BLUE VALENTINE wins MPAA appeal, gets an R-rating
Film lovers collectively gasped when they found out that Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine was slapped with an NC-17. Coming out of Sundance, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams were sure-fire Oscar nominees for their performances in the film. Then came the scarlet rating. Could they get nominated for an NC-17 movie?
The Weinsteins don’t have to worry about that anymore because Blue Valentine now has an R-rating after appealing the initial NC-17 rating. And with no edits to boot!
From The Weinstein Company:
Following a hearing this afternoon, The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced that it has won a unanimous appeal of the NC-17 rating initially given to its feature film Blue Valentine by the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA’s Classification and Rating Administration had bestowed the NC-17 due to one scene, a sexually intimate sequence between a married couple trying to repair their broken relationship. The rare unanimous decision by the appeal board strengthens the ability of the film to reach audiences as an acknowledged award-season contender, already nominated for a Gotham Award and Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize.
“All of us – the filmmakers and cast – were united in our support for the film in its original form. After presenting our case to the MPAA appeal board today, they were convinced of the artistic nature of Blue Valentine and recognized that it was consistent with the kind of movies for which The Weinstein Company is known. We appreciate their decision to give the film an ‘R’ rating,” stated TWC Co-Chair Harvey Weinstein, who led the appeal with a team of attorneys including Alan R. Friedman and David Boies.
Blue Valentine opens in limited release on Dec. 31.
Get Email Updates
