Photo credit: IMDB

For almost fifty years, the modern film rating system, the MPAA, has been used and trusted to determine the audience that can see a film. In that amount of time, the system is bound to get it wrong – and for years, both those involved in the film industry and those watching films have at times avidly spoken out against said misguided ratings.

It seems that the process involved in the rating of a film pays attention only to what is deemed inappropriate for young viewers: i.e. sex, drugs, violence, strong language, or frightening images; really, the overall message of the film should be a larger factor in this determination. Ultimately, a filmmaker has a target audience-or at least a small demographic in that audience who can really relate to and learn from their work. In countless coming-of-age films, when the rating suggests that the film is for more mature audiences, the very audience which could benefit the most from the film is essentially barred from seeing it. Further, a mature audience rating has financial implications too: audiences barred from seeing a film in theaters are likely to seek it on a free website, not contributing to the film whatsoever.

One example of this selective censorship is the recent film Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015). Rated “R” in the US and “18” in the UK, and thus not recommended for teenage girls, the film explores teenage sexuality in a way unlike any other coming-of-age film. Yes, the story may seem conventional: teenagers get ushered into a world of sexuality at a young age, they explore a roller coaster of emotions, and eventually learn a valuable lesson about themselves.However, unlike many films that follow a male main character seduced by an older woman, Diary of a Teenage Girl depicts a young girl, seduced by her mother’s boyfriend, who actually embraces her sexuality boldly.

These unconventional switches: from male protagonist to female, from timid geek to unapologetic heroine, are exactly what needs to be more widely represented for young viewers everywhere. Previously unheard of, an outspoken film character who recognizes her sexuality as something natural and important is an ideal role model for the very audience which is prevented from seeing it. Particular parts of the movie are especially bold and document a realistic portrayal of the teenage girl unlike any other film. Something that immediately stuck out to me was the way Diary captured female body image: Minnie, the protagonist, had an average girl’s body type, and was clearly impacted by societal expectations of appearance. But although self-conscious, she still confidently and consciously used her sexuality throughout the film. Still, Minnie’s view of herself is anything but sexual. Although she is frequently naked and shown having sex in multiple scenes, the approach to her character is almost clinical. This approach emphasizes the isolation Minnie clearly feels -comparing her body with that of other girls, and never really feeling like a whole person, but rather a set a parts all attempting to reach some unrealistic ideal.

The idea for that portrayal came from the director’s ideas about growing up as a teenage girl in the United States: “There’s a desire to shelter girls and also to ignore what they might be feeling or experiencing. The result of that is if you’re a teenage girl who’s having thoughts about sex, you think something’s wrong with you,” she says. That quote demonstrates exactly why Diary, like teenage girls growing up in the US, should not be sheltered and shamed for its expression of sexuality.