Michelle Trachtenberg

’Mysterious Skin’ escapes ban

The Classification Review Board (CRB) has decided the controversial film Mysterious Skin will retain its "R" rating.

The movie’s rating was reviewed by the board after the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) received complaints from the Federal Attorney-General and family groups about the film’s subject matter - child sexual abuse.

Applications for a review were also received from the Australian Family Association (AFA) and Festival of Light.

AFA spokesman Richard Egan says, without seeing the film, it was a "how-to manual" for paedophiles.

A six-member panel of the board voted four-to-two in favour of the movie being available with an "R" rating.

A spokeswoman for the panel says the film condemns child sexual abuse and treats the subject sensitively.

Using a series of flashbacks, Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin follows the story of two young men - Brian Lackey and Neil McCormick - who were abused by their baseball coach.