Katy Butler: "...I just heard that the Motion Picture Association of America has given an “R” rating to “Bully” -- a new film coming out soon that documents the epidemic of bullying in American schools. Because of the R rating, most kids won’t get to see this film. No one under 17 will be allowed to see the movie, and the film won’t be allowed to be screened in American middle schools or high schools. I can’t believe the MPAA is blocking millions of teenagers from seeing a movie that could change -- and, in some cases, save -- their lives. According to the film’s website, over 13 million kids will be bullied this year alone. Think of how many of these kids could benefit from seeing this film, especially if it is shown in schools? If enough people speak out and ask the MPAA to give Bully a PG-13 rating, maybe we can get them to change their minds. Will you sign my petition to the MPAA asking for a PG-13 rating instead of an R? From what I understand, the MPAA ruled by ONE vote that Bully deserves an R-rating because of “language,” robbing many teenagers of the chance to view a film that could change their lives, and help reduce violence in schools. This makes me really mad. It means that a film documenting the abuse that millions of kids experience through bullying won’t be seen by the audience that needs to see it the most: middle school students and high school students. Please sign my petition and demand that the MPAA give “Bully” a PG-13 so this important film can be seen by as many kids and adults as possible..." (SIGN THIS PETITION)
About the film: "This year, over 5 million American kids will be bullied at school, online, on the bus, at home, through their cell phones and on the streets of their towns, making it the most common form of violence young people in this country experience. The Bully Project is the first feature documentary film to show how we've all been affected by bullying, whether we've been victims, perpetrators or stood silent witness. The world we inhabit as adults begins on the playground. The Bully Project opens on the first day of school. For the more than 5 million kids who'll be bullied this year in the United States, it's a day filled with more anxiety and foreboding than excitement. As the sun rises and school busses across the country overflow with backpacks, brass instruments and the rambunctious sounds of raging hormones, this is a ride into the unknown. For a lot of kids, the only thing that's certain is that this year...Written by Hirsch, Lee" (IMDB)
RELATED READING:
- Official Web-site: Bully
- 'Bully' doc loses 'R' rating appeal; Weinstein Co. threatens to leave MPAA
- 'Bully': Can Weinstein Co. resign from group it doesn't belong to?
- Bully Gets R-Rating Prompts Weinstein Rebellion
- Tens of Thousands Sign Petition Urging MPAA to Overturn 'Bully's' R Rating
- Filmmaker "disappointed, distressed" over R-rating for bullying documentary
- "Bully" Documentary's R-Rating Sparks An Online Outrage
- 'Bully' Documentary's R-Rating Causes Parents To Petition MPAA (Video)
- Anti-Bullying Documentary "Bully" Receives R Rating, Weinstein Company Appealing (Video)
