Fifty Shades of Grey banned from Sechelt theatre, sparks debate

There's a debate brewing in the small town of Sechelt on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast that is neither black nor white, but rather, shades of grey.FiftyShades of Grey to be precise.

The owner of the town's only movie theatre, Raven's Cry Theatre, has declared that she won't be showing FiftyShades of Grey, one of the most highly anticipated releases this year that promises fans of the erotic novel lashings and steamy sex scenes between the two lead characters played by actors Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan.

Theatre owner Deborah Proby says she'sconcerned that the film's rating of 18A means teens accompanied by older friends or relatives can watch it. She alsodisapproves of the film, as "just because the actress smiles as she is being beaten does not make it ok."

"That's exactly what I wouldn't want to happen, is young, impressionable girls thinking this is their Harlequin romance hero this cold, aloof, dysfunctional asshole," she said, referring to the film's lead character Christian Grey. "He's got lots of money. He's great looking. So that excuses his bad behaviour?"

On mobile? Watch the Fifty Shades trailerhere.

Secheltresident and FiftyShades fan Breann Casey saysshe's disappointed because it's unclear whether the Sunshine Coast's only other theatre, Gibsons Cinema, will show the film. She says she wouldn't allowher 15-year-old step-daughter to see the movie, but she was planning on watching the film with a group of friends.

"I thought they were going to show it for sure," she said in an interview with The Early Edition. "They showed American Sniper. That's violent, but they won't show FiftyShades?"

However, Paula Howley agrees with Proby.

"I've got an eight-year-old daughter, too," she said. "I have no problem with sex or adventurous sex. I have a problem with how the national psyche is sexualizing girls. It's not progressive."

Fifty Shades of Grey hits theatres Friday.

To hear the full debate between Breann Casey and Paula Howley, click on the audio labelled: No Fifty Shades of Grey in Sechelt