Much has been said about the MPAA’s decision to brand the sexually-charged drama Blue Valentine with the treacherous NC-17 rating, but now the Weinstein Company’s push for appeal has won out: Blue Valentine will be rated R when it hits theaters December 31!
Harvey Weinstein himself argued for the changed rating before the secretive board at a special appeals hearing, and Deadline announced the decision to revise the rating –without revising the film itself–was unanimous. Despite popular reports that the supposedly NC-17 worthy sex scene involved oral sex, Deadline states, “The rating was given for a sex scene between a married couple played by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as their relationship disintegrates,” which to me indicates a different scene than the ardent oral sex scene. If I’m right this means the MPAA feared a scene where sex (slight spoiler ahead) doesn’t even take place.
This makes me question if the MPAA is either A) afraid of sex rendered without the glamor and romanticism typically applied in Hollywood, or B) did the MPAA not make mention of the oral sex scene to subvert the stories of studio bias in their ratings process? While I’m thrilled to hear of the MPAA’s overturn, I wonder how much of their decision relied on the public outcry of those who demanded the MPAA step aside and let adults choose movies for themselves over their reconsideration of the film itself.
Either way, because of its new R rating Blue Valentine will no longer be barred from numerous theaters, and could very well be coming to a theater near you in the coming weeks!
What do you think of the MPAA’s latest turnaround?