U stands for 'Universal', meaning the film, video or DVD is suitable for anyone. Examples include Nanny McPhee & the Big Bang and The Princess & the Frog.
PG stands for 'Parental Guidance', which means that some parts of the film might not be ideal for younger children. Parents ought to think carefully before letting them watch. Examples of PG films are How to Train Your Dragon and Tooth Fairy.
12 is now only ever seen on videos and DVDs. As with the 12A, it tells parents that the content is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Examples, both of which were certified 12A for cinema, includeIron Man 2 and Avatar.
12A is only for films released at the cinema. It tells parents that the film is best suited for those aged 12 and above. Parents can take along under 12s if they choose, so long as they go with them! Examples include Iron Man 2 and Avatar.
15 means that the film, video or DVD is really only suitable for those aged 15 or above. Only people aged 15 or older are allowed to view a 15 rated film at the cinema or buy or rent a 15 rated DVD, video or game.
18 means that the film, video or DVD is only suitable for adults (people aged eighteen or over). Only adults are allowed to view an 18 rated film at the cinema or rent or buy an 18 rated video, DVD or game.
After an unexpected meeting, a grown man and a small girl support each other through the grief that follows the loss of their families.
'Blessed' is a British drama that follows a journey of healing for a man, Peter, and a little girl, Charlotte. It was passed 'U' for the bereavement theme and infrequent mild language.
The deaths of the family members in the story are made clear but without the kind of details of death that might frighten a child. In the case of Peter, two policemen inform him of his family's deaths quietly, in a series of unfinished sentences ("Terribly sorry, sir. It was ... It came out of nowhere. One of the little girls is still missing. We will arrange for you to travel down and identify... " ). The death of Charlotte's father is relayed more subtly, and uses the language a child might use initially to comfort him / herself ("I am waiting for him. / I know he will come for me") but finally shows acceptance of his death ("He is not coming back, is he?"). The film offers no magic solution to loss from death but instead creates a situation where pain is seen being expressed naturally, and healing begins its journey to an ultimately uplifting conclusion: as the end credits roll, there are photographs that show a much older Peter with an adult Charlotte - at work, married, and with her own daughter.
The film is endorsed by the Child Bereavement Charity (CBC).
The film also contains two uses of 'bloody' which are exceptionally justified by context. In the first instance, a colleague salutes Peter for a successful deal, "You were so bloody cool!" Its use here is congratulatory within a very specific context. In the second instance, Peter has been woken in the middle of the night and just been told by two policemen that his family have been drowned at sea. Clearly in a state of shock, Peter berates himself: "Blessed. That's what I am. Blessed. I am so damn fantastic at what I do. .... I can control the world. I am a bloody genius. So why didn't I see this?" The use of 'bloody' here is self-directed and is not aggressive.
'U' stands for Universal, which means that we think the film is suitable for audiences aged four or older.
