You would think that I wouldn’t have to write this. But, indeed, when I saw The Town, there in my row was a mom and her three-year-old. What was she thinking? Was it too much trouble to watch the trailer? How was she going to explain the armed robberies, abduction, murders, head shattering battery by rifle butt, spraying AK-47s, the two scenes of sexual intercourse and the threatened rape. Oh, and how about the castration by pistol shot? And the car torchings – do you really want your three-year old to learn how to set your car on fire?
Now I’m not a prude. I often criticize movie ratings as too restrictive. I think that high schoolers can handle more sex than many parents are comfortable with. I don’t like cartoonish movie violence without consequences, but I often think that even tweens can handle realistic film violence. I like to challenge kids with films.
But, GOOD GRIEF, show some common sense. What is a toddler going to gain from an adult-themed movie? Yikes!