“There’s only so much a person can take,” says David Long of Murray County, Georgia. “What keeps me going is the blind faith that I’ll see my son again.”
The Long’s, whose son Tyler committed suicide at the age of seven after being picked on, are co-stars in the award winning documentary Bully. The film aims to expose the bullying epidemic thats going on in our school system. Bully was immediately acquired by The Weinstein Company after it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival back in 2011. Initially, due to language, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) gave the film an R rating, which would have prevented most kids from seeing the film. However, after petitioning the decision, the MPAA reduced the rating to PG-13 ensuring children of all ages would be able to see it without an adult.
Throughout the course of the film, we follow several middle-high school students who have been effected by bullying. One student in particular, Alex Libby measures his days by if he was victimized or not. The most striking part is that the bullies were undeterred by the cameras and Director Lee Hirsch captured actual incidents in which students were physically and verbally abused. “That particular world, that world of Alex’s school,” Hirsch says, “was a world where kids had become quite used to being able to bully Alex. I think the sense of consequence was very low.
It is this poignancy that makes Bully great. Hirsch seems very unforgiving of bullies and the school personnel that allow them to exist. He’s bent on not giving off an impression that the situation has been even marginally alleviated. Instead of wrapping the film like an after school special, where bully and victim become best buddies, he does the reality justice and lets the hatred loom. However, we can make our own happy ending and hope that one day Alex Libby, a solid student, will be his bullies boss.
To fans of the film, the DVD special features include a look at some of the bully victims, after being the stars of a critically acclaimed documentary. Notably, Alex Libby changed dramatically and hardly resembles the kid we saw in the film. Since the film’s release he has Hollywoodized his wardrobe and now sports hipster frames, and a chain necklace. Other features include the various media appearances of the young students and a word from Meryl Streep on bullying.
Special Features include:
Deleted Scenes
The Bully Project At Work
Alex After Bully
Alex Raps
Meryl Streep On Bullying
Good Morning America
Rating: A fresh and realistic portrayal of the bullying epidemic. (8/10)
DVD Rating: Worth buying for those that identify with the film. (7/10)
Bully is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment and The Weinstein Company
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