Michael Moore Will Appeal 'Where To Invade Next' R Rating
Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine) is not happy with the MPAA. The filmmaker's first film in over six years, Where to Invade Next, has been branded with an R rating from the ratings board. The MPAA has never been the biggest fan of logic, and, like plenty of other filmmakers have in the past, Moore is taking them to task for it.
Learn more after the jump.
In Where to Invade Next, the documentarian travels around the world to consider how the American Dream could be improved by implementing successful policies from overseas. The MPAA has given an R rating to Moore's film for "for language, some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity." The director expressed his dissatisfaction to THR with this statement:
It's amazing how 25 years have passed — we invented the internet, gay marriage is legal and we elected an African American President of the United States, but the MPAA is still intent on censoring footage that is available from any evening network news show. This film has been widely praised by critics for its warmth and humor and optimism. What is the real reason I keep getting all these 'R' ratings? I wish the MPAA would just be honest and stick a label on my movies saying: "This movie contains dangerous ideas that the 99% may find upsetting and lead them to revolt.
Probably not a lot of teenagers are disappointed they can't catch the latest Michael Moore joint without their parents, but that's beside the point. A movie about the flawed American dream definitely sounds like a movie anyone under the age of 17 should see. From Moore's perspective, the "violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity" are hardly graphic or unsuitable for children. The director elaborated on Twitter.
(1/5) Jeez. Once again the MPAA has given a film of mine an "R" rating, citing "violence, drug use & brief graphic nudity." Here's the truth:
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 2, 2015
(2/5) The "violence" in WHERE TO INVADE NEXT is footage of the NYPD officers killing an unarmed Eric Garner on a Staten Island sidewalk.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 2, 2015
(3/5) The "drug use" in WHERE TO INVADE NEXT is me showing how Portugal ended their "war on drugs". Haven't arrested a 1 drug user in 15yrs. — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 2, 2015
(4/5) The "brief nudity" in my film is 2 secs of Germans whose health care card gives em 3 free wks @ a spa if stressed. Don't show us that!
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 2, 2015
(5/5) That's what the MPAA doesn't want teenagers 2 see w/o parental supervision. As always, teens: You know what 2 do, u know how 2 get in. — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 2, 2015
Moore and the film's backers plan to appeal the rating. Will the director's statement hurt or help the film's chances of receiving a PG-13 rating? The MPAA won't appreciate his criticism, but maybe they'll do their job right and give Where to Invade Next a fair chance...
Here's the official plot synopsis from TIFF:
Michael Moore understands the art of provocation. From Roger & Me to Bowling for Columbine to Fahrenheit 9/??11, he's been ahead of the cultural curve with films that galvanized audiences and escalated box-office records.
Now, six years since his last film and with another US election around the corner, he delivers a fresh surprise that feels current yet perfectly timeless. Filming abroad without drawing attention from American media, Moore reunites his A-team, including producers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (directors of the Oscar-nominated Trouble the Water), and brings us a funny and provocative work that's guaranteed to stir up conversation.
The United States' long history of invading countries and pushing agendas has produced results that are, to say the least, mixed. What if the US could do a better job at invading? That's the premise for this film, which sends Moore on an epic journey.
Americans may be known as talkers, but Moore actually listens and he's a magnet for memorable characters. Their dialogues are revelatory, poignant, and hilarious. The film builds momentum toward a culmination that resonates with hard-earned hope.
In the break since his previous film, 2009's Capitalism: A Love Story, Moore has nurtured his cinematic passions as co-founder of the Traverse City Film Festival and a champion of other directors. Whatever else he's been doing in that time, it has had a restorative effect on his filmmaking. Where to Invade Next conveys a sense that he's been saving up his energies to create something really special. Rather than following the predictable motions of partisan politics, he reframes the conversation around hot-button issues in a highly entertaining and subversive way.
Where to Invade Next opens in New York and Los Angeles on December 23rd and opens nationwide January 15th.