Movies Rated "R" Necessary?

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

I am disappointed in the movies out these days, as most are rated "R", so I can't take our 10 and 13-year-old children. I've seen some of the "R" movies with my husband, and we both think that they could be re-edited into PG-13, and then families could go. What do you think about R-rated movies?

Signed,

Disappointed in movie massacres

Dear Disappointed in movie massacres,

There are many wonderful movies that are rated "R" that could be available for viewing to a wider audience, if the movie were trimmed in certain spots for a PG-13 rating. The graphic violence, nudity, and strong language are not really necessary to many movies.

Wouldn't it be great if your children could see, for example, "Saving Private Ryan," "Shakespeare In Love," "Schindler's List," or "Braveheart?" These are excellent movies that not only entertain, but also have a lot of heart and soul, and would teach children about courage, persistence, intelligence, and history.

On the other hand, the directors have their reasons for depicting the violence so graphically. For example, director Steven Spielberg explains that Saving Private Ryan was graphic because that is what really happened. "It's a very, very honest recreation of the landing on 6 June 1944" (Total Film, 2004).

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the-total-film-interview-steven-spielberg

However, unnecessary gratuitous violence and sex in movies is another matter. People need to let the movie industry leaders know how they feel about unwarranted violent behavior and vulgarity. Email the movie studios with your thoughts.