For a long time, the age ratings of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) jumped all the way from PG to R. Then, in 1984, due to movies likeGremlinsandIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doomthat weredeemed to be too scary for children, the movie industry would be changed forever. This was the year that the PG-13 rating was introduced, indicating a movie that was too graphic or scary for a PG rating, but not enough to warrant an R rating.
During its decade of introduction,the PG-13 label was plastered on numerous outstanding films that were experimenting with what the rating could get away with. From Best Picture Oscar winners likeThe Last Emperorto charming cult classics likeFerris Bueller’s Day Off, plenty of timeless ’80s classics prove that filmmakers can do wonders with a teen-friendly tone.
10’Big Trouble in Little China' (1986)
Directed by John Carpenter
John Carpenteris, of course, best known for his seminal work in horror, but he explored plenty of other genres over the course of his career. In the beloved classicBig Trouble in Little China, for example, he told an action-adventure comedy about a gruff trucker and his sidekick facing off against an ancient sorcerer in a battle beneath Chinatown.
OfCarpenter’s nine non-horror films,Big Troubleis probably the best.Kurt Russellis stellar as the cocky yet heroic Jack Burton,the high-energy action is delightfully reminiscent of fun B pictures from Hollywood’s Golden Age, andthe score composed by Carpenter himselfis fresh and exciting. At no point does the PG-13 make this camp-fest any less fun.
Big Trouble in Little China
9’The Last Emperor' (1987)
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
Winner of a whopping nine Academy Awards (including Best Picture), the nearly 3-hour-long historical epicThe Last Emperoris an incredible biopic. It tells the story of China’s last emperor,Pu Yi, who was once the object of worship of over half a billion people. It’s a lavish and often jaw-dropping work of art by one of Italy’s greatest auteurs,Bernardo Bertolucci. It may not be his best work, but it isn’t far from it.
Even with as many Oscars under its belt as it has,The Last Emperordoesn’t tend to get the praise it deserves.Working around the natural limitations of its genre, it gives a deeply powerful retelling of the life of a fascinating man, touching on themes of loneliness and responsibility in unique ways. Even without an R rating, Bertolucci was able to give the story all the nuance and complexity it deserved.
The Last Emperor
Directed by David Zucker
One ofthe funniest satire movies of all time,The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!spawned a successful franchise of equally hilarious movies, but it will always reign supreme. The comedic geniusLeslie Nielsenstars as incompetent police detective Frank Drebin, who must foil an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. Absurd and slapstick-filled hijinks ensue.
Standingshoulder-to-shoulder with other iconic comedieslikeAirplane!,The Naked Gunis impeccably written and vividly directed. It’s goofy and proud of it,dripping with B-movie passion and clever one-liners that have gone down in historyas some of cinema’s most memorable quotes. Though it’s definitely crass, it refuses to rely on vulgarity, making it a perfect PG-13 comedy to introduce teens to the spoof genre.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
7’Hannah and Her Sisters' (1986)
Directed by Woody Allen
During the ’70s,Woody Allenmade some of the best comedies of his era. Most of them were rated PG, though they were not exactly movies meant for the whole family to go to the theater. So, when the PG-13 rating finally came around, the MPAA started having a much easier time labeling his films more appropriately.Hannah and Her Sisters, about a woman having her husband fall in love with one of her sisters, and her ex-husband rekindle his bond with her other sister, was the director’s first PG-13 film.
The movie has an absolutely stacked cast, fromWoody AllenandMichael CainetoMia Farrow,Carrie Fisher, andBarbara Hershey. Clever, life-affirming, and as exquisitely funny as most of Allen’s films,Hannah and Her Sisterstells a tenderstory about big-city lifeand the absurdity of human connections. It’s one of the director’s best works, full of his charming idiosyncrasies and signature sense of humor.
Hannah and Her Sisters
6’Henry V' (1989)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
There are two undisputed kings in the realm ofmovie adaptations ofWilliam Shakespeare’s work. One is the legendaryLaurence Olivier, one of the greatest thespians of all time. The other isKenneth Branagh, who proved with films likeHenry Vthat he had an unparalleled understanding of the Bard’s stories — perhaps, some would argue, even more fascinating than Olivier’s. Based on one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies,Henry Vis about a young king of England embarking on the conquest of France during the Hundred Years War.
The movie is energetic and full of life, as well as capable of diving surprisingly deep into the nuances and intricacies of the narrative. The performances are amazing (Branagh’s in particular as the titular king),and the PG-13 rating never detracts from the believability or exhilaration of the action. On the contrary, Branagh is able to make the battlefield feel gritty and dirty, contrasting that with the elegant magnificence of the elaborate Medieval sets.
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5’Ferris Bueller’s Day Off' (1986)
Directed by John Hughes
John Hughesmade some of the best andfunniest teen comedy moviesever, andFerris Bueller’s Day Offis often lauded as one of his most enchanting. It’s about a popular high school student who decides to take a day off from school, going to extreme lengths to pull it off. The movie is a lively celebration of youthful rebelliousness, encouraging audiences to have a little fun every once in a while.
As purely fun and energetic as it is,the film also manages to touch on some profound topics like mental health, individuality, and the neverending search for identity. It’s a perfect watch for teens who are just starting to find their way and place in the world, but also for adults who have discovered that this quest is one that always continues.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
4’Crimes and Misdemeanors' (1989)
Another PG-13 Woody Allen gem,Crimes and Misdemeanorsis about an ophthalmologist whose mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, all while a married documentary filmmaker becomes infatuated with another woman. These two different plots blend and intersect in the most fascinating ways, creating a highly existential story about people wondering what exactly guides their fate.
Crimes and Misdemeanorsis one ofthe best comedies of the 1980s, displaying all of Allen’s greatest strengths as a writer.Its poignant elements work every bit as well as the jokes do, and despite the PG-13 rating, it’s mainly adults who will get the most out of this extremely profound work of art. Comedies can be complex and speak deeply to the human condition, and this proves that.
Crimes and Misdemeanors
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3’Love Streams' (1984)
Directed by John Cassavetes
John Cassaveteswas a trailblazer, and he will perhaps always be remembered as one of the greatest masters of indie filmmaking in history.Love Streamswas his final indie outing and his penultimate film, and what a farewell it is. It stars him and his wife, the exceptionalGena Rowlands, as two closely bound and emotionally wounded souls who reunite after a long time apart.
Love Streamsis easily one ofCassavetes’s best films, with a pair of tremendously powerful lead performances as the cherry on top of a beautifully written and executed narrative.It’s a character study with lots of layers for viewers to sink their teeth into, exploring the complications and nuances of romantic relationships and love in general. For some, Cassavetes’s final indie was his very best.
2’Wings of Desire' (1987)
Directed by Wim Wenders
German filmmakerWim Wendershas done it all, exploring all kinds of stories across all sorts of genres and subgenres. Throughout his whole storytelling voyage, though, his work has hardly even been better than inWings of Desire. This German-French co-production is one ofthe best low fantasy movies ever made, telling the tale of an angel who, tired of overseeing human activities in Berlin, starts longing for tangible existence when he falls in love with a mortal.
Wings of Desireis probably Wenders’s most spiritually moving and philosophically profound film.Itexplores the pain and the beauty of human existence, the senselessness of life’s mundanities and the deep significance of everyday activities. Cinephiles shouldn’t be fooled by the PG-13 rating: This is one of the most complex arthouse dramas ever made, meditating on some of the most fascinating aspects of human nature.
Wings of Desire
1’Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
SinceTemple of Doomwas such a big driving force in the creation of the PG-13 rating, how appropriate is it that the thirdIndiana Jonesfilm,The Last Crusade, is one of the best-ever PG-13 movies? Set only two years after the events ofRaiders of the Lost Ark, it sends Indy on a quest to find his lost father and stop the Nazis from acquiring the powers of the Holy Grail.
Led by a stellarHarrison FordandSean Conneryinone of his best roles,Last Crusadeis as fun and exciting as action-adventure movies can ever get. The action scenes are thrilling and brilliantly constructed, the characters are surprisingly layered and compelling, and the story inspired by old pulp serials is a blast from start to finish. If a director is to make a PG-13 action movie, they can only hope it turns out as fantastically as this.
