Movie theater checking ID's

[2BigKIdz]

Friday night I took my best friend's son (13 yrs old, like my nephew) and his cousin (15) to see Final Destination 3. I'm 33 btw. At the door to go inside the actual theater (not the building) there is a manager checking ID's. There is a family in front of us, the dad looks to be in his late 40's, with his wife and 2 teenage daughters. The man had left his ID at home, the manager was not going to let this man and his family see the movie because he didn't have ID to prove he was old enough to watch the movie or was their father

So they make him stand to the side. We progress in line, when it gets to be our turn the manager asks the two boys with me for ID. I tell him that they are kids and don't have ID's but are with me. So he asks if I'm their mother, so I said I was (shame on me). He then asks for my ID, which I showed him. He lets us in. If I'd said they weren't my kids would they have made us leave???? Yes, I did have their parents permission for them to watch this movie!!!! (They did finally allow the man and his family into the theater)

I had never had this happen before. The 2 teenage girls sitting behind us said this manager does this for every R rated movie and that he stands at the door during the entire movie and re-checks ID's if you go to the bathroom or concession stand. He also was arguing with people as to whether the kids with them were really their children???? I rarely go to this theater and will probably never go again, it was a big hassle!!!

I could understand checking tickets to make sure you had purchased tickets for the right movie and I could understand not letting teens in not accompanied by an adult for R rated movies, but this was just WAY over the top.

 

[trip]

A problem with movies at multi plex theaters is that kids can purchase tickets for a "G" movie without showing ID and then go into an "R" movie. I think it's a good move by the manager but ticket buyers should be made aware of the policy ahead of time.

 

[2BigKIdz]

A problem with movies at multi plex theaters is that kids can purchase tickets for a "G" movie without showing ID and then go into an "R" movie. I think it's a good move by the manager but ticket buyers should be made aware of the policy ahead of time.

I think that would be fine. I'm sure they have a lot of problems with teens buying tickets for PG movies and then sneaking into R movies. But when you have an adult, obviously over 25 who is watching a movie with the kids I think it is taking this to the extreme!

 

[barkley]

technicly r rated movies are not supposed to be seen by anyone under 16 unless they are with THEIR parent or guardian.

depending on the age of the teen girls, if mom/dad looked younger the manager might have been guarding against the girls talking a young couple unrelated to them into buying the tickets for them. there's been a problem in our local theatres wherein teens have approached young couples or college students and gotten them to buy tickets to r rated movies for them. they've also tried skirting past age requirements by buying their tickets on-line and using the excuse "well, my mom paid with her credit card at home so it must be o.k. for us to see it".

i worked at a movie theatre during college-we had a clearly advertised policy (it was in our print ads, on the recording of movie times and posted at the box office) that unless we were showing a g rated movie (there were'nt many kid friendly non g movies in those days) kids under 12 including infants were not permitted at evening showings (they got bored and disruptive to the other patrons). people coming up to the box office knew full well what the deal was and would still pitch a fit. we explained that we had weekend matinees that they could come to for the same shows with their kids, but for the enjoyment of all patrons we had instituted the evening policy-people still got livid.

 

[poohandwendy]

Yeah, that does sound like overkill, but maybe they had some serious complaints about younger kids getting into the R rated movies or something?

 

[Pin Wizard]

I have to join the club of sticking to the age limits regardless of an adult being with them. And adults saying someone is their kid when it's not is a prime example of the theaters that won't let anyone with kids in at night. Sounds good in my book. I also agree that they should notify people in advance that it's being enforced. Signs in the box office window would work for me.

 

[2BigKIdz]

They do not have anything advertising that ID's are checked and no other theaters in this area do anything like that. I guess I've just always thought that "parent or guardian" meant an adult that was responsible for the kids and did not take it literally. We take our nieces/nephews to the movies all of the time. I would not take a child to see a movie without their parents permission though. There was no question or remarks made about their ages when I purchased the tickets. I guess I have a very liberal view of "R" movies as I was allowed to watch whatever I wanted, my mom took me to see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre when I was 5 years old I did feel bad about saying they were my kids, but I was completely taken by surprise by this and was baffled when he asked if they were my kids, "yes" just came out! But I think it would be terrible if I am not allowed to take my nieces/nephews to the movies, we all love movies and that is something fun we can do together. This would mean that kids couldn't take friends to movies unless atleast one parent of each child went with them????

EDITED to add, I have never seen or heard of a theater not allowing children in at night. In fact there were people in this movie with an infant and several children between 5-10 years old.

The teenage girls sitting behind us said this all started in October but they didn't know the reason for it. It's a Carmike cinema. I actually worked at this theater in HS and one lady I worked with still works there part time, if I ever go back again I will ask her why they do it. (I normally go to a new, much nicer theater in another city but as I had to pick the boys up I was "forced" to go to this theater.)

 

[barkley]

the theatre i worked in originaly did let kids in at night, it was only after so many complaints (and a major drop in attendance) about the impact a crying baby or a loudly bored whining child had on the rest of the audience that the theatre changed the policy.

if the theatre has only recently changed it's policy on this (with checking i.d.'s) i'm wondering if it has something to do with complaints they may have received from parents whose kids managed to get in without their permission. i imagine it could be argued that a movie theatre has a duty to ensure that they adhere to the standards of the motion picture rating system.

i also seem to recall that when i worked at another movie theatre (while in highschool in the late 70's) their chain's policy was that none of the employees could usher (remember actual ushers that would walk thru time to time?) any movie they did not meet the minimum age requirement to see. so there were times when 2 r rated movies were being shown and us younger folks were relegated to concession duty.

 

[Beth76]

EDITED to add, I have never seen or heard of a theater not allowing children in at night.

When I was in college, their was one theatre that did not allow children under two in movies rated PG13 or R, after 6pm. They had a sign posted at the ticket booth. I actually think that's a pretty liberal policy.

I also don't have a problem with them checking IDs, although I think it's strange that they don't do it at the ticket window. And I can't believe they gave the 40-something guy a hard time. That's just silly. And how are you supposed to prove that your child is yours?

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

My DS 16, works in a movie theater, and I'm pretty sure they check ID's for the R rated movies.

As far as not allowing kids after a certain time, some of the towns around here have an 11:00 curfew for teens, unless they're with a parent, so I would think the theater would be right not to sell them tickets for, say, a midnight showing if they are there alone.

 

[Crankyshank]

I would love a theater that didn't allow children under a certain age to see PG13 or R movies after a certain time. Right now DH and I seldom see movies anymore in the theater (we used to go once a week) because of horrible behavior.

I think the checking ID is a good idea but I think the not allowing the obviously over 18 man to enter without id is overkill imho - sounds like the theater got some complaints and they are either drunk with power or management is breathing on the checkers.

 

[EthansMom]

Back in high school, I went to see a rated R movie with a group of friends. We got carded and one of the friends who was 16 (rest of us were 17) was turned away by the management. We all went and did something else instead. Funny thing is, that none of the other movie theaters in the area or the movie rental places would card you for movies.

I think it's silly to card people who are obviously grown adults -- hassling that gentleman and his family for instance.

 

[Free4Life11]

They key is to wait until the movie starts then go in. Or just buy a ticket for another movie. We check ID's at the box office only and we do have a ticket taker in each "wing" so you are limited in what you can sneak into.

Some of the kids are really stupid about and ask for the R-rated movie FIRST then lie saying they don't have their ID. Of course then they buy a PG ticket. We're not stupid, we know you're going to try and sneak in and we will watch them. Had they just bought the PG or PG-13 to begin with, in all honesty, they probably could have snuck into the R-rated movie no problem.

 

[jgmklmhem]

Ratings Web Site

Technically they were only enforcing what is already stated in the rating. R is restricted to 17 or older or children with a parent or adult guardian. So they really have to give no warning because all they are really doing is enforcing the already stated policy.

 

[RadioNate]

Aren't movie ratings 'guidelines' or 'recommendations.' There is no law saying which movie can or can not be seen by age. Now many theaters, including most of the lage chains have company policies to enforce the MPAA guidelines but again they don't have to.

I've only been carded once. I was 23 years old and the movie was Indicent Proposal.

 

[barkley]

Aren't movie ratings 'guidelines' or 'recommendations.' There is no law saying which movie can or can not be seen by age. Now many theaters, including most of the lage chains have company policies to enforce the MPAA guidelines but again they don't have to.

I've only been carded once. I was 23 years old and the movie was Indicent Proposal.

i wonder if the mpaa has sometype of contractual agreement with theatres that if they don't enforce their age guidelines they can lose out out being able to get certain movies in their theatres. or they could have some sort of contractual agreement with the studios that unless they use only theatres/distributors that supposedly enforce the guidelines they won't be eligible for the ratings status (which pretty much kills a movie for being shown outside little indie "art" houses).

i know the small stand alone movie theatre i worked in (not a chain) belonged to some sort of co-operative of independant theatres in order to get popular first run movies. they had wierd contractual stuff that made us carry and show real "stinkers" in order to get the ones we wanted (the stinkers usualy ended up as the second feature with a better movie just to draw some kind of crowd). we also had to pay a minimum for the flicks in case the box office draw was less than what they anticpated. i remember realy rotton movies that we pretty much lowered the admission to 99 cents for-just to draw in people who would spend at the concessions. at least that way we could make the minimum contractual payment.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that not allowing any kids under 12 into a nighttime showing is a bit much. I don't disagree with age limits but 12 is just too severe IMO. I've been taking my son to PG-13 movies in the evenings and based on his behavior I would say that 9 or 10 would be a better age. I mean do that many 10 year olds really sit there and whine?

I also think that forcing the man to stay out of the theater because he didn't bring his ID is silly too. I'm sure that it was obvious that he was old enough to see the film so this just seems like harassment.

 

[Living with the Land]

What about parents who have a different last name then their children. I still use my maiden name because I like it and it's MY name so DD has a different last name. Does that mean they wouldn't let me take her in without a birth certificate? That is pushing things a little too far IMO.

Holly

 

[crazelion]

I know I have a hard time getting into a R movie when I 31 years old. Because I look like a teenager. I have show ID all time so I quit going and wait to come out DVD.