Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
The rating decision was tied to a scene of a 12-year-old with prostitutes.
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Poll: MPA (Motion Picture Association) 12 Biggest Ratings Controversies
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix.
The MPA established guidelines for film content which resulted in the creation of the Motion Picture Production Code in 1930.
More recently, the MPA has advocated for the motion picture and television industry, with the goals of promoting effective copyright protection, reducing piracy, and expanding market access.
Which is your favorite title that created a big stir in the ratings war?
Note: all explanations are verbatim excerpts from the original source below...
Source: indiewire.com — MPAA Turns 50: Here Are 12 of the Biggest Ratings Controversies, From ‘Basic Instinct’ to ‘Blue Valentine’
Make Your Choice
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
The franchise took a dark and violent turn with the “Temple of Doom” story, which included a child slavery cult, dark magic and human sacrifice.
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Henry & June (1990)
It was only a few things that caused “Henry and June” to receive the NC-17 rating: the inclusion of Hokusai’s octopus erotica, “The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife,” and a few moments of louche behavior at a Bacchanale.
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Basic Instinct (1992)
“Basic Instinct,” which features an iconic, endlessly parodied scene in which Sharon Stone briefly shows all while being interrogated.
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Showgirls (1995)
The rating hurt the film's box office: "Showgirls" remains the only film to receive both an NC-17 rating and a wide theatrical release, which didn’t work as planned: the film made just $37.8 million against a budget of $45 million
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Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Its NC-17 rating was reduced to an R not because director Kimberly Peirce cut a violent rape scene but by excising sex scenes between Hilary Swank and Chloë Sevigny.
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Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
The studio, needing to deliver a R-rating, was forced to make changes to the orgy scene to satisfy the MPAA.
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Requiem for a Dream (2000)
The slightly trimmed film was “Rated R for intense depiction of drug addiction, graphic sexuality, strong language and some violence” for its release on video.
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The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Ebert, who had been reviewing movies for almost four decades by the point of its release in 2004, went so far as to say of “The Passion of the Christ” that it was the most violent film he had ever seen.
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Blue Valentine (2010)
This searing, intimate drama about a marriage falling apart starred Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, who performed in two naturalistic sex scenes.
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The Hunger Games (2012)
While “The Hunger Games” was a major blockbuster release aimed at a younger demographic, it was filled with violent deaths, including teenagers dying onscreen.
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Bully (2011)
Lee Hirsch’s acclaimed documentary “Bully,” which captured high school experiences of bullying in unflinching detail, wound up with an R rating for its language.
