'Bully' Documentary Trailer Released

The highly anticipated documentary Bully is a heartbreaking and significant window into one of the biggest issues facing today's kids and teens: According to the press notes for the film, over 13 million young people will experience some form of bullying this year. The documentary's trailer, released this week, offers a first look at the powerful film set to hit theatres next month.

Directed by Emmy and Sundance award-winning director Lee Hirsch, the documentary follows five kids and their families over the course of one school year and the ways that bullying affects their lives. Bully gives a face to the bullying epidemic, highlighting the story of real kids, teens, parents, and schools affected by this epidemic.

The film, which premiered last April at the Tribeca film festival, was given an 'R' rating by the Motion Picture Association of America due to explicit language and footage of bullying. Hirsh has protested against the decision and the Weinstein Company plans to appeal the rating before the film's release in March. The director said in a recent statement: "I made Bully for kids to see –- the bullies as well as the bullied. We have to change hearts and minds in order to stop this epidemic, which has scarred countless lives and driven many children to suicide."

The film is set to release in the U.S. on March 30.

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Comments

[JANELLE43]

11:05 AM on 05/16/2012

MY DAUGHTER IS 8. SHE IS NIETHER A BULY;NOR BEING BULLIED; EXCEPT FOR LITTLE ARGUEMENTS GIRLS; FRIENDS; WILL NORMALLY HAVE IN CLASS WITH ONE ANOTHER- BUT I DECIDED AFTER HEARING THIS STORY I WAS GOING TO TAKE HER TO SEE THIS; ALTHOUGH SHE DOESNT WANT TO; I DO BELIEVE ALL KIDS PERSONALY NEED TO SEE THIS. I KNOW MY DAUGHTER WILL; WHETHER SHE LIKES IT OR NOT.

[Neets101]

12:20 PM on 03/31/2012

The schools will continue to lose good students as a result of the culture that worships the mean spirit.

They end up with lower test scores because one bully can destroy many student's educations.

Here is a thought, create a separate class at each school that bullies are sent to, now class rooms will not have to continuously be disrupted, teachers can teach students who are there to learn, and perhaps it may save the life of students who have lost all hope.

That a sheriff deputy might have to be the instructor in such a class would not shock me.

The kinder course of action is to teach bullies now that there are consequences to their actions, and they will most likely end up in serious trouble with the law if the schools continue to ignore the situation.

[Jenn Rose Stremich]

12:46 PM on 03/11/2012

The petition has incorrect information...NR is the rating that means no one under the age of 17 of age can see a movie.....I agree with the R rating for this movie..."R" does not mean anyone that is under 17 can not see the movie, it means that anyone under 17 can not see the movie *without* a parent or guardian.

This could be a very powerful movie if it helps in opening up a dialogue between a parent & child.

I believe it *should* be shown at schools & to youths, which can easily be done by letters going home parents to get their permission & even INVITING the parents to come view it with their kids. If a bunch of high school kids go see the movie together, the message may not be the same for them. (As an off-point/on-point example...friends of mine went to see Titanic when it came out. The guys laughed at the "comedy" of the movie through the whole thing. Different message was portrayed to the "tough guys.") - The same thing can happen to this movie if friends go together to see it. The could be/already are bullyer's may not get the message that what they are doing is wrong....& they will be the ones that may need to see this movie.

I vote for keeping the movie at the appropriate R rating to get parents involved with their children again.

[magoo126]

04:49 PM on 02/29/2012

I'm a 65 yo female. I have been overly endowed in the chest area since the 3rd grade. In the 5th or 6th grade, I was unmercifully bullied by a girl who called me all kinds of names and made fun of my endowment. She and a gang of other girls followed me home one day after school and she wanted to fight me. She started swinging and I raised my hands to fend off the blows. She wore hoop earings and one of my fingers got stuck in her earring and tore the earring right out of her ear. She ran away screaming. It was not intentional, by any means, but no one ever bullied me again....as a matter of fact a lot of her friends became my friends. Bullying has to stop!!!!!

[ismediaevents]

04:09 AM on 02/29/2012

Exceptionally Powerful and Fine Trailer for this Video.
Thank you Lee Hirsch.

[milles manson]

04:24 PM on 02/25/2012

Most bullies are sexually assaulted or verbally or otherwise abused as young children.they also tend to grow up and abuse their girlfriends and wifes.

[buckosrq]

11:58 AM on 02/24/2012

My nephew is 15 years old and is being bullied everyday at school. His grades are in the C's and D's and he used to be a A student. My sister tells me that he stays isolated in his room after he gets home from school and has talked about suicide several times. She has taken him to a therapist but cannot see any improvement. I have talked to him several times and he will be spending a week with me during spring break......maybe, hopefully, I can reach him before something drastic happens. This is the time for this nation and schools to get control of this horrible problem that these kids face everyday.

[kirovfallenangel]

08:14 AM on 03/01/2012

That sounds something similar to my situation in sophemore year my grades dropped to c's and d's. Other than bullying see if he has any problems at home thats bugging him. Right now hes in a depression..and will talk about suicide for a while..On his own he needs to fight this battle..with a little help getting him to talk will help EXTREMELY. He may be defensive at first but keep talking he will open up..Gradually the fight against the depression will be hard but only he can win it himself. No meds or anti depressents..though if he needs it only. He will win the battle against the depression and he will revert to normal..it may take a cool down year..one thats relaxed no stress or anything just a year for him to cool down after his depression. Talk to the school if hes getting bullied tell his teachers get the school to crack down on it..currently I am being harrased by some boys but its easy to deal with, thats how I know what hes going through..I already went through it.

[Neets101]

08:01 AM on 03/31/2012

At 15 there may be a possibility of your nephew having options in regards to his education due to the bullying he is having to endure.

Some states have virtual schools available that are tuition free for the parent, it may be worthwhile to research options.

Therapy for ongoing assaults to his wellbeing probably won't be effective as your nephew is still being attacked, there is no time to recharge and heal when new injury is a daily occurrence.

Sure he can learn strategies, without an army of thugs and minions to back him up which is exactly what the bullies have, it is very difficult to wage an effective defense, most likely he is outnumbered many times over.

The bottom line is your nephew is attending school for an education, he isn't getting one, and this is issue number one, he won't be young forever and his primary goal at his age is to try to gain enough skill and knowledge in order to be a successful adult. As an adult, he will have the law to protect him in many ways that children attending school are not protected. I would be very concerned about finding the best environment for learning, there are groups that meet for socialization, and so far, the few I have attended the kids are 100 percent civilized humans.

[quaybon]

07:49 PM on 02/23/2012

My son took his own life after relentless, brutal bullying at school. Teachers and administrators knew, but did nothing.

[cerebrogasm]

7 hours ago (12:15 AM)

quaybon: words haven't been invented yet to express the pain of losing a child. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through - one small suggestion might help you with the profound grief - become an advocate for anti-bullying - we need your voice - you are certainly not alone - push yourself to surround yourself with others that know exactly what you're going through.