R Rated

Director Steven Soderbergh vowed Monday to appeal a restrictive R rating the Motion Picture Assn. of America has assigned to his outer-space romantic drama, "Solaris," for "some sexuality/nudity." Two scenes depict actor George Clooney's naked backside. "We all agreed that we are not going to cut the film," Soderbergh said, referring to executives at 20th Century Fox, which plans to open the movie Nov. 27.

Senator, author, presidential candidate and now movie star -- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is set to make his feature film debut in "Wedding Crashers." And not since Richard Nixon appeared on "Laugh-In" has politics made a stranger set of bedfellows. The New Line film, which opens Friday, follows the exploits of two divorce mediators and self-satisfied Lotharios, played by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, as they charm their way into one wedding after another.

If Nicolas Cage lights a cigarette in a movie, Hollywood's ratings board should respond as if he used a profanity, according to authors of a new study that criticizes glamorous images of smoking in movies rated for children younger than 17. Nearly 80% of movies rated PG-13 feature some form of tobacco use, while 50% of films rated G and PG depict smoking, said Stanton Glantz, coauthor of the study, which examined 775 U.S. movies over the last five years.

It is morning in California-land. I'm sitting at a table at the cafe, reading the paper and eating my scone and drinking my cafe au lait, and I can't help but overhear a tidbit of conversation at the next table. " . . . and showed everyone my garter belt." OK. I'm not going to acknowledge that, I think. I bite the scone and go back to reading about Nelson Mandela. Then another fragment wafts its way to my ears. "Next week, we're doing stimulation." I look over.

Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Bubby Brister is one marketable guy, according to Larry Magen, executive producer of the proposed "Bubby Brister Show." Magen has been trying to hire former ESPN announcer Karie Ross as co-host of the show, which would be televised live on WPTT from a sports bar just before "Monday Night Football." WPTT is the lowest-rated of Pittsburgh's five on-air stations. "We wanted a format that was right with Bubby," Magen said. "We want sparks to fly.

Distributors of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" said Friday that they would appeal the R rating issued to the documentary by the Motion Picture Assn. of America because of its "violent and disturbing images and for language." The movie, which is sharply critical of the Bush administration's role in Iraq, includes sometimes graphic images of Iraqi civilian and military causalities and features a U.S. soldier reciting explicit song lyrics.

After narrowly losing an appeal to lift an X rating, the producers of "Scandal" said Friday that they would re-edit an orgy scene and resubmit the film Monday in hopes of being granted a more commercially viable R rating from the Motion Picture Assn. of America. Producer Steve Woolley, who flew from London to New York Thursday, said he does not intend to shorten the orgy scene but will construct a less explicit version this weekend with previously unused footage. An association appeals board voted 8-7 Thursday to retain the X rating issued to the film last month.

If you're under 17, you can't vote in November. You also can't see the film that fans hope will sway the presidential election, unless your parents tag along. On Tuesday, the Motion Picture Assn. of America rejected an attempt by the distributors of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" to reduce the R rating awarded the anti-Bush documentary two weeks ago. Moore was typically defiant.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith has won an appeal to gain an R rating for his comedy "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," which previously had received an NC-17 adults-only designation. Elizabeth Kaltman, spokeswoman for the Motion Picture Assn. of America, said Tuesday the rating was revised after the MPAA's appeals board viewed the movie. The NC-17 rating would have prohibited anyone younger than 17 from seeing the movie. With an R rating, those under 17 can see it in the company of an adult. "Zack and Miri," due out Oct. 31 from the Weinstein Co., stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as roommates who try to make a homemade porn flick to dig themselves out of debt.

I am glad to hear that most theaters do not enforce the movie ratings system all too consistently because the system is much too general. What is it about the magic age of 17 that makes kids all of a sudden ready to see R-rated movies? The fact is that most of us can handle these movies (without being corrupted) long before then, because our parents have taught us the difference between real life and celluloid. I do not believe that a movie theater should decide who can and cannot see a certain film according to a person's age. One more thing: Why do theaters that enforce the ratings system still charge adult rates to children who can't see adult movies?