What's Age Appropriate for PG-13?

The simple answer is 13. But we all know the simple answer isn't always the right one. It really depends on the child, his maturity and learning level being two of the prime factors.

My parents, while conservative in many respects, especially when it came to matters of religion, where very liberal in regards to what they allowed me to watch: anything I wanted that didn't have an X rating. I watched movies like Friday the Thirteenth and The Howling at very early ages (roughly around 8-12), even Porky's as young as 9. I turned out being a well-adjusted and ambitious person, and a bit smarter than the average bear. Did "mature" movies do that for me? Well, I'm more inclined to think it was reading books like War of the Worlds as early as 3rd Grade helped in that regard, but watching movies considered "inappropriate" for my age never scarred me.

But one main difference between my generation and this latest is that there was always at least one parent around to watch the movies with me, and if I had any questions about the content, they were always willing to answer. And we often had many discussions about the nature of God and morality, philosophy, art, and culture in general.

So, in short, my answer is let your children watch what they wish, but always be present to teach the lessons needed taught. The alternative, allowing the government or "ratings" to determine such for you, never leads to a road worth traveling on.