Theater Owners Plan ID Checks at R-Rated Films

With President Clinton at their side, the country’s largest theater owners announced Tuesday that they would seek to require young moviegoers to show photo identification at R-rated films.

Similar to proof-of-age checks for alcohol and tobacco sales, the policy is an attempt at voluntary enforcement of a ratings system that has been largely flouted by children and teenagers, who routinely slip into movies restricted to viewers 17 and older.

The guidelines were unveiled by the National Assn. of Theater Owners, a North Hollywood-based group that represents about two-thirds of motion picture screens in the country, from large chains to independents.

“From now on parents will know that the R-rating means what it is supposed to mean: restricted, no one under 17 without a parent or guardian, and no exceptions,” Clinton said, scoring political points as he hosted the theater owners at the White House. “When you drop them off, you shouldn’t have to worry about your G-rated kids getting into R-rated movies.”

The plan does not require theaters to comply, however, and some owners might bristle at the extra costs that they might incur.

But the association, which represents about 20,000 screens across the country, said its members will begin displaying posters that outline age restrictions. And community education programs will be launched to help parents decide which movies are appropriate for children. The group said, however, that it has not worked out precisely how it will persuade its members to comply.

Some local theater owners and managers, including one in Orange County, applauded the move. “When you set limits without enforcement, it does no good,” said Michael Turner, manager of Edwards 21 cinemas at Irvine Spectrum, the largest complex of movie theaters in Orange County. “Enforcement is what makes the rating system effective--if you’re not going to enforce it, why have it?”

But several young people in line for tickets Tuesday said they have been attending R-rated movies regularly at various theaters since their early teens.

“I’ve been going since I was 12,” said Rica Cruz, now 19 and a student at UC Irvine. “They don’t really care.”

Orland Reyes, 22, said his experience as a teenager was similar. “I’ve been denied admission,” he said, “but I’d just get someone else to buy the ticket or sneak into another theater.”

Kevin Ebilane, 19, said he doesn’t think enforcement can work. “No matter what,” he said, “teens will find a way to get in because that’s the way they are.”

The announcement by the theater owners may be an attempt to head off tougher measures in Washington, where a blizzard of proposals has been made to prod--or even force--Hollywood to curb its most violent products and their availability to children.

“We as theater owners feel our responsibilities as keenly as does anybody,” said William Kartozian, the group’s president. “Young people had best be ready to show their ID.”

Under the voluntary movie rating system, co-sponsored by the Motion Picture Assn. of America and the theater owners’ group, a board rates movies based on theme, violence, language, nudity, sensuality and portrayal of drug use.

Films are rated in these categories: G for general audiences (containing no strong words, nudity or sex scenes); PG for parental guidance (meaning that parents should examine the film before permitting their children to see it); PG-13, a stronger caution for parents; R for restricted (meaning that children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) and NC-17, meaning that no children under 17 can be admitted.

One of Hollywood’s fiercest Senate critics--Connecticut Democrat Joseph I. Lieberman--applauded the theater operators’ action as “a genuine step forward.” But he did not expect it would convince official Washington to turn down the heat on Hollywood.

“I hope it brings on a similar willingness by others in the industry to try to diminish the avalanche of violent messages that is overwhelming to many of our kids,” Lieberman said.

Clinton challenged theater operators in a May 15 radio address to voluntarily enforce the rating code it adopted in 1968. The White House said that it is working to win the cooperation of the 35% of theater owners not represented by the association.

As Hollywood has pondered its role in an increasingly violent culture, some projects have been shelved. But the ratings enforcement is arguably the most significant action yet taken by any segment of the vast industry.

Some in the entertainment community predicted moviegoing chaos. How would ticket takers regulate admissions in sprawling multiplexes where children skitter from one theater door to the next? What sort of photo identification would serve as proper proof of age?

“Nobody polices them at the doors of the multiplexes. The way kids get into R-rated movies isn’t by buying tickets at the box office--an 18-year-old can take his 16-year-old date and go see it,” one former high-ranking studio executive said. “Can you imagine? You go to buy some popcorn and a Coke and then when you go back to the theater you have to set them down to show a photo ID? It’s not gonna happen.”

But AMC Theaters said that it has always had an enforcement policy in place and fully supports the plan. A spokesman for General Cinema, which has 145 theaters in 23 states, said that the chain has attempted to comply with the ratings guidelines since the Motion Picture Assn. of America adopted them 31 years ago.

“Sometimes we will send ushers through an R-rated movie looking for underage kids. Sometimes we station an usher at the door making sure they bought a ticket to that movie,” the spokesman said. “If a group of 15- or 16-year-olds show up buying tickets to a G-rated movie on a Friday night, something’s up.”

Turner of Edwards 21 in Irvine said his theater has a similar policy. “If someone looks questionable,” he said, “we require their ID. We train our box office and door staff to do that.”

While the policy may be a response to the president’s moral call to arms, there is little financial incentive for either studios or theater owners to risk losing the teenage market.

“Theaters make huge amounts of their dollars from concession sales, and teenagers consume more junk food than 40-year-olds. Theaters have an incentive to let these kids in to see whatever they have to show,” said David Sams, executive producer of Entertainment That Counts on PAX TV, a self-described family network that prohibits violent programming.

Sams said that he recently videotaped a “sting” operation where two 14-year-old girls went to three Santa Monica theaters to see two R-rated movies, “The Matrix” and “Election.” Only one theater bothered to check their ages.

“Anything is an improvement,” Sams said. “There is so much heat on right now that they have to illustrate they’ve taken a step.”

The same teen audience that would be excluded by rigorous enforcement of ratings helped fuel the box office success of the year’s most violent mainstream movies, such as “Payback” starring Mel Gibson and “The Matrix” starring Keanu Reeves.

But one film industry lobbyist said that studios are not opposed to better policing of the ratings: “This is further redeeming of the pledge we’ve made to parents as part of the rating system. It is voluntary and outside of government dictate. We have no problem with that.”

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Fiore reported from Washington and Welkos reported from Los Angeles. Times staff writers David Haldane in Orange County and James Gerstenzang in Washington contributed to this report.

* STUDIOS IN HOT SEAT: Hollywood is about to be held accountable for the way it sells violent fare to kids. F1