Director Smith: Friendship, not Sex, Is the Heart of Porno

Zack and Miri do indeed make a porno in Zack and Miri Make a Porno but the movie is about a lot more than just sex, director Kevin Smith tells Reuters. The story about a pair of cash-strapped pals entering the adult film biz is about love and friendship, Smith says, but it was a hard sell to the ratings board all the same.

Smith acknowledges a few scenes "push the envelope" a little, but he managed to get Zack and Miri's rating reduced from NC-17 to R on appeal. Advertising has been a problem, with TV spots having to air without the full title being spoken and Philadelphia banning its billboards. "I'm stunned that people have that big of an objection to the word," Smith said. "Porno is not a bad word, it's a word that describes something. (More Kevin Smith stories.)