Many of us are often confused as to why a film might be PG-13 or R and why some films are not NC-17 because of the sex and/or violence. Then there are films that are Not Rated and what does that mean?

Which films can I take my kids to or feel comfortable sending my teenager that is under 18? Are there R rated films I should go to with my kids?

These are some of the questions that I'm frequently asked. The purpose of this article is to help you make more informed decisions about how to use the movie ratings guidelines.

PG- Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for pre- teenagers

PG-13- All Ages-Parents urged to give special guidance for attendance by children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children

R- Restricted: Persons under 17 hot admitted unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian

Not Rated is not a rating. It can mean that the movie was never presented to the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America); that it was and was sent back for changes to get the requested rating and then withdrawn. In some cases it might be an innocent foreign film (Shadow Magic) or one that has so much sex and violence that even the adult category of NC-17 would not encompass it (Baise Moi).

The biggest battleground is when a film tries to be edgy to have the feel of an R movie but get a rating of PG-13. Young men below the age of 18 often break the tie on what they and their date will go see. So if the studio wants that segment, which is the most loyal of all demographics to see movies on a regular basis, quality content is sometimes cut from a film to make it PG-13 (e.g., crazy/beautiful).

G is not just for kids, as in rugrats, as evidenced by the wonderful film The Road Home and film that although we don't love, we do like, The Princess Diaries..

At times the ratings can be quite misleading such as for The 6th Day with it's sexual innuendo and considerable violence. I remember knowing that it was targeted to boys younger than 18 but it sure felt like an R rated film to me. Have no doubt that it was given a PG-13 rating.

Directors of small films, without the political clout of the Hollywood studios allege that they face a double standard. The Center of the World was going to be NC-17 and because the director would not make the recommended changes, it was released as Not Rated. If you saw the film, while it was racy, it wasn't much different to me than Coyote Ugly with it's PG -13 rating.

As I understand it, much of the funding from MPAA comes from the studios and that many of the people who rate the films are appointed by members of the studios. It's anything but an independent body looking at films. If you doubt that, take a look at Scary Movie or SM 2 and ask yourself if the sexual activities and innuendo on those films is any worse than in The Center of the World.

The bottom line is that as with most things, scores, be they a MPAA rating or a movie critics assignment of stars, should be used only as a guide. Try and find one or two movie critics that you like to read, who tends to see many films as you do. Then scan other critics in your different newspapers, and on the Internet at IMDB and MRQE.

Even if you live in a community with only one newspaper, there are always the weekly entertainment magazines plus USA Today and the Friday Wall Street Journal to enhance your ability to compare. For what it can cost to attend a movie, plus the time you invest, a little spadework on the front it can pay handsome dividends.

Like with most things, if you learn how to become efficient at judging how to spend your money and your time, your quality of life will be better. And that's one of the reasons why people all over the world have a love affair with motion pictures.

The information is available for you to make an informed decision. It's not that hard…with just a little effort, you can find how to sift through the things you don't to see, be they good or bad films, to seeing films that you love.