F-bombs catch a break
MPAA lets 'Palace' push profanity limits
Gabriel Snyder, Ian Mohr, Variety
Palm Pictures' 'Gunner Palace' will go out with a PG-13 rating despite profanity used in the Iraq doc.
While the decency wars continue to rage in Washington, the MPAA has okayed the most profane PG-13 pic ever.
Palm Pictures won its appeal Thursday of the original R rating given to Iraq war docu "Gunner Palace." Pic is the Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein-helmed docu following U.S. soldiers living in a bombed-out palace formerly owned by Saddam Hussein's son Uday.
"Palace" was picked up by Palm last year at the Toronto Film Festival via the Submarine and Cinetic Media sales banners.
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Officially pic will be released rated PG-13 "on appeal for strong language throughout, violent situations and some drug references."
Palm argued that teens considering enlisting should be able to get an honest sense of what war zones are like, violence, profanity and all.
Last summer, the producers and distribs of "Fahrenheit 9/11" made a nearly identical but unsuccessful case to appeal their R rating.
One witness to the "Palace" proceedings said that the appeal session was an intense one, with some board members actually tearing up over the decision.
"In these times, language has become a volatile political issue," said Palm marketing topper Andy Robbins in a statement. "We are pleased that the MPAA chose to view the language of the American troops in the context of their situation. They are at war."
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The appeals board voted 9 to 3 to reverse its original decision. Last year, 12 films appealed their ratings and three were overturned, including "Hotel Rwanda," which had originally been rated R for violence.
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Gabriel Snyder, Ian Mohr, Variety
