Breastfeeding mother banned from seeing a film...
- From: HardySpicer <gyansorova@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:47:29 -0700 (PDT)
A breastfeeding mother has been stopped from going to see the R16
movie The Reader with her five-week-old baby because the child is
underage.
Anna Straker, 33, went to the Top Town Cinema in Blenheim this week to
see the film with her mother-in-law and a friend. Mrs Straker bought a
ticket but, as she waited in the foyer, a staff member noticed baby
Emma and said the baby was too young to go into the movie.
"I was astounded - I just couldn't believe it. It was ridiculous
really," Mrs Straker said. "It takes the letter of the law to the
extreme."
The staff member then recommended Terminator Salvation (which contains
a violence warning) instead, because it was only rated M. Mrs Straker
did not go to see Terminator Salvation, saying it would be "too scary"
for her, let alone her baby.
She said she understood why children had to be barred from some films,
but a newborn being stopped was bordering on the ludicrous.
The manager of Top Town Cinemas, Duncan Mackenzie, said theatre owners
and management had no discretion on this issue, and taking underage
children to a movie with an age restriction was breaking the law, no
matter how young they were.
He said the Internal Affairs-enforced legislation could no more be
violated than any other law.
"I have no more discretion here than a publican has with someone
trying to get into a pub a day before they turn 18."
Mr Mackenzie said theatres could be fined $35,000 for breaches of the
law.
MPs had been asked to have a look at the situation but as far as he
knew it had been "put in the too-hard basket".
Internal Affairs confirmed that there was no discretion available
under the law.
.
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