Unplanned, the movie of the life story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood worker turned pro-life activist, has unexpectedly received an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The MPAA cites the reasoning for the rating as “some disturbing/bloody images” but Ben Kayser of Movie Guide has stated that other 2019 films that include killing, murder, and death have only received a rating of PG-13.
While Unplanned features simulated abortion scenes that include blood, it doesn’t contain any of the MPAA cautions for profanity, nudity, or sex. Therefore, the MPAA decision to give the film an R-rating is quite possibly because of the abortion scenes — and the MPAA’s opinion that these scenes depict violence. The rating essentially means that the MPAA is (perhaps unintentionally) supporting the pro-life community’s long-held argument that abortion is an act of violence against innocent human life — one pro-lifers believe should be illegal.
READ: ‘Unplanned’ star shocked by mother’s revelation: ‘I was going to abort you’
In addition to stating the obvious – that abortion is an act of violence – the R-rating sets up quite a hypocritical situation for pro-abortion organizations and leaders. The bizarre situation is that teens in many states can legally undergo an abortion without a parent’s permission, but won’t be able to see a movie about abortion without a parent’s permission: ‘Dear teenage girls, you are mature enough to have this violent act done to you and your child and your parents don’t need to know, but you can’t see a movie about it without your parents saying it’s okay.’
Planned Parenthood works overtime to fight and overturn laws concerning parental notification for abortion, so it’s ironic that teenage girls can’t enter a movie about Planned Parenthood without parental notification.
The writers/directors of Unplanned — Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman — aren’t worried about the R-rating, although it may stop teenage girls who should see the movie from seeing the movie. In their opinion, it’s a film teens should see with their parents.
“But, maybe it’s all for the best: As the wife of our lead film attorney put it: ‘This is a movie that every mother of a teenage girl needs to take her daughter by the hand and go see with her.’ So as far as we’re concerned, ‘R’ means ‘Recommended,'” they said as reported by Movie Guide. They say they don’t plan on fighting the R-rating.
Unplanned is scheduled to be released in theaters on March 29, 2019.
“Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!
