G meant you could let your kids go see it without a worry. PG meant you should look into it first to make sure you felt it was appropriate. PG13 was added because many parents were treating PG like G and then getting pissy about it because displacement. It was sort of a "no, really -- make sure this is okay for your kids before letting them see it". R has always meant no unaccompanied minors (parents can still take their kids, should they deem them mature enough to handle whatever got it the R rating), while NC17 means no minors, period.
Those seem pretty clear to me. The first three kids can get in unaccompanied (though a PG13 film might get a "you sure your parents are okay with you seeing this?"), R they can't/shouldn't be able to, and NC17 they can't/shouldn't be able to get in at all.
--Jonah
Those seem pretty clear to me. The first three kids can get in unaccompanied (though a PG13 film might get a "you sure your parents are okay with you seeing this?"), R they can't/shouldn't be able to, and NC17 they can't/shouldn't be able to get in at all.
--Jonah