The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) recently gave the upcoming pro-life film “Unplanned” an ‘R’ rating for violence, an ironic endorsement of the film’s key message.

“Unplanned” tells the story of former Planned Parenthood clinic manager Abby Johnson. Running the clinic opened her eyes to the gruesome reality of abortion, causing her pro-life conversion.

“I thought I was helping women,” Johnson explained. “But I was doing more harm than good. It wasn’t until I saw a child fight for its life that my world came crashing down and I understood the enormity of my actions. I had to leave. No one will be able to walk away after seeing this movie and say ‘I didn’t know.’”

The MPAA has given the film an ‘R’ rating due to “some disturbing/bloody images.” This restricted rating means that anyone under the age of 17 has to be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order to watch the film in theaters.

“We are pushing the boundaries of what has never been before on such a wide scale by showing America exactly what abortion is — and abortion is disturbing. It’s violent,” added Johnson.

You can watch the trailer below:

Being given a restricted rating based on violence is an irony not lost on the film’s writers and directors, Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman. The pair, also responsible for helping produce films like “God’s Not Dead,” commented:

‘Unplanned’ is an ‘R’ rated film which has no MPAA cautions for profanity, nudity, sex or violence…except for violence directly associated with the abortion process…Ironically, the MPAA seems to be indirectly endorsing the pro-life position: namely that abortion is an act of violence.

Solomon and Konzelman also pointed out that while this rating may keep many teenage girls from watching the film without parental consent, these same teenagers are often able to legally obtain abortions without that same parental permission.

“Unplanned” is being distributed by PureFlix. The film cost $6 million to produce and was partially funded by pro-life Christian entrepreneur Mike Lindell. Set to premiere on 800 screens across America, “Unplanned” will be in theaters on March 29.

Photo credit: Screenshot via YouTube