Parents are the ones who decide whether underage children should accompany them to R rated movies

Dear Editor,

Caribbean Cinemas located at Giftland Mall in Guyana, wishes to advise about a letter sent regarding underage children accessing R rated movies (‘Parents took children to Giftland Movie Theatre to watch R-rated movie’ SN, August 22).

It is important to take note that the concern about underage children being allowed to view R rated movies has been deliberated, addressed and concluded worldwide with emphasis on sagacity and that parents are the sole decision-makers when it comes to the matter of allowing underage children to view R rated movies when accompanied by them.

Principled measures are always in place by Caribbean Cinemas to ensure it is safeguarded against such occurrences by following MPAA rules and regulations – a parent must accompany the underage child. If the parent is not present our policy is to restrict the entrance of underage children.

Caribbean Cinemas follows the rules and regulations of the MPAA Motion Picture Association of America which are accepted and practised worldwide:

R: “Restricted, Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian.”     

In the opinion of the Rating Board, this film definitely contains some adult material. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about this film before they allow their children under 17 to accompany them. An R-rated film may include hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above, so that parents are counseled, in advance, to take this advisory rating very seriously. Parents must find out more about an R-rated movie before they allow their teenagers to view it.

Caribbean Cinemas confirms that the decision to view or allow children to view these movies is that of the parents and not the cinemas. Parents are advised about the content of movies and it then becomes their decision as to what content they permit their children to view.  This is not a Caribbean Cinemas decision.

Caribbean Cinemas upholds the MPAA Rating Guidelines and encourages parents and guardians to follow them. If the parent is not present, the policy is to restrict the entrance of underage children into R rated movies.

Yours faithfully,

George Borges

Director of Operations

Eastern Caribbean and Aruba