Soderbergh’s ‘Solaris’ gets PG-13 rating

An appeals board has overturned the R rating given Steven Soderbergh’s romantic outer-space drama, “Solaris,” and the film will now carry a less restrictive PG-13 rating, 20th Century Fox confirmed Thursday.

The Motion Picture Assn. of America initially had rated the film R for “some sexuality/nudity,” objecting to two scenes depicting actor George Clooney’s naked backside. The director vowed to appeal.

In an interview last week, Soderbergh told The Times that he did not consider the two scenes in question really sexual. One shot shows Clooney and co-star Natascha McElhone slow-dancing in an extremely darkened room, while the other shot depicts the two of them in bed on their stomachs, talking.

Soderbergh, the Oscar-winning director of “Traffic,” and Jim Gianopulos, chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, personally appealed the case to the MPAA’s classification and rating appeals board Wednesday.

Fox said the film, due for release Nov. 27, is now rated “PG-13 on appeal for sexuality/nudity, brief language and thematic element.” Soderbergh will not be required to trim any scenes.

Under MPAA guidelines, an R rating means moviegoers younger than 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. PG-13 states that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Robert W. Welkos