This article on Children’s Movies Push the Boundaries of PG comes after I had a run-in with Millions, the movie version of the book by Frank Cottrell Boyce. I adored the book and loved the movie. Due to the PG rating, I chose it as a movie for the library’s family movie series. Luckily, I found time to watch the film the night before we showed it, because I had a mother show up with two very small children, ages 4 and 6 and I gently recommended that they not stay and watch. PG doesn’t mean what it used to.
I am not saying that the movie shouldn’t have been shown as part of our series. But it does mean that I have to be on my toes about what kind of PG movie it is, so I can help parents understand that times are changing. Our most popular film in this most recent film series was Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants where I had a gaggle of preteen girls all enjoying the movie immensely. Some boys came in to meet their sisters and walked out in disgust because there was kissing!