The Day The Earth Stood Still

Why Is The Day The Earth Stood Still Rated PG-13?

Like the 1951 film of the same name, this movie tells the story of an alien’s visit to Earth to inform the planet’s inhabitants that they must change. The only major concern for viewing by younger audiences is some violence: A character is shot once, but recovers (splattered blood from the wound is shown). A brief shot of a surgical procedure is seen and medical drugs are administered. A man is electrocuted (his stiff and shaking body are portrayed) and another has his legs deliberately crushed by a car. Corpses with bloody wounds are shown. We see a man’s clothes being eaten by small alien insects and it’s implied he dies from the same fate. Later we see these insects crawling out from a person’s skin. There are several depictions of the use of missiles and military artillery, along with explosions and property destruction. A boy and woman have a bleeding nose. A mild profanity and two terms of deity are heard. A man is briefly seen lying naked on a hospital bed—no explicit details are shown.