Youth Alive Inc.

Its Friday night and your friends are all getting together to watch a DVD. You find out the movie they're planning to spin is rated R. Do you join in the fun or find something else to do? How much do movie ratings matter? How do you decide which movies are okay and which are out of bounds? We put those questions to six Atlanta teens who all like movies but want to do the right thing. See if their answers match yours, and look for some insight on how to make your own decisions about movies at the end of the article.

The Ratings Game
Go!: Why are movies rated in the first place?

SEAN: So parents can guard their kids.

CHARLOTTE: So parents can know that what their kids are watching is okay.

Go!: So, the ratings are really for the benefit of parents?

ALL: Yeah.

Go!: Why do you think they legally restrict kids under 17 from seeing R-rated movies without their parent's permission?

TOM: Because movie producers don't want to get the blame. Stupid people will sue them.

CHARLOTTE: I think its because older, 17-year-old kids are thinking about different things than younger kids should be thinking about. So their parents have to be there to make that decision for them.

PG-13 A-OK?
Go!: Once you know the ratings, how are you or your parents going to decide what's okay? For instance, what would the rating PG-13 tell you?

SEAN: Go for it. All of us in here are at least 13.

Go!: So, if a movie is rated PG-13 and you are at least 13, then it is automatically okay for you to watch it?

CHARLOTTE: No. I don't think it is. I think there are some things in PG-13 movies that aren't okay for us to see.

Go!: What would make the difference? What kinds of things aren't okay for you to see?

TOM: Lots of violence, like killing people.

CHARLOTTE: It could be PG-13 because of violence or cussing, or it could be PG-13 because of sexual content. I don't want to see a movie with a lot of sexual content. Usually my mom would say no if it had sexual stuff, but she would probably say yes if it wasn't that bad.

SEAN: Sometimes PG-13 movies aren't good, because some should be rated R, like Titanic.

TOM: That movie should have been rated R for all of the cussing.

RYAN: And for the nudity.

MARCIE: If I were a parent, I would want to see a PG-13 movie first before letting my kids watch it to make sure it was okay for them to see.

R = Rotten?
Go!: Can it be harmful to watch R-rated movies?

MARCIE: Yes.

CHARLOTTE: Yes.

RYAN: Yes.

SEAN: It depends on what movie it is and how old you are. I think some movies that get R-ratings really should be PG-13.

CHARLOTTE: Yeah, I think so, too.

Go!: What would make it harmful to watch an R-rated movie?

MARCIE: If it influences kids to do bad things.

RYAN: If it has a lot of bad language.

SEAN: Yeah, sometimes ... if they go overboard.

TOM: Little kids can pick up bad words and start using them without even knowing what they mean.

CHARLOTTE: Yeah, and if a cool actor that they really like cusses in a movie, they might think it was cool and start doing that, too.

SEAN: Also movies can be too scary sometimes.

MARCIE: Some of my friends watched The Ring (rated PG-13), and they said they couldn't sleep for like a week.

CHARLOTTE: Yeah, my dad's friend who is a grown-up even said he couldn't sleep after watching The Ring.

TOM: Some movies are just plain scary.

CHARLOTTE: They can put images in your mind that just shouldn't be there.

Tough Choices
Go!: So how do you know whats okay to watch and what's going to affect you in a negative way?

CHARLOTTE: You can go to planetwisdom.com or some other Web site that you trust and see if the content of the movie is okay for you to watch.

SEAN: If a movie is rated R, it will usually tell you what its for. If its R for just language, then its probably OK. And if its R for violence, then maybe its OK and maybe its not. It depends on how bad the violence is.

Go!: What about rated R for sexual situations and nudity?

SEAN: It depends on how old your kid is.

TOM: Yeah.

SEAN: If he was 16, then, I don't know. But if your kid's like 5, then its a whole other story.

Go!: What if your kid is 13?

SEAN: Hmmm. Then I think the parents should watch it first to see if its bad for the kid.

TOM: Yeah, I would watch it first if I were the parent.

MARCIE: I would say no. I mean, some parents don't really care what their kids watch, but I probably know some things that kids my age shouldn't know. So I would say no -- especially if it has nudity and stuff.

Standing Guard
Go!: The Bible says, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right." What can you do as a Christian to guard and protect your mind?

RYAN: Do whats right; think before you act. If a movie's going to be bad, just don't go see it.

SEAN: If you're tempted to see something you think you shouldn't, you could call your youth pastor or pastor and talk with him about it.

CHARLOTTE: I say just walk away.

Go!: When it comes to movies, there probably aren't many that we could watch without seeing something that's not true and honorable and right. We'd pretty much have to avoid TV, most secular music, and even lots of people. So how do we apply this verse?

TOM: There's a difference between watching a movie and being obsessed by it. Don't be obsessed.

RYAN: If you go to a movie or something, take the good things out of it and not what's bad. Decide what you think about it, based on what you know is right.

CHARLOTTE: See the good in the movie. Then you can talk with your friends about what's good in it.

Walking Away
Go!: What if you've made a bad choice about a movie? Let's say that you looked at the ratings and decided to see a movie. But once you're there you start thinking, "I shouldn't be watching this." What are your options?

CHARLOTTE: If you're at a theater, leave. You should stop watching it, because there will only be more bad stuff coming.

Go!: And what if you're at a friends house and everybody there is watching it? Are you stuck?

MARCIE: You can ask them to stop it because it's bothering you.

Go!: Okay. But what if there's a group watching it, and everybody seems to want to see it?

TOM: Say you have to go to the bathroom.

SAM: And stay there for three hours?

MARCIE: Well, you can just tell them that you don't want to see it and go somewhere else. And if they make fun of you, then that's just stupid. It's their problem.

TOM: And they wouldn't be good friends.

CHARLOTTE: Yeah. You might get lonely. But hopefully you could find someone else who doesn't want to see it.

Go!: You mentioned that sometimes movies put images in your head that shouldn't be there. What about after you see a bad movie and you can't get the images out of your head? What can you do?

SEAN: Think happy thoughts. (laughter)

TOM: Try and get your mind off of it. Think of something else to get those thoughts out of your head.

RYAN: Don't get obsessed with movies. Remember that they're fake.

Yes or No?
Go!: What final factors influence what movies you might see or not see?

CHARLOTTE: Some people aren't really scared by scary movies. So if a movies rated R for scary stuff, it might not really bother them. But if a movies rated R for sexual stuff, then it might bother them and they shouldn't see it. You need to know what influences you.

RYAN: I don't think Id let Sean see The Ring. It doesn't bother me because, to me, all movies are fake. But it bothers Sean.

CHARLOTTE: If you want to see a movie but think it may bother someone else, don't see it.

MARCIE: There are some movies I would never want to see because it's against my beliefs. Like The Exorcist. Its about the devil and stuff, and I wouldn't see it.

TOM: But it's not what's in the movie, it's what you think about it.

SEAN: If you're one of those teenagers who believes everything you see, then you shouldnt see R-rated movies.

RYAN: Make smart choices about what you're going to see. And watch movies for amusement and not for reality.

TOM: If you're mature about the movie, go ahead and see it. But if you think you might have problems with it, don't see it.

MARCIE: But whatever you do, you should always remember your beliefs.

CHARLOTTE: If you're not sure about a movie, ask your parents. See what they think first.

R-rated movies are a reality. Even if youre not watching them, chances are good that your friends are. How do you decide what to watch? If you have limits, what are they? Can you stand up to the pressure when everyone else is caving in?

Check out the sidebar (below) for some of the statements that were made in the interview and some verses that may help you decide for yourself. Take a look. And if you've made a bad choice about a movie and just cant shake those images, ask God to help you get rid of those thoughts that stay behind. He's good at that (Psalm 51:10).

Their Words Vs. God's Word

Like all our roundtable discussions, this one presents some tough choices. How do you judge what is right or wrong? Remember to always start with these three basics: obey the law, honor your parents and be sure your conduct doesn't hurt your witness for Christ. Check out the statements from the discussion below and see what the Bible has to say to back them up.

MARCIE said, "Whatever you do ... remember your beliefs." The Bible says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

CHARLOTTE said, "Know what influences you, and don't go if you know its going to be bad." The Bible says, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." (James 4:17)

CHARLOTTE said, "If you think it may bother someone else, don't see it." The Bible says, "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." (1 Corinthians 8:9)

SEAN said, "Call your youth pastor." CHARLOTTE said, "Ask your parents." The Bible says, "Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise." (Proverbs 19:20)

RYAN said, "Decide about a movie based on what you know is right." The Bible says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)