Did this film get an R rating because of homophobia?

A new film about a retired gay couple has been given an R rating by a US classification body, even though it has no sex, violence or drug taking in any of its scenes.

This classification means that children under 17-years-old must be accompanied by an adult if they want to see the film, Love Is Strange.

This is very weird, especially when you compare it to other R-rated films like Monster or Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, both of which contain quite a bit of sex, violence and drug abuse.

Could homophobia be to blame for such an innocent film getting rated like this? In Ireland, the film was rated 15A, and Canada gave it PG rating, so what could have made such a difference between the different countries?

Check out the trailer for yourself to see if you think it was deserved or not!