It’s Just Common Sense
also on Cineluxe
Sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up to date on Cineluxe
Common Sense Media offers a reliable way to decide if a movie is appropriate without going into the moralizing or political posturing of other rating services
by Amanda Davis
November 17, 2022
In Keeping It Family Friendly, I talked about how times have changed and there’s a need to evaluate whether tried & true family films are still appropriate for today’s generation of kids. If you’re a parent or grandparent and a film says it’s PG, don’t you automatically think it’s appropriate for younger kids? Most would answer “yes.” Here I talk about why that’s not always the case and how you can make sure you’re picking something you won’t have regrets about watching.
In the late 1960s, the MPAA (now the MPA) introduced the ratings system we’re all familiar with to replace the antiquated Hays Code from early Hollywood cinema. By the early ‘70s, the ratings included G, PG, R, and X, and those ratings were generally the same then as they are now. Because of the gap between PG and R, movies that weren’t quite at the R level were rated PG when they were still not appropriate for younger children or pre-teens (even with parental guidance). Great examples would be Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins, Ghostbusters, and Poltergeist, which are all movies most of us born in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s probably watched when we were young—I certainly did.
Now that I’m a mom of two younger kids (5 and almost 9), I’ve gotten myself into a couple of awkward situations showing them movies I watched when I was younger, thinking PG means they’re probably still good family choices. Back to the Future, which is one of my favorite movies, was actually fun until we got to the part where George was spying on Lorraine changing her clothes. This scene isn’t overly risqué, but when my kids asked, “What is he doing?” I didn’t really want to answer. Then when we got to the scene where Biff forces himself on Lorraine in the car, we just turned it off. Maybe it was me as a parent not wanting to deal with those more mature themes, but I didn’t feel like I needed to introduce my kids to these concepts quite yet.
This is where Common Sense Media comes in. Started in 2003, Common Sense is an independent nonprofit company that rates movies, TV shows, podcasts, and books to help families and schools make informed content choices. There is more nuance to Common Sense ratings and recommendations than the ones from the MPA and elsewhere. Rather than just give a blanket PG or PG-13 with a few reasons why those ratings apply, they provide a recommended age of appropriateness. They also back it up with information on whether or not there are positive messages and themes or if the content is too violent, sexy, has drug references, etc. Take a look at this snapshot of their rating for Back to the Future:
Had I read this before sitting down to watch the movie, I probably would have decided to show it to my children when they are older. As you can see, it’s recommended for kids 10+, and at the time mine were 8 and 4. To me, the age recommendation isn’t everything, though. I also would have looked to see whether I as a parent wanted to navigate those violence and sex themes with my kids yet—and whether they’re mature enough to understand them. For this movie, I actually think the 10+ age recommendation makes sense, and we will likely watch it in another year or two.
Now, every time I consider watching a movie I watched as a kid or an older classic (and even some new releases), I look at the Common Sense Media ratings and reviews first. Since I have a Kaleidescape system at home, I frequently use the mobile app to browse and buy movies. Kaleidescape has the Common Sense feature built into its interface, which makes it easy to evaluate whether it’s a good choice while I’m browsing for movies onscreen, on the web store, or in the app.
Whether you’re using Common Sense Media ratings in a Kaleidescape store account or on the Common Sense website, it’s a great way to go if you want to make sure you’re choosing movies that work for you and your kids or grandkids so you stay out of trouble and are able to focus on making wonderful memories together.
Amanda Davis has worked at Kaleidescape for more than 15 years. With a background in film history and screenwriting, she started in the content department writing movie synopses before transitioning to movie-store marketing and then corporate marketing. In addition to movies, she loves outdoor adventures with her husband and kiddos, nestled in the heart of Salt Lake City.
CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE
the Common Sense listing for The Wizard of Oz as it appears on the Kaleidescape mobile app
© 2023 Cineluxe LLC