The Perfect Storm (2000) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

MPA: PG-13 BBFC: 12 Maturity Rating 13+

MPAA Reason: Rated PG-13 for language and scenes of peril.

Sex & Nudity

mild

A clothed woman jumps into a man's arms, her legs around him. A couple kiss passionately at a bar A man flirts with a woman in a bar and she make a lubricious comment about this interests in her. A man receives a tetanus shot in his partially bare buttock.

Violence & Gore

moderate

There are many scenes of a storm at sea with tall, crashing waves and wind. A number of times a boat capsizes, then rights itself. Waves wash over boats nearly sweeping people off (at times people fall overboard). A helicopter goes down and crashes in the sea. Glass shatters on a boat nearly hitting people. We see sparks from a downed power line. A man hangs onto a boat and is nearly hit by a flying chain. We see a man with a black eye. A man with a bruise on his cheek. A man with a bloody nose and bruised cheek. A man with a bloody temple. A man with blood on his mouth and two men with bloody cuts on their cheek. A violent storm causes a boat to go over. While fishing, men jab hooks into the fish and we also see them gutting it (fish entrails are evident). A man lunges at another with a pool cue, a man is hit in the face and there is a brief scuffle. A man is punched and grabbed by his shirt. A shark comes onto the deck of a boat and bites a man on the leg leaving a bloody cut. The shark is hooked many times and is shot with a shotgun. A man has a hook go through his hand, is tugged underwater by the hook line and nearly drowns; there is some blood on his hand and then the hook is pushed through his hand in order to remove it. (in one scene many people are shown in a boat filling up with water and they either can't or won't disembark).

Profanity

moderate

2 uses of Fuck, one is difficult to hear. "Don't f*ck with me," "Sh*tload," "Holy sh*t," "Full of sh*t," "Laid" (sexual), "Freaking," "Stick it up his ass," "Stick 'em up your ass," "Blowing smoke up my ass," "My ass," "Screwing around," "Knucklehead," "Suck," "Shut up," "Screw up," "Kiss my ass," "Little runt," "Jerking off" (nonsexual) and "Hell bent," "Goddammit", "asshole". At least 1 "f" word (with another possible one), 12 "s" words, 1 slang term for sex ("laid"), 11 asses (2 used with "hole"), 11 hells, 3 craps, 2 damns, 2 S.O.B.s, 14 uses of "G-damn," 4 of "Jesus," 3 of "Oh my God," 2 each of "For Christ's sakes," "For God's sakes" and "Oh God" and 1 use of "Lord" as exclamations.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

mild

Heavy smoking takes place at a bar. The air is thick with smoke. The guys smoke and drink alot.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

moderate

For anyone uneasy about big storms or becoming seasick, most of the entire second half of the film concerns various characters caught in a ferocious storm (with gargantuan, rolling & crashing waves) and plenty of shots of rocking boats in such seas. Animal rights supporters might not like the commercial fishing scenes showing large fish being pulled into the boat via hooks, gutted and later seen beheaded (not the actual act, just the look afterwards). The crew unknowingly pulls a huge shark onboard and it thrashes about and repeatedly tries biting Bobby, eventually getting his leg. Billy then shows up, and kills the shark with a shotgun blast. A hook goes through Murph's hand, yanks him overboard and drags him under the water (it's attached to a line extending from the boat). Sully and Bobby then dive in and swim underwater, trying to reach him before he drowns (in a several minute sequence). We see a small sailboat being tossed about in the middle of a storm. Later, the huge waves flip it over. A huge, rogue wave hits the fishing boat. The movie has an intense atmosphere, especially in the last hour and there are certain scenes that are scary for younger or sensitive viewers. The film features a very bleak ending where the Andrea Gail is lost at sea with all hands. The fact the individuals lost were real people makes this even more upsetting.