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The first bonafide awards season controversy (of sorts) has arrived thanks to the MPAA slapping a boneheaded NC-17 rating on the indie drama "Blue Valentine" last week. For many, this once again underscored the inconsistency of the ratings board and its bizarre preference for bloody violence over anything resembling nudity (and strangely enough, "Blue Valentine" doesn't have any violence or nudity). For pretty much everyone who has seen the film (including us) the rating makes absolutely no sense.
Following The Weinstein Company's announcement that they plan to appeal the ruling, director Derek Cianfrance has spoken out about the box office-killing rating his film has received, saying, “we were shocked by it, in all honesty. I think we made a very respectful film. It’s not exploitative. It’s honest, it’s intimate… it leaves a lot to people’s imaginations. And we’re going to fight it. We all respect the MPAA and the work that they do but we think that this decision is wrong.”
However, he does take heart in the support he's received from those who have seen the film and disagree with the MPAA, saying, “I have been surprised and honored that so many people have come to the defense of the film. There’s nobody in the press or the public that have seen the film that seem to agree with the decision.”
The film, which has been tweaked and edited by Cianfrance since it debuted at Sundance earlier in the year (it was ten minutes shorter at Cannes and a few more minutes were shaved for TIFF), is the version he feels "everyone should see." But whether or not that happens is up to the MPAA.
While there are numerous theories as to what scene or sequence the MPAA were offended by, the bottom line is no one gets naked or blown up in the film; yes, it's an emotionally intense and raw-nerved film but we don't recall that being a reason to tag the film with a rating that will effectively kill it on the vine. An R rating is certainly more appropriate and realistic, but whether the "family values" led MPAA will realize the error of their ways we'll have to wait and find out. And in case you missed it, here's the trailer.
By now you've likely heard that Derek Cianfrance's relationship drama, "Blue Valentine" starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams was slapped with a dreaded (and ridiculous) NC-17 rating, apparently due to some scandalous sex scene (the married couple argue over sex and then end up in a fight; we've seen the film, and it's emotionally tough to watch, but not graphic in any sense of the word).
It's one of the stupidest decisions the MPAA has made in their long history of asinine decisions. Anyhow, the Weinstein Company has released a statement on the matter, they sounds civil, thanks those who have spoken out about this absurdity and sound like they respectfully want to appeal the rating without ruffling the notoriously conservative MPAA's feathers. Here's the statement:“We want to express our deepest gratitude to our colleagues in the industry and in the media for their recent outpouring of support for Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine after the film surprisingly received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA. We are taking every possible step to contest the MPAA’s decision. We respect the work of the MPAA and we hope, after having a chance to sit down with them, they will see that our appeal is reasonable, and the film, which is an honest and personal portrait of a relationship, would be significantly harmed by such a rating.”
We're honestly not sure what good TWC's appeal will do, but we hope for the best. In a perfect world both Gosling and Williams would be receiving Oscar nominations, but it remains to be seen if TWC will have the marketing dollars to push them for nods. If the film does retain its NC-17 rating, it's probably dead in the water, both with audiences and Academy voters which would be a huge fucking shame. The picture is currently scheduled to hit theaters December 31, 2010. Here's the recent trailer and our film review from Cannes.
The timing couldn't be better/worse, but fresh off receiving an NC-17 rating from the MPAA the scandalous and filthy trailer for the cesspool of iniquity that is "Blue Valentine" has arrived.
Of course, we're joking, and the spot for the film starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams is actually a pretty nifty impression of the movie. Over Ryan Gosling warbling the standard "You Always Hurt The One You Love," the brief spot shows flashes of the relationship profiled in the film during its peaks and valleys. It's a great teaser, and there will surely be a meatier trailer down the line.
We saw the film at Cannes and TIFF and were impressed both times. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, it's one of the most bracing and real looks at a relationship in a downward spiral you will ever see. But it's also pretty funny and charming as well. The film will hit theaters on December 31st. But if the prudes at the MPAA have their way, the number of screens it ends up hitting might be greatly reduced if their ridiculous and reactionary rating remains standing.
>>> Watch: Trailer For The Scandalous NC-17 Rated 'Blue Valentine' >>>
The MPAA has made some boneheaded, confounding and confusing decisions in the past but his one is a serious head-scratcher. The ratings board has inexplicably come down very hard on the forthcoming Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams-starring relationship drama "Blue Valentine" giving the film a dreaded NC-17 rating.
So what raised the ire of the ratings board? According to Deadline, the sequence in question involves the couple (Gosling and Williams), who in the midst of the worst emotional crisis of their relationship, head to a theme hotel to spend the night to try and sort things out. They both get drunk and he wants to have sex, but she doesn't. However, in order to keep the peace, she agrees to anyway. It's a tough moment, but certainly not violent; if anything it's wrenching and unsettling, but like the rest of the film, it's bracingly honest and mature about the complexities of a relationship on the rocks and that extends to sex too. The scene itself is hardly explicit and the film has no nudity really, except for a flashback scene where Williams is shown having sex with an ex-boyfriend at college; you see partial bum (gasp!), but that scene is also emotionally difficult for entirely different reasons that we won't spoil here.
It's unknown what action The Weinstein Company will take or if they will appeal the decision at all. Earlier in the year they already butted heads with the MPAA who tagged their documentary "The Tillman Story" with an R-rating (which stood after they appealed), and their other major awards season horse, "The King's Speech" is also stuck with an R-rating thanks to a single scene where the word "fuck" is uttered excessively (more than three "fucks" and you automatically get an R-rating).
But as is pointed out countless times, the MPAA is a strangely conservative group. Foul language and sex are given a hard time, while the group doesn't bat an eye at violence. We'd be surprised if The Weinstein Company let this go without a fight, so expect them to respond quickly. If the rating stands, it makes things very difficult for The Weinstein Company. They could release the film unrated but that would pretty much kill its box office, or they could ask director Derek Cianfrance to make some edits to the offending scene but there's no word yet on if he would be willing to do so. Either way it's an asinine move from the MPAA in a long line of absurd, asinine moves. Torture porn films get R-Ratings and a relationship drama with little sex gets a NC-17? The misguided decision boggles the mind.
The first bonafide awards season controversy (of sorts) has arrived thanks to the MPAA slapping a boneheaded NC-17 rating on the indie drama "Blue Valentine" last week. For many, this once again underscored the inconsistency of the ratings board and its bizarre preference for bloody violence over anything resembling nudity (and strangely enough, "Blue Valentine" doesn't have any violence or nudity). For pretty much everyone who has seen the film (including us) the rating makes absolutely no sense.
