Wag the Dog (1997) - Parents Guide Movie Rating

MPA: R BBFC: 15 Maturity Rating 16+

MPAA Reason: Rated R for language.

Sex & Nudity

mild

A man ogles a woman in a short skirt as she bends down to pick up clothes to hang on a clothes line. He pursues her and she screams and runs into the house. The movie begins 11 days before a presidential election. Top staff, with private help, create a bogus war with many other phony side distractions. All this is to divert press coverage and public attention away from the accusation of a young girl that the president sexually abused her during a White House event. The encounter is not shown but it is referred to several times in the movie.

Violence & Gore

mild

War is talked about quite a lot, and the over all mood of the movie is dark albeit hilarious. A man attempts to rape a woman offscreen. We see the woman's father grab a shotgun and go into the room where he is. We hear a shot and a character says he's still alive. Then we hear another gunshot and the rapist is killed. A plane crashes

Profanity

moderate

Moderate profanity. Usually F bombs and s words

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

mild

Lots of alcohol is drunk and many people smoke constantly, drugs are referenced to though not shown directly.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

mild

A plane flies through an intense storm; afterward we see the main characters in the wreckage. A man sexually asaults a girl offscreen, and is shot dead (offscreen) by her father. A character is known to be a violent and psychotic rapist; his character is creepy and may be disturbing.