Have You Seen 'Bully' Yet?

The documentary 'Bully' opened on April 13, 2012 in 72 theaters in over 25 cities, and that wasn't enough. This powerful and influential film is a definite must see for all ages, everywhere. Parents, students, educators...everyone should be lining up to view it.

My fear? With a topic so incredibly tough and heart wrenching, people will want to pass it by or not take their kids because it's too hard to talk about.

'Bully' is tear-jerking, painful, and shocking. The film is hard to watch. No one wants to think that this is going on around them.

But sadly, it is.

Bullying is happening every day, in every city, in every school. And it doesn't stop there, not with the internet and cell phones.

According to The Bully Project website, over 13 million kids will be bullied this year in the U.S. (thebullyproject.com)

That's a problem!

The documentary 'Bully' follows three amazing young teens through the course of their 2009-10 school year, and two resilient families fight for awareness after the loss of their sons to suicide. The intense bullying that these young people endured each and every day is not only painful but harsh and disturbing. Many superiors stood by, refusing to acknowledge that there was a problem with bullying in their schools. Principals failed to intervene time and time again. In fact, the bullying becomes so bad during the filming that filmmakers fear for one of the boy’s safety and end up showing the footage to his parents and administrators.

The documentary was beautifully done. It dug deep and showed the horrifying results of bullying. I cried through the entire film and sadly forgot my box of tissues. The film ends in with a positive note, bringing everyone together to fight and take a stand. The message- Stand for the Silent.

Some critics argue that the film presented the problem but fails to go into the root causes of bullying or offer any true solutions. My response- we have to admit there is a problem before we can find a solution. That is what the film does; It shows us that there is clearly a huge problem with bullying.

Bullying is hurtful. It isn't conflict between two individuals on equal ground; It's harassment. It's one person taking advantage of their power to destroy and control someone who is weaker. Bullying causes damage. No one deserves to be treated with such extreme. No one should have to go to school and face intense pain every day. Our schools should be a safe place.

Please take the first step and see the film. Admit that we have a problem with bullying.


Check out-   
standforthesilent.org "There mission is simple- End bullying. Saves lives."
thebullyproject.com "Make a difference, join the movement."

PG13 Rating for "Bully"

Last week the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) lowered the R rating for the documentary "Bully" to PG13 just in time for the April 13th expansion release to markets nation wide. According to the documentary's website, the intense scene that has been the forefront of the battle with the MPAA was left fully in tact. The emotional scene where a young teen is harassed on the bus apparently contains explicit language. The director felt editing was not an option and refused to do so since it is important to the validity of the film. Three uses of explicit language was cut from else where in the film, allowing the MPAA to lower the rating.

A PG13 rating is important because it will allow educators, parents, organizations, and cities across the nation to show the film to teens for educational purposes. The intended audience of teens will be able to view the film without restrictions.

Millions of children are bullied every year, but many adults don't think it's a problem, stating that "kids will be kids." This stops children/teens from coming forward and talking about bullying. They may feel embarrassed, confused, uncomfortable, and unheard.

Today, we can't escape bullying. It's happening in our schools, at our activities, in our homes, and on line. It is hard to find a safe place away from the giggles, the means words, and the hurtful posts. It doesn't matter what age you are either. Bullying happens to anyone, anywhere, any age.

The controversy behind the rating on the documentary "Bully" has brought the problem of bullying to the forefront, causing everyone to start talking. Now, we need to keep talking!

The documentary "Bully" is in theatres nationwide on April 13, 2012. For more information on the film go to http://thebullyproject.com

Make sure you take time to see the film.

Books, Movies, and Discussions

Hunger Games is all the rage. The movie made over $150 million in its first weekend, and the audience was filled with people of all ages and genders.

People are talking and they haven't stopped.

And this is a good thing!

Hunger Games raises questions about political and cultural issues. Discussion are led around dictatorship, government control, reality television, and war. Comparisons are made with our community today, past wars, and what the future may bring. Teens, their parents, and even those without kids, are reading, talking, and lining up to see the movie.

And teens don't need their parents to go with them to see the movie. Hunger Games, a movie about teens killing teens and high level topics all based in a fictional world, is rated PG13. I went to see the movie this weekend and loved it! There is very little blood, not a lot of cussing, no sexual content...I agree, not an R movie. We are reading the book, seeing the movie, and most of all, talking about it. That is what we want! And hopefully adults are talking to their children about the topics in the book, helping better understand the complexity of society.

But this raises another question. We can see how much people are reading and talking. Movies bring us together. We love to talk about what we've seen and read. A good movie or book can start the most difficult conversation.

If a movie about such complex issues in a fictional world receives a PG13 rating, why would a documentary about real life issues in real life schools receive an R rating?

Are we saying that our schools- our world- is rated R? There is something wrong with that.

The fight to lower the rating for the documentary "Bully" is still on. As it should be. We can clearly see how much a good book and movie gets us talking. Teens, parents, and teachers need to be talking about the dire situation of bullying in our schools. Let us be reminded if this documentary is rated R then our schools are rated R!

Think about it...