This post has been split off from what was originally one post on the BBFC. You can find the first half here and should read that before reading this! Equally, if the topic of the BBFC interests you, there is extra reading that you don't need to know for your exam here.
In the main BBFC post, we looked at the 12/12A certificate, pointing out that the content rating is identical. So if there is no difference in the remarks being made about the film's content, why are there two certificates, and what does the 'A' stand for? Let's have a look!
1989: The BBFC introduces 12
The 12-rating has had a relatively short - but often controversial and changeable - history at the BBFC - and it's one that's younger than your Media Studies teachers. Before 1989, '12' didn't exist at all! It was PG, then 15. Consider that that left a very large gap between films considered suitable for ~8-year-olds and then suitable only for 15-year-olds. In a trend that seems odd until you think about it, it has been superhero films that have twice shaped and reshaped the need for a 12 certificate. This is because such films walk a fine line between their dark, gritty comic book origins and their appeal to younger audiences towards whom they are often aggressively marketed, not just in and of themselves, but with toys and other merchandise as well. Many comic books were also enjoyed as cartoons by young audiences in the 1960s, who now have children of their own.
Another point of note is that the USA was a few years ahead of the UK on this one. In 1984, the Motion Picture Association of America (America's version of the BBFC and a group you don't need to know about in your exam) introduced the PG-13 certificate. This came after films given a PG rating (particularly Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom, 1984) were complained about by parents.
Batman (1989) saw the introduction of the certificate for the first time, without which the film would have been certified 15, not PG.
12 certificates would not, however, appear on home media until 1994. Much as finding out why Batman was the catalyst for the change in 1989, finding out why 12 certificates didn't make it to home media for another five years is difficult to determine. One theory is that confused buyers (especially parents) didn't understand why a film that was a 12 in the cinema was now a 15 on the shop shelf.
The 12 certificate would continue alone, appearing in both cinemas and on home media (invariably VHS tapes) until 2002. 2002: 12A is introduced The UK still had not taken the step of introducing a certificate like America's PG-13, which accounted for the grey area between films that were definitely suitable for young children and those that were suitable only for teenagers. Consider again how the BBFC presents itself in being slower to introduce these changes by comparison with its American equivalent. Critics might call this slow and failing to adapt to the times, while others (and I imagine the BBFC themselves) would say that this points to a much-needed cautious approach. Remember that I said the BBFC is unapologetic for overrating a film so that it doesn't have to apologise for underrating it!
Funnily enough, it was another comic book hero film that would spark the change, again pointing to the way the genre has one foot in a more teen-oriented world and the other in a world aimed more squarely at younger children.
Spider-Man was released in 2002, and the BBFC classified it as a 12. This angered and upset many parents, who had grown up with the Spider-Man cartoon or comic books in the 60s and felt that their children should have the same experience. Again, the film and a lot of its merchandise was targeted squarely at under-12s in the run up to the film's release on the basis that the 60s cartoon had been popular with child audiences.
Many local authorities ignored the BBFC's advice and re-classified it as a PG to enable younger viewers to enjoy it. Remember that the BBFC's ratings are advisory for cinemas - local authorities can ignore this advice as long as they are prepared for any potential consequences from their residents.
In fact, the BBFC already had a trial underway in Norwich cinemas for a PG-12 certificate in the style of America's PG-13 - a trial that was near conclusion. Spider-Man became the catalyst, and the BBFC put its trial into policy with one small adjustment: the new certificate was rebranded, becoming 12A instead. The '12' part reinforces the fact that the BBFC still feels that films with this certificate were only suitable for those aged 12 and over. The 'A' section, however, places the final responsibility with an adult, allowing that adult (i.e. a parent or guardian) to take an under-12 to see the film in question. The BBFC still strongly urges parents to consider carefully before taking under 12s to a 12A film.
I can tell you right now that you have no 12A films on your shelf at home - go and look, and you'll see that I'm right. That's because the 12-A certificate only exists in cinemas. You can only find the plain old 12 certificate on the discs on your shelves at home. That is to say that all films that would be considered suitable for 12 year olds are rated 12A for the cinema, then 12 for the home release (assuming no extra content is added to the disc that would deserve a 15). Here's one last interesting fact for you: despite being the centre of the whole situation, Spider-Man was not the UK's first 12A film, and DVD/Blu-ray releases are of course simply marked '12.' The UK's first 12A cinema release was in fact The Bourne Identity - the sort of fact that might come up on a quiz one day!