The f-word is muted in PG-13 rated The King's Speech
Here is the original press release regarding the matter.
The Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) has assigned a PG-13 rating to an alternate version of The King's Speech submitted by The Weinstein Company. The original version of the film is rated R "for some language." CARA has rated the alternate version PG-13 "for language." Bob Pisano, President and Interim CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) and John Fithian, President and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, have also waived, upon request from The Weinstein Company, a CARA rule requiring a distributor to fully withdraw the original version of the film from theaters for 90-days before replacing it with an alternate version.
The purpose of the 90-day withdrawal period is to avoid public confusion about the rating of a film when there is more than one version introduced theatrically. However, the ratings rules allow the film's distributor to show the MPAA and NATO that a period less than 90 days is sufficient to prevent confusion in light of circumstances related to the motion picture.
"The movie rating system has endured for more than 40 years because it was designed to evolve not only with societal values, but with the growth and evolution of the motion picture industry itself," said Pisano. "The Weinstein Company has undertaken a commitment to ensure, through a revised advertising campaign, that it will be clear to consumers that a newly rated version of this film is coming to theaters near them. In this case a waiver is justified."
Added Fithian, "Given The Weinstein Company's commitment to advertise and promote the new version of The King's Speech as a differently rated version, to remove all prints of the earlier version, and given the high profile of the movie, we believe there is little likelihood of confusion among our patrons. We are pleased that The Weinstein Company respected the rating system by creating a different version of their movie and submitting it for proper classification before making it available to a wider audience."
The King's Speech was released November 26th, 2010 and stars Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, Robert Portal, Richard Dixon, Paul Trussell, Adrian Scarborough, Andrew Havill. The film is directed by Tom Hooper.
Comments (30)
To leave a comment, please sign in or use
Facebook or Twitter
Seawolf63
After winning Best Picture it would be foolish to pull it now, only to replace it with a cleaned up version. Most, if not all Best Picture winners, reap the benefits of the win at the boxoffice, plus give the film a better chance at a wider audience. The 90 day imposed wait for a re-release while the film is hot would ultimately hurt it.
2 years agoby @seawolf63Flag
PWS
Removing the swearing of the King's Speech strikes at the integrity of the film. As a person who stutters (PWS), I can attest that it is an accurate depiction that PWS's are typically fluent when swearing. By no means am I advocating (or giving a free pass to) swearing, but it is what it is.
Also, let's face it, any person old enough to understand the film has most likely heard every swear word to date. There is constant swearing everywhere - home, school, TV, radio, books/news items, Internet, etc. So to make such a big deal over this is just ludicrous!!!!
2 years agoby @PWSFlag
Mutant
what a bunch of F**king p*s*ie's and c*nt s**kers
2 years agoby @zenderFlag
Dan
@slysnide Everybody in the audience I saw it with was at least 21 or older, there wasn't a single child to be found, so yeah, this is very pointless. The movie mostly only appeals to us adults anyways.
2 years agoby @dan1Flag
Worth5Bucks
totally unnecessary
2 years agoby @mattbierwagenFlag
slysnide
So they wanna release it again in anticipation of swooping the Oscars and just want more people to see it? Chances are, youngsters won't be interested in this. And those interested wouldn't be offended anyway, probably.
2 years agoby @slysnideFlag
CelluloidDreams
Hey, hey MPAA, how many movies have you censored today?
2 years agoby @2movieguysFlag
CelluloidDreams
This is screwing with the directors vision..... Isn't this "Censorship"!!!
2 years agoby @2movieguysFlag
Dan
If this movie had come out in the 80's, it would have been PG-13. It's just nowadays the MPAA is a bunch of pussies, scared of a couple f*ck's and sh*t's, never mind in what context/manner they're used.
2 years agoby @dan1Flag
Dan
@shuabert Exactly, man. How it got an R rating to begin with is beyond me. The language he uses isn't used in a derogatory or gratuitous manner, it's used for his therapy. The MPAA ignored the context of foul language completely when they assigned it's rating. And yes, kids have heard all that. I talked worse then that when I was in 5th grade, for Christ's sake.
2 years agoby @dan1Flag
LuxoIII
Kind of a dumb idea, considering the movie's about to be released on video anyway.
2 years agoby @brady1138Flag
scaramangagold
ha Movieweb pre-empted me with a PG-13 rating.
2 years agoby @scaramangagoldFlag
scaramangagold
completely ridiculous. C*nts And Ridiculous *ssholes. Sorry here is a PG 13 version for younger viewers, C***s And Ridiculous A******s.
2 years agoby @scaramangagoldFlag
The King of Thorns
People called TSN's re-release a grab for the golden man, which it was, but they did so seemingly pleased, as they want TSN to lose to this overrated picture. So it's only fair for me to logically say the same here.
2 years agoby @champion-bescosFlag
MovieWiz001
@bawnian-dexeus lol. When I saw The Expendables, the ENTIRE back row was filled with kids 5 or younger! They will not stop running and fussing!! Excuse me but TS3 is in the next room. lol
2 years agoby @moviewiz001Flag
Tony Artym
This is not cool. it's the biggest turning part of the film the start of act 3 I hate the MPAA
2 years agoby @tony-artym-54891152Flag
Bawnian©-Dexeus
@moviewiz001, well, I did say kids, not teens but w/e. BTW, I went to see Drive Angry today, and this old dude walked in with a 6 year old. I mean, seriously !!!
2 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
MovieWiz001
@bawnian-dexeus Well, I'm 15. And I'm dying to see this, and I'm totally allowed to watch these. Heck, I went to see Bad Boys 2 for my birthday and I was 8 lol.
2 years agoby @moviewiz001Flag
Corey W.
Really isnt a need.
2 years agoby @coreyFlag
Jakn
Well at least the people at the box office down in Kent won't ask me for an I.D.
2 years agoby @jaknFlag
SpaceCowboy
This is the kind of decision that's made before a movie is released...not after.
2 years agoby @SpaceCowboyFlag
Bawnian©-Dexeus
I didn't know "kids" found an interest in this movie
2 years agoby @bawnian-dexeusFlag
Josh
Wow, really? This movie should have been PG from the start. Kids hear worse than that at recess.
2 years agoby @shuabertFlag
fanboy
This is just typical Hollywood greed, trying to get as much money out of a movie as possible!
2 years agoby @fanboyFlag
ejk1
I don't care, as long as I can buy the original version on Blu-Ray.
2 years agoby @ejk1Flag
moviegeek
Unnecessary. Parents should be able to see whether or not this overall is appropriate for their kids or not and take them accordingly.
2 years agoby @moviegeekFlag
Brian
They really think this will draw people under 17 to go see this? I don't think so. The movie is called The King's Speech. To most teenagers, it's a movie about a A King. And A Speech.
2 years agoby @brianFlag
ZanyZap
And it shouldn't have received an R-rating in the first place just as Blue Valentine should not have undergone the controversy. MPAA annoys me sometimes.
2 years agoby @zanyzapFlag
ZanyZap
That really ruins the scene though....
2 years agoby @zanyzapFlag
Daveactor7
Not a bad idea. I mean it didnt really need all of the bad language.
2 years agoby @daveactor7Flag