Children at Theaters: Let Parents Decide : * Adults Must Quickly Deal With Noisy Youths When They Are Taken to the Movies

Anyone who has paid up to $7.50 to go to a movie only to have it spoiled by crying babies or adults who cannot keep their comments to themselves appreciates the idea behind recent efforts by theater chains to quiet movie audiences.

AMC, which has theaters in Fullerton and Orange, and other theater chains have tried to address noise problems in various ways, from film shorts admonishing the audience to be quiet to announcements by ushers before a film begins. AMC recently went a little further--banning all children under 3 at theaters showing films rated PG-13 or R--only to retreat from that position after a few parents, including a Buena Park father, complained of discrimination.

Actually, there is no law in California that is directly applicable to the situation of barring children from movies. The Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing and services based on age, sex, color, sexual preference, race and marital status, comes the closest; that was the law that resulted in the important court decision prohibiting landlords from barring families with children from rental housing. But it would seem to be a far stretch for a court to extend similar protections to children who are banned from attending an adult-oriented movie.

Aside from the legalities, however, is another issue for parents to consider: Movies meant for adults may be extremely frightening experiences for very young children. Researchers now say they believe that the part of the brain that allows humans to sort out and integrate emotional experiences is slower to develop than other parts. That means that young children may have trouble distinguishing between real and movie events, at least in terms of emotional impact. While that has little to do with noise in movie theaters, it might explain why some small children cry in movies--especially those with hyped-up sound and visual effects.

Deciding what is best for their children is up to parents, however. Many of them bring young children along simply because they cannot afford a baby-sitter. With ticket prices what they are, that is understandable. But other moviegoers also have paid for a night out. Parents must be prepared to leave a theater quickly if their children disturb other patrons.

Of course, children are not the only noise culprits. AMC is making announcements before certain screenings asking for silence and promising to evict those of any age who make disturbances. That should help assure a quality moviegoing experience for everyone.