“Bully” made headlines when it was first released last year because of its subject matter, and then because of the “R” rating given the documentary by the MPAA. Unfortunately the controversies overshadowed the movie itself, which is fascinating, heartbreaking and very important. Hopefully, on DVD, everyone who didn’t see it in the theater will watch it now.
Bullying has become a major problem in American schools. “Bully” follows the stories of five students who have been directly affected by bullying. We get to know kids who have been victimized because others think they’re “different”, whether it’s how they look, how they act, or their sexuality. We meet a girl who was a victim and chose to fight back, but in the wrong way. And we see two families who are dealing with the ultimate tragedy: having a son/brother commit suicide because they simply couldn’t take the bullying anymore.
The parents want to use their terrible situations to help get bullying stopped, but find it difficult to get the administration in the schools to deal with the problem seriously. It’s clear, thanks to some dramatic hidden-camera video and interviews with teachers and staff, that the schools are not doing enough (some not doing anything at all) to stop bullying from taking place and punishing the kids who are involved. The parents are forced to fight this battle outside of school, starting-up anti-bullying organizations which they hope will make a difference.
At times “Bully” is hard to watch because of the stories that the parents and kids share, some of which are shocking. There are also several scenes of actual bullying taking place, including footage captured on school buses, that just makes you angry. And listening to one Vice Principal’s opinions on the bullying situation will make you want to shout at the screen. This is one time when it might be o.k. to talk during a film, because it’s tough to stay silent when you’re hearing some of these comments.
This documentary does not include a narration. Some text appears every once in awhile to identify people and locations but mostly you hear from victims and their friends and family members, those involved in the school systems and, of course, the bullies themselves. This was a good decision by director Lee Hirsch to go without narration and allow everything to play out naturally so we get the complete picture of this issue from the words of those directly involved on all sides.
“Bully” cuts back and forth between the five stories over the length of a school year, giving enough time for each one to unfold and have a dramatic impact. You feel terrible about what these kids and families have gone through, and feel even worse that nothing effective is being done to solve this problem.
There is some hope and a positive message at the end of “Bully”. The film certainly made a lasting impression on me, and hopefully those who watch it will be not only moved by it, but encouraged to take action. This is an important documentary that everyone – parents, teachers, school officials and first and foremost, students, should see.
As for the MPAA controversy, “Bully” was given the ‘R’ rating because of six swear words – that’s it. And these words are actually necessary because they help to show the verbal abuse that bullies use along with the physical abuse. And, trust me, kids everywhere have heard these words and won’t be harmed by them. So forget anything you heard about the ratings issue. Watch “Bully” – WITH YOUR KIDS.
Along with the brief language, there is some mature subject matter in the film, mainly involving the suicides. It a tough call on an appropriate age group for “Bully” because I truly believe all students, from 3rd-4th grade on up, should see it. Exposing young kids to this issue may be one of the best ways to try to combat the problem. Certainly it should be required viewing for every middle school student in the country.
But know going in that even though the movie does end on a promising note, this is a very serious film that’s quite emotional to watch.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Bully” gets a B+. This is solid documentary filmmaking. Some of the images and interviews will stay with you forever. I would have liked to have seen an interview or two with some of the actual bullies, but Hirsch says he left those out intentionally because this film is about hearing from those in most need to be heard – the victims.
I’m disappointed that “Bully” didn’t get a Best Documentary Feature Oscar nomination. As far as most important films of 2012 – it’s at the top of the list.