Motion Picture Association of America agreed to give the movie a softer PG-13 rating after he convinces the board that the Palestinian orphan's life in Israel film was aimed at teenagers.
- March 11, 2011
AceShowbiz - Moviemaker Julian Schnabel has won his appeal against the 'R' rating for new movie "Miral". The director argued his film - about a Palestinian orphan growing up amid the violence in Israel - was aimed at teenagers, so it would give them a better understanding of the religious strife in the Middle East. He told the Motion Picture Association of America's appeals board that censors had been unduly restrictive - and the officials agreed, handing his movie a softer PG-13 rating.
Schnabel's victory comes a day after he penned an essay for The Huffington Post blog, in which he defended his appeal plans. The film is based on the life of Schnabel's Palestinian girlfriend, Rula Jebreal, and adapted from her 2004 novel of the same name.
The filmmaker's appeal is the latest victory for bosses at The Weinstein Company, who are backing the movie - just last month, they won an appeal to have the 'R' rating removed from Oscar-winning movie "The King's Speech" in return for cutting out a scene featuring expletives. As a result, both PG-13 and R-rated versions of the Colin Firth film are now in U.S. cinemas.
