January 13, 2005

Palm Pictures Appeals MPAA Rating of GUNNER PALACE

Indie distributor Palm Pictures will appeal the MPAA's decision to give Iraq War film 'Gunner's Palace' an R rating for language. Here's the director's response, according to Palm's press release:

"No doubt, there is strong language in the film, but taken in context of the subject, soldiers at war, the language is not gratuitous," said Michael Tucker, Co-Director of GUNNER PALACE. "We may not like or agree with what the soldiers say in this film. Some of us may even find their language offensive. However, their voices deserve to be heard--without restriction--in the country that sent them to war. This is a film about war and the reactions of the young people fighting in it. Those reactions are expressed through the language of the day. To restrict access to the film via an "R" rating is essentially censoring the experience of the American soldier. As Americans, one way we can support the troops, is by listening to what they have to say. To do this, to honor and respect their experience and sacrifice, we ask the MPAA to constructively work with us to bring the soldiers story to an audience that will include teens who are mature enough to see this film."

I see the director's point and understand the marketing need for a wider audience, but I think the MPAA isn't going to budge on this one. If any teen was going to go see this, I would expect them to be at the age threshold where they could get in on their own anyway.

You can read the full release here.

MCN Press Release.

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