{Dec. 2, 2010} VICTORIA, BC – The holiday season is a popular time for new releases at the theatre.  When you are deciding if a particular movie will be appropriate for you or your family, Consumer Protection BC wants to help you find out the correct movie rating and understand what it means.

Sometimes without knowing it, we come upon the American ratings on television, online or in the newspaper. In British Columbia, Consumer Protection BC classifies the movies that you see in the theatre. Here are the classifications (also called ratings) and what they mean.  

General:
Suitable for viewing by persons of all ages. Occasional violence, swearing and coarse language, and the most innocent of sexually suggestive scenes and nudity, are permitted in this category.

Parental Guidance:
Parental guidance advised. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children although there is no age restriction. Motion pictures in this category may contain less subtle sexually suggestive scenes and nudity and a more realistic portrayal of violence than in the General category; coarse language may occur more often than in the General category.

14 Accompaniment:
Suitable for persons 14 years of age or older. Persons under 14 years of age must view these motion pictures accompanied by an adult. Motion pictures in this category may contain violence, coarse language or sexually suggestive scenes, or any combination of them.

18 Accompaniment:
Persons under 18 years of age must view these motion pictures accompanied by an adult. Motion pictures in this category will contain horror, explicit violence, frequent coarse language or scenes that are more sexually suggestive than in the 14A category, or any combination of them.

You will find the most recent movie ratings in the film classification section of our website. We recommend that you also spend a few extra minutes reading the advisories to get more details about a film’s content.  If you ever have any questions about the classification of a film, please contact us at 1-888-563-9963 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Consumer Protection BC is a not-for-profit corporation that was created to strengthen consumer protection in BC and enforce consumer protection laws. We balance the interests of all parties to promote a marketplace that is fair for both BC consumers and businesses. We license and inspect specific industries, respond to inquiries through our Inquiry Centre, classify films, investigate alleged violations of consumer protection laws, and educate consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities under the law.  For more information about our organization, please visit our corporate website at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca.

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