Tag: Bully

BULLY (2011) – The Review

BULLY is a new documentary that’s been getting a lot of buzz lately, not because of its topical subject, but because of a battle with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) over the rating the film was assigned. Due to an arbitrary ruling over language content (too many F-bombs) the doc was rated R, restricted. The film’s supporters led by distributor Harvey Weinstein believed that this would prevent many teenagers from seeing the film (and, hopefully, learning from it). But the MPAA would not budge, so Weinstein explored the possibility of releasing BULLY unrated. Unfortunately many theatre owners will not book an unrated film and many outlets will not carry advertising for such a film. Finally, after a few cuts and lots of celebrity pressure, the rating has dropped to PG-13. Now that it’s finally in theatres we can get pass the big dust-up and see the film on its own merits.

BULLY focuses in on five different families and the impact that school bullying has had on them. We meet two couples whose sons took their lives to escape the misery of the constant torments at their school. The pain of their loss echoes through every word they speak to the camera. A high school girl from Oklahoma tells of being ostracized when she came out as a lesbian. She relates stories of taunts not only from class mates, but from faculty members. Her religious parents talk about changing their attitudes and being astonished at the level of intolerance in the community. Another mother tells of her sweet, athletic, honor student daughter who was pushed to the brink by constant bullying until she made an ill-fated plan to strike back and was soon plunged into the nightmare of an unsympathetic legal system. Perhaps the most heart-wrenching story may be the portrait of middle school student Alex (he might have the most screen time). We first see him doing his chores and happily playing with his siblings. His home is his haven, a sanctuary from the unending harassment at school. Born prematurely (at 24 weeks), he has unique features and is a bit more awkward than his class mates, who refer to him as “fish-face.” Waiting for the bus, he’s threatened and pushed. On board he’s poked, prodded, strangled, and smacked. Back home he refuses to talk to his folks about his hellish school day. He literally shuts down. What can his parents do to stop the bullying and save this kind-hearted boy’s life?

This is no frills, fly on the wall documentary film making at its most involving. Director Lee Hirsch makes no use of a narrator. There’s no artsy confessional backdrops, no re-enactments, no snazzy graphics or animations. We don’t hear the interviewer. The principals speak to the camera with an occasional setting or personal identification. Some of the footage is astounding in its intimacy particularly the shots in Alex’s hellish bus ride. Also amazing is the scenes of the ineffectual authorities and school administration. The footage of one member of the school principal’s staff roaming the halls and meeting with Alex’s parents may have you gritting your teeth in anger while rolling your eyes in disbelief (my screening audience was almost heckling her). She can’t accept that some of her “little cherubs” are capable of cruelty. We can understand the frustration of the featured parents in trying to work with these naive’ staffers. This is powerful stuff.

Unfortunately Hirsch doesn’t delve into why some kids choose to victimize others. Is it part of their home life? Is it their way to feel superior? Also, the new technologies are only mentioned in passing. Cyber-bullying with texts and social media have been much in the news recently. Now the bullies can destroy someone while remaining anonymous. Maybe these topics can be discussed in a follow-up film. I’d be interested to see what happens to the kids in four or five years. The movie’s well done, but may be very difficult for parents to view. I hope they and their kids get a chance to see this (bravo to the MPAA for their change of heart and rating). But BULLY’s not all gloom and heartache. Like AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Things can change. The grieving parents channel their pain into a movement to convince those in charge of the school not to dismiss these incidents with “Oh well, kids will be kids,” and try to inspire other to speak up and get involved. I’m sure this well intentioned work will help spread their message.  Till we see you again, hang in there Alex!

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Win Passes To See BULLY In St. Louis – Take A Stand To Stop Bullying #BullyMovie

The Weinstein Company is pleased to announce that the documentary BULLY is now playing in select theaters in New York and LA. (Purchase your tickets at: http://thebullyproject.com/bullyticketingseefilm.html) After a recent plea to the MPAA by BULLY teen Alex Libby and The Weinstein Company (TWC) Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein failed – by one vote – to get the film its deserved PG-13 rating, TWC is choosing to move forward with releasing the film unrated by the MPAA on March 30.

Check out the official music video for Stand Up by Mike Tompkins. Watch it and share it on YouTube

The film will also be opening in additional cities on April 13th. Want to see BULLY in St. Louis?  WAMG is giving away tickets to the screening on April 10th at Plaza Frontenac.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.

3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: BULLY is a powerful documentary that opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids. Give us the name of another documentary that you’ve been affected by.

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders.It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

Take a Stand. Please follow @BullyMovie and retweet: 13 million kids get bullied every year.  It’s time to take a stand.  Repost to stop Bullying. #BullyMovie
OFFICIAL SITE:  http://thebullyproject.com/
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/bullymovie

For parents or teachers who are looking for more information or who may have concerns about showing children a movie unrated by the MPAA, please read Common Sense Media’s rating details of the film here: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/bully.

See BULLY On Tuesday! NYC Screening Ticket Giveaway!

On Monday The Weinstein Company choose to move forward with releasing BULLY unrated by the MPAA on March 30 after Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein failed – by one vote – to get the film its deserved PG-13 rating.

The Weinstein Company has a special giveaway for our NYC readers. WAMG is giving away tickets to the screening of BULLY tomorrow. BULLY is a powerful documentary that opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, which opens in New York this Friday, March 30th.

Screening Info:
Tuesday, March 27th
7:30 PM
Regal Union Sq Stadium 14
850 Broadway

JUST ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW ONLY IF YOU  LIVE IN THE NYC AREA. WE WILL CONTACT YOU WITH THE DETAILS.

BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders.It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” clichés, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

Take a Stand. Tuesday, March 26th is anti-bullying Twitter Tuesday. Please follow @BullyMovie and retweet on Tuesday:  13 million kids get bullied every year.  It’s time to take a stand.  Repost to stop Bullying.  #BullyMovie
OFFICIAL SITE:  http://thebullyproject.com/
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/bullymovie

BULLY To Be Released Unrated On March 30

After a recent plea to the MPAA by BULLY teen Alex Libby and The Weinstein Company (TWC) Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein failed – by one vote – to get the film its deserved PG-13 rating, TWC is choosing to move forward with releasing the film unrated by the MPAA on March 30.

Furthering proof that the R rating for some language is inappropriate for a film that’s meant to educate and help parents, teachers, school officials and children with what’s become an epidemic in schools around the country, the fight against the rating continues on. The outpour of support by politicians, schools, parents, celebrities and activists for the film’s mission to be seen by those it was made for – children – has been overwhelming. Nearly half a million people have signed Michigan high school student and former bullying victim Katy Butler’s petition on Change.org to urge the MPAA to lower the rating.

Said BULLY Director Lee Hirsch, “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real. It’s what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days. All of our supporters see that, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in.”

“The kids and families in this film are true heroes, and we believe theater owners everywhere will step up and do what’s right for the benefit of all of the children out there who have been bullied or may have otherwise become bullies themselves. We’re working to do everything we can to make this film available to as many parents, teachers and students across the country,” said TWC President of Marketing Stephen Bruno.

For parents or teachers who are looking for more information or who may have concerns about showing children a movie unrated by the MPAA, please read Common Sense Media’s rating details of the film here: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/bully.

“While it’s often heartbreaking and deals with tough issues like suicide, the movie addresses bullying in a frank and relatable way that is age appropriate for teens and relevant for middle schoolers if an adult is present to guide the discussion,” said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO, Common Sense Media. “The MPAA’s ratings system is inadequate when it comes looking at a movie’s content through the lens of its larger thematic issues. Common Sense Media provides alternative ratings for parents who are looking for more guidance and context than the MPAA provides.”

BULLY will be released in theaters on Friday, March 30th in New York at the Angelika Film Center and AMC Lincoln Square and in Los Angeles at The Landmark, ArcLight Hollywood and AMC Century City.

BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders. It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” cliches, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

To join the social action campaign, post the following message to Twitter: RETWEET PLEASE Did u know 13 million kids get bullied every year? I support @BullyMovie.  Let’s make it a trend: #BullyMovie

To donate your profile photo or Twitter skin, visit the official BULLY Social App: www.thebullyproject.com/social

To join the movement: http://action.thebullyproject.com

BULLY Twitter Campaign Drives Massive Increase In Awareness Around Bullying

On Monday, The Weinstein Company (TWC) ran a highly successful campaign on Twitter to drive awareness around the issue of bullying in the United States. The #BullyMovie effort, inspired by the film BULLY, which will be in theaters on March 30, resulted in a significant spike in conversation around the issue of bullying and a massive 100x increase in conversation about the film on Twitter.

On Wednesday, Ellen Degeneres discussed “Bully” and had Katy Butler, the 17 year old who wants to repeal the R-rating for the film, on her show.

“We believe this movie has real power to raise awareness and increase empathy for this important issue.  That belief has been confirmed for us in the last few days,” said TWC President of Marketing Stephen Bruno. “Not only did the Twitter campaign inspire a jaw-dropping number of conversations, it drove people to act, which has been our goal from the beginning with this film campaign.”

The Promoted Tweets from @BullyMovie, the film’s Twitter account, were seen by millions of users around the country, who were highly engaged with the topic:

  • The #BullyMovie campaign had an average engagement rate of more than 36%, meaning that one out of every three people that saw one of the Promoted Tweets took action in some way — by retweeting, replying to or favoriting the message, or clicking through to watch the trailer or sign a petition to change the film’s rating. This far surpassed the average 3-5% engagement rate for Promoted Tweets.
  • Twitter users retweeted messages from the #BullyMovie campaign thousands of times, and mentioned the film in more than 7,800 Tweets.
  • The best performing Tweet — “Watch the @bullymovie trailer and join the fight to STOP BULLYING in schools: chn.ge/Afgpmt VIDEO: bit.ly/znJ8C0” — attracted over 17K clicks and 1,190 retweets and an engagement rate of 37.5%.
  • Views of the BULLY trailer jumped by nearly 10x to 213,000 views.

“The #BullyMovie campaign drove a dramatic increase in conversation and compelled thousands of people to take action. We’re pleased to see the way The Weinstein Company is creatively using Twitter to drive awareness and encourage discussion around this important issue,” said Twitter president of global revenue Adam Bain.

As the success of the #BullyMovie Twitter campaign exemplifies, the support for this cause is growing every day in a very grass roots way. A Change.org petition, started last week by Michigan high school student Katy Butler, urges the MPAA to change the rating on BULLY from R to its deserved PG-13 rating. Just yesterday, the petition received an exponentially large amount of signatures. Butler will deliver the petition to the MPAA today.

KATY BUTLER’S CHANGE.ORG PETITION TO MPAA FOR PG-13 RATING
http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-dont-let-the-bullies-win-give-bully-a-pg-13-instead-of-an-r-rating?utm_medium=email&utm_source=action_alert.

TWITTER CAMPAIGNS
With Twitter’s Promoted Trends, users see time-, context-, and event-sensitive trends promoted by partners like The Weinstein Company. These paid Promoted Trends appear at the top of the Trending Topics list on Twitter and are complemented with Promoted Tweets that help amplify the message to an even wider audience.

Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, BULLY is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. BULLY follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children. As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers, BULLY examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole. 

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes.  TWC releases took home eight 2012 Academy Awards®, the most wins in the studio’s history. The tally included Best Picture for Michel Hazanavicius’s THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay’s UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; and SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D. Currently in release are MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE ARTIST; THE IRON LADY; CORIOLANUS; W.E.; and UNDEFEATED. Upcoming releases include BULLY and THE INTOUCHABLES. Recently wrapped was SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, and currently in production is DJANGO UNCHAINED.

BULLY Loses MPAA Appeal by One Vote, Retains R Rating

Following a hearing Thursday morning, The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced that it has lost an appeal of the R rating given to its forthcoming documentary BULLY by the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA’s Classification and Rating Administration originally bestowed the R on the basis of some language that is used in the film, an urgent and intimate look at America’s bullying crisis by award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch.

Although more than half of the appeals board felt that the movie should be rated PG-13, the MPAA rules stipulate that a two-thirds vote is necessary to overturn. The final tally was one vote short of the number needed to reverse the decision.

The appeal board’s decision eliminates the potential for BULLY to reach a mass national audience of students through screenings at U.S. middle and high schools, where the film could be used as a tool to stop an epidemic of physical, psychological and emotional violence. BULLY is scheduled for release on March 30, 2012.

TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein led the appeal and was joined by Alex Libby, one of the bullied children whose experiences are documented in BULLY. The hearing was held at the MPAA’s Sherman Oaks screening room, with Motion Picture Consulting LLC’s Ethan Noble assisting The Weinstein Company.

Following the decision, Weinstein released the following statement:

    As of today, The Weinstein Company is considering a leave of absence from the MPAA for the foreseeable future.  We respect the MPAA and their process but feel this time it has just been a bridge too far. 
    I have been through many of these appeals, but this one vote loss is a huge blow to me personally.  Alex Libby gave an impassioned plea and eloquently defended the need for kids to be able to see this movie on their own, not with their parents, because that is the only way to truly make a change. 
    With school-age children of my own, I know this is a crucial issue and school districts across the U.S. have responded in kind.  The Cincinnati school district signed on to bus 40,000 of their students to the movie – but because the appeals board retained the R rating, the school district will have to cancel those plans. 
    I personally am going to ask celebrities and personalities worldwide, from Lady Gaga (who has a foundation of her own) to the Duchess of Cambridge (who was a victim of bullying and donated wedding proceeds) to First Lady Michelle Obama (whose foundation has reached out to us as well), to take a stand with me in eradicating bullying and getting the youth into see this movie without restriction.

This morning, BULLY director Lee Hirsch will participate in a Q&A session with students at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, following a screening of BULLY at 9:00am.  Approximately 150 students from grades 9-11 are expected to attend.  Said Hirsch, “The screening means even more to me in the wake of the decision by the MPAA today (Thursday). To say that I am disappointed and distressed would be a grave understatement. It is my great hope that BULLY reaches the audience for whom it was made: kids, the bullied and the bullies and the 80% of kids who can make the most impact by becoming upstanders rather than bystanders. I am gratified that Harvey Weinstein and TWC share my commitment to getting BULLY into America’s schools, where it most needs to be seen.”

SYNOPSIS –BULLY

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Safe and Drug-Free Schools estimates that over 13 million American kids will be bullied this year, making it the most common form of violence experienced by young people in the nation.  In the new documentary BULLY, award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch (AMANDLA! A REVOLUTION IN FOUR-PART HARMONY) brings human scale to this startling statistic, offering an intimate, unflinching look at how bullying has touched five kids and their families.  Filmed over the course of the 2009/2010 school year, BULLY opens a window onto the pained and often endangered lives of bullied kids, revealing a problem that transcends geographic, racial, ethnic and economic borders.   It documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy “kids will be kids” cliches, and it captures a growing movement among parents and youths to change how bullying is handled in schools, in communities and in society as a whole.

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes, including Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH, winner of four 2011 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; and SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D. Currently in release are MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE ARTIST; THE IRON LADY; CORIOLANUS; W.E.; and UNDEFEATED. Upcoming releases include BULLY and THE INTOUCHABLES. Recently wrapped was SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, and currently in production is DJANGO UNCHAINED.