Summary

• Many older movies that were rated PG in the past would be considered inappropriate for children today due to their graphic content and mature themes.
• Films like Jaws and Poltergeist, which were originally rated PG, contain violent and frightening scenes that are unsuitable for young viewers.
• The boundaries of what is considered family-friendly entertainment have shifted over time, and many movies that were once deemed appropriate for all audiences would now receive a higher rating.

Reflecting on older movies, it can be surprising to discover that certain films were deemed suitable for children when, in fact, they were quite inappropriate. Going back to the early days of movie ratings, standards have definitely shifted. The G, PG, and R systems were implemented in the late 1960s. Back then, PG simply meant parental guidance was suggested for young viewers, while R flagged mature content. This meant PG became a catch-all for films with violence, language, and sexual situations that today would never be considered family-friendly. The void between G and R ratings resulted in the creation of PG-13 in 1984, but lines were still blurred.

Plenty of movies undeservedly flew under the PG radar because the bar for inappropriate content was set so much higher. Peeking beneath the surface of cinema history reveals many head-scratching instances of films featuring gratuitous violence, vulgarity and sexuality that somehow got slapped with PG labels. By today’s standards, there are plenty of PG-rated movies that are too traumatizing for kids. It makes one wonder what the ratings board was thinking in deeming such graphically mature content as family-friendly at the time. Movie ratings used to have a lot more wiggle room when PG dominated the space between innocent and adult-only.

12 Sixteen Candles (1984)

Today’s Rating: PG-13

Sixteen Candles contains graphic sexual content and crude humor that make its original PG-rating quite shocking. Multiple scenes openly display exposed breasts and full female nudity, as well as vulgar language and objectifying depictions of women. The lighthearted way adolescent sexuality is tackled would have been par for the course in many teen movies of its era, as well as today, but the level of sexually explicit material shown in Sixteen Candles is clearly inappropriate for children. Additionally, the insensitive racial stereotyping of the Long Duk Dong character demonstrates why the film would never earn a PG rating under modern criteria.

11 Jaws (1975)

Today’s Rating: R

Aside from the graphic content, the horror film would be terrifying for young viewers, especially the tense climax.

Bloody shark attacks that leave behind severed body parts and blood-filled water are a common theme in Jaws, making these gory visuals highly inappropriate for children, even with parental guidance. Additionally, there is pervasive strong language and profanity, brief nudity, and mild sexual humor. Aside from the graphic content, the horror film would be terrifying for young viewers, especially the tense climax. While this movie redefined the summer blockbuster, Jaws features a level of visceral violence and pervasive adult content that clearly warrants a sterner rating. The film’s original PG rating is quite shocking given today’s stricter standards.

10 Poltergeist (1982)

Today’s Rating: PG-13

Despite being a horror film inspired by true events that features attack scenes from terrifying ghosts and ghouls, Poltergeist earned a PG rating upon its initial release. The most inappropriate aspects, though, are the flat-out nightmare-inducing visuals, like a child attacked by a murderous toy clown and a man gruesomely tearing off his own face. The sheer terror factor alone makes Poltergeist completely unsuitable for children. While parental guidance was suggested upon its release, today’s standards would warrant a PG-13 rating at minimum for such consistent adult themes and scary content.

9 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Today’s Rating: R

A breakthrough mixing of live action and animation, this Robert Zemeckis movie also contains some surprisingly adult content given its PG rating. There is occasional strong language, including sexually crude quotes, and frequent alcohol use depicted. More disturbing is a scene where the villain Judge Doom melts into a gruesome puddle in a particularly nightmare-inducing visual. Most iconic and inappropriate for children is Jessica Rabbit’s hyper-sexualized character design, exemplifying the overlap of adult themes with family-friendly animation. Between a smoking infant, inappropriate language, alcohol use, disturbing violent images, and heavy sexual undertones, Who Framed Roger Rabbit features consistent questionable content, making its original PG rating quite shocking by modern standards.

8 Ghostbusters (1984)

Today’s Rating: PG-13

The beloved supernatural comedy Ghostbusters is packed with surprisingly racy material hidden between the ghost-battling hijinks. From demonic possession played for adult laughs to an awkward scene implying oral sex with a ghost, the film is rife with sexual situations crossing the line for young viewers. Strong language, alcohol consumption and frightening supernatural imagery further underscore why Ghostbusters would easily require a PG-13 rating under today’s standards. While the paranormal comedy antics entertain adult audiences, the pervasive adult content throughout would be considered unsuitable for children nowadays. Ghostbusters certainly pushed boundaries in more ways than one back in its heyday.

7 The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Today’s Rating: PG-13

While featuring a creative narrative-within-a-narrative concept engaging for all ages, The NeverEnding Story plunges surprisingly deep into dark fantasy themes. This beloved 1980s fantasy film follows a child immersed in an epic tale, but the adventures depicted prove startlingly mature. The mythical world encountered brims with tragic character deaths, violence, monsters and an ominous supernatural force destroying the land. Most scarring is a gut-wrenching scene where a sympathetic character’s beloved horse slowly sinks to its demise in swamp muck. Such depressing imagery exceeds standard family-friendly fare. By today’s criteria, the dim worldbuilding and traumatic character moments permeating The NeverEnding Story warrant a rating sterner than PG.

6 Grease (1978)

Today’s Rating: PG-13

When a previously innocent character suddenly appears clad in leather and permed hair, takes up smoking and uses suggestive language, the climactic number implies mature posturing and sexuality are necessary to find happiness and belonging. Additionally, a ing teen pregnancy subplot and pressure toward sexual activity in the song “Summer Nights” further indicate mature themes exceeding modern expectations for PG-rated movies. Today, the level of sexual content, smoking and adult situations in Grease seem inappropriate for children without clearer parental warnings, and the film sures the standards for family-friendly entertainment. Grease’s continued popularity cannot eclipse its themes, warranting a more mature rating.

5 Airplane! (1980)

Today’s Rating: R

The rapid-fire gags flying past in Airplane! actually feature a surprising number of inappropriate jokes that likely slipped by the 1980s rating standards. With examples like a nozzle strategically placed to inflate a pilot’s groin, this disaster film parody brims with sexual innuendo exceeding family-friendly sensibilities. Additionally, jokes about snorting cocaine and other illicit activities undermine the PG guidance. While the nonstop humor entertains adult audiences, exposing children to the constant references to sex, drugs and adult situations no longer aligns with what is considered acceptable content for young viewers today. Airplane! warrants at least a PG-13 label, if not an R rating, under current MPAA standards.

4 Watership Down (1978)

Today’s Rating: PG-13

Despite its deceptively adorable protagonist rabbits, Watership Down delivers a relentlessly grim survival tale with graphic violence that exceeds family-friendly sensibilities. While the core quest may resonate with young audiences, the dark tone and unflinching depictions of animal attacks prove strikingly mature. Rabbits tear each other’s throats out and cough up blood from bullet wounds, with many dying in vivid detail throughout the runtime. These brutal on-screen casualties seem wholly inappropriate without stricter warnings for parents. The anguish of cute creatures turning savage certainly evokes animated landmarks like Bambi, but Watership Down pushes boundaries into more disturbing territory.

3 The Graduate (1967)

Today’s Rating: R

Such depictions of imbalanced power dynamics in sexual situations seem unacceptable in modern family films.

With its iconic soundtrack highlighting complex themes of manipulation and coercion, The Graduate tackles strikingly mature interpersonal drama. Despite its classic status, a core focus on an older woman seducing a recent college graduate would clearly need more than parental guidance if it was rated today. Such depictions of imbalanced power dynamics in sexual situations seem unacceptable in modern family films. Additionally, the movie’s resolution involves characters exhibiting further questionable behavior, the gravity of which children may struggle to grasp. Amidst all the sexual politics, The Graduate warrants more than a suggestion of parental oversight.