Ryan Gosling on NC-17 Ratings, Mickey's Regret and Special Ed Memories

By Nicki Gostin Posted Dec 9th 2010 10:00PM

There's nothing quite like a little bit of controversy to drum up interest in a movie. In the case of low-budget indie flick 'Blue Valentine,' the hub-bub revolved around an oral sex scene, an NC-17 rating and the outrage that followed from critics, who accused the Motion Picture Association of America of hypocrisy given that another recent release has a similar scene and yet earned an R rating. "I don't understand why an oral sex scene between two girls in 'Black Swan' is rated R but an oral sex scene between a husband and a wife in 'Blue Valentine' is considered pornographic," actor Ryan Gosling, star of 'Valentine,' told PopEater on Dec. 7. A day later, the MPAA reversed the ruling and granted the film an R.

Gosling, who cried foul about the "double standard" of the initial rating, now says in a statement that he's "over the moon" about the MPAA's decision to flip their ruling.

"I am so appreciative that the MPAA was gracious enough to reconsider their rating of the film," Gosling offered. "I can't express how grateful I am to those in the media who stood up for the film and put their reputations on the line in using their voices to support something they believed in ... We're over the moon to have the opportunity to finally be able to share it with those for whom it was intended."

In our interview with Gosling a day before the new ruling, we spoke about the damage an NC-17 rating can have on a film, his second job as a waiter, those surreal days as a member of 'Mickey Mouse Club' and his career ambition beyond the indie circuit. Read on ...

The financial ramifications to an NC-17 rating are huge.
I don't think people understand that getting an NC-17 rating doesn't just mean that kids under 17 can't see a film. If that's all it was about, I don't think anybody would be arguing. What it's about is if a film gets an NC-17 rating you can't play in major theater chains. You're saying you don't want anyone to see this movie unless you live in a big city with an art house theater. And then the question is, 'What are you trying to keep kids away from seeing?' A film that shows the repercussions of treating sex carelessly, a story of a girl who has a child because she has unprotected sex and feels the ramifications of that for the rest of her life. I'm confused.

It's such a realistic portrait of a relationship. Don't you think relationships are the hardest thing in the world?
[Laughs] Aren't they for everyone? I think they're much harder than the movies present them. In a way, I think this film is a great companion to 'The Notebook' because it kind of fills in the time period that 'The Notebook' skips past. It's about the day-to-day dealings and keeping love alive in a domestic situation.

I read that you work as a waiter sometimes.
Yeah, I like to keep busy. I like to have a job. When you're waitering, people don't really care who you are. They want their meal right.

The casting agent at 'The New Mickey Mouse Club' was a genius. So many have turned out to be big stars.
Yeah, Matt Casella. He's incredible.

Do you miss the forced smiling and singing?
No. I didn't even like it when we were doing it. I just felt like I was around all these kids who were fulfilling their destiny, and you can tell when you look at someone like Christina Aguilera and she's 12-years-old and she's got that voice. She's right where she's meant to be. I didn't feel that way.

You must be able to sing, otherwise they wouldn't have cast you.
I can sing, but I'm not like Christina. These people were child prodigies and a child prodigy I was not. I think the 'Mickey Mouse Club' even wondered how I got there. I didn't work very much on that show. I think I saw some regret on Mickey's immobile face.

You were home-schooled. Home-schooled kids always do well in spelling bees. Are you a good speller?
I can't spell. My mom gave me too much creative freedom. She let me spell things how I thought they sounded.

That's really not good.
What are you trying to say about my mom?

Oh boy, I'm sure she's a great mom. Maybe I'm a little critical of the spelling curriculum.
Well, you know that's why they make chocolate and vanilla.

Why were you home-schooled?
Because I was getting into a lot of trouble at school. I couldn't keep up. They were trying to start and put me in special ed classes. I remember I was playing chess in special ed and I was playing against a kid who was eating his queen.

Are you going to continue being Mr. Indie King?
What do I get with that?

Fawning magazine profiles, not much money, maybe even Oscar.
You get Oscar himself? Some guy named Oscar?

Yeah, I heard he's really cute.
Then you can have him. No, I want my films to be successful. I'd like to make the dramatic version of 'Blair Witch Project,' some small movie that it's just so good that that is the special effect, people who go to watch it and feel like they're watching something in 3D.

Actors always say how uncomfortable and technical it is to do sex scenes. Is that really true?
I know you don't want to hear that, but they shouldn't really talk about it at all. It's like who wants to see a magic show when they're briefed on where the trap doors are. I care about you too much to bore you with the details.

► Watch the trailer for 'Blue Valentine,' with Michelle Williams. It hits theaters Dec. 31:

Tags: Blue Valentine, ryan gosling

Comments

(6)

Thursday 09 December

By Ms Thao

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thanks for sharing
Thiết kế nội thất văn phòng

Friday 10 December

By BeanerECMO

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Re:

In't that just like a liberal regressive; they bring up something that apears to be criticism about an action on their part (or someone related to them); the other person agrees with it; and then they take offense.

By vesey

we know he can act, but the important thing is can he wait tables well !!!!!

By Crystal

I'm going to see it.Who care if a movie depicts two people in love or married intametly for a few brief moments. My kids are pre teen and 17 and I would rather them go see something with taste if they were going to than somethin like Last house on the left, Which was Rated R and something like Saw. Why is it ok for teens to watch violence and gore with more than just a few gory seens but not somthin with a few love seens or nude seens. I'm confused as well..

Do I smell jealousy???

Monday 13 December

By sansan

_,is there any chance..that ryan gosling & rachelle mcAdams will be together in one movie again?................... plsssssssss....i swear this will be great!...

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