According to Gibson's interview on Leno last night, the rating has not dropped. That makes the changes a waste, IMO. If it didn't come down enough to get a PG-13, why bother? The people who wouldn't see the earlier version aren't going to see the new version. It might sell more DVDs to people who have already seen it, but I don't see this as taking the message to a new group of people.

In the paper today, it showed it as being unrated, which doesn't help much. My suspicion is that it may have more to do with placing the Passion back in the theater in time for Easter. I suspect those who think that Gibson is aiming for a perennial film that comes back out every year might not be too far off the mark. Nor, perhaps, is that a bad idea.

I just wish he could cut it down to a pg-13 to broaden the audience. I understand it's not a pretty story and the pain is anything but gratuitous, but it could be done and still have the impact.

Yeah, that would be nice. Especially since it sounded like that was the whole idea of this release...