Dear Friends,

Those of you who are regular readers of my column will wonder if I am wearing out the mantra that R-rated movies are financial losers. I am not repeating this story merely to add credibility to our 1998 Film Profitability Study which proved that G-rated films are eight times more profitable than their R-rated counterparts. The Entertainment Industry trades keep the story alive by publishing new corroborating evidence. Reporters continually say they can hardly believe that, an industry supposedly dedicated to making money for its investors while entertaining the movie-going public, has abandoned business logic for "creative integrity." This summer, a mathematics professor from the University of Arizona produced a statistical analysis that confirmed our findings, but in terms of gross box office revenue. Now, a recent article from Inside.com by Michael Cieply produced the following incredible, but accurate statistics about the greatest box office hits of all time.

Hollywood releases about 500 movies a year. Only thirty films throughout history have ever exceeded $200 million in box office revenue. The three top producers of all time were Titanic (PG-13), and PG-rated family action classics, Star Wars and Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Only three of these mega-money-makers were rated R – Beverly Hills Cop (20th), Saving Private Ryan (25th), and Terminator 2 (29th).

Since we are on a statistical roll, you might also like to know that thirteen of the thirty mega-hits were rated PG-13 and eleven rated PG. Three – The Lion King, Toy Story 2 and Aladdin – were rated G and came in well ahead of the three R-rated winners. The Dove Foundation Study proved that from 1988 – 1997, the average R-rated film made $11 million profit, while G-rated films made an average $93 million each for their investors. (Dove Film Profitability Study-1998).

One assumes that Hollywood would read the handwriting on wall and go where the money is, not to mention the audience. Here is where Hollywood and logic part company. I have come to the conclusion that film makers are more patriotic than we give them credit for being. Apparently, they would rather make $11 million dollars profit instead of $93 million, so as to protect their rights to express themselves freely under the First Amendment. What other reason could they have for producing 17 times more R-rated pictures than G?

The Federal Trade Commission just exposed Hollywood’s efforts to market R-rated films to minors (Hollywood Update Sept, 2000). That means the studios are really looking for box office dollars from the younger set after all. So, why don’t they make movies that can be ethically shown to teens and adolescents, instead of tempting them with movies that are intended for adults? Perhaps pressure caused by the FTC Report will prompt movie studios to earn their money from this huge audience segment, honestly.

Copyright © 2000, The Dove Foundation. All rights reserved.