content. And a new "Red Carpet Ratings" service will e-mail those bulletins to parents on a weekly basis.