Revised rating system won't help parents

There are changes afoot in the movie-rating system, and they were announced by the Motion Picture Association of America at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City this week.

So how will they affect Jane and Joe Moviegoer? Well, they won't.

These changes are designed primarily to make peace with filmmakers who feel picked on because their movies don't get the ratings they want. R ratings keep kids out (in theory), and NC-17 ratings keep everyone out (in theory).

Mostly, the changes are for moviemakers, not moviegoers.

And mostly they apply to the appeals process, by which a moviemaker can petition for a change of rating for his or her film.

For the first time, rules for appeals will be posted on the MPAA Web site (mpaa.org). Also, filmmakers can cite movies with scenes similar to those that got their own film slapped with a rating they feel is too harsh.

And the MPAA will be more open about those who vote for the ratings of each film.

But the only change to the actual ratings will be more detailed descriptions, and — get this — the suggestion that R-rated films may not be suitable for minors.

News flash, parents: R-rated movies may not be good for kids.

Good thing they warned us. I was just about to buy "Basic Instinct 2" for my young granddaughter.

OK, it's true that the rating system is shady, secretive, unapproachable and, at best, disingenuous. There are endless examples of films with very harsh, adult content that walk away with PG-13 ratings, and just as many with softer content that are slapped with R's.

Although the latter is rarer these days.

But what the MPAA should really be concerned about are how the ratings can help parents. That's the self-described purpose of movie ratings: a guide for parents.

And my mail suggests that parents are mostly concerned that sexual and violent and vulgar material in movies aimed at children and teenagers is on the upswing.

Why are movies that are rated PG-13 allowed to have sexual material or overly violent material or foul language (to include the F-word if it's only spoken once)?

Maybe what they mean is PG-17. Maybe PG-13 is a typo.