Sundance Fave ‘Blue Valentine’ Slapped with NC-17 (finally, a trailer!)

Those who have seen the film [Starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams] were surprised by the decision, noting that while the movie contains sex scenes with some nudity, they were not exploitative. … Blue Valentine’s” NC-17 is the latest in a string of controversial decisions by the MPAA ratings board. In the last few months, it handed out R ratings to two award-winning documentaries… Both lost their appeals.

What?! I am among those “surprised” people.  I saw this movie a few months ago and I have no idea why it would have an NC-17 rating. But who can tell these days. A movie can be R for a single “fuck,” while sex and nudity can get into a PG-13 (at least, as long as James Cameron is involved). Yet the Saw movies get R ratings while an indie drama with Ryan Gosling gets an NC-17? Utterly ridiculous.

Clearly the MPAA knows they need to redefine their standards, and they’re starting with tiny indie movies (this one bought at Sundance for only a $1 million) that were probably going to fail anyway.  This is criminal. 

Regarding the movie - it’s good, but let’s just say the trailer does a good job of highlighting its strong suits. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams continue to impress me as actors.