'Bully' Documentary's R-Rating Causes Parents To Petition MPAA (VIDEO)

Days after the Motion Picture Association of America denied an appeal to downgrade "Bully's" R-rating, parents, educators and other activists are petitioning the MPAA to overturn its ruling.

The documentary, which highlights the effects of school bullying, received the rating because of strong language. Now, the film's supporters are upset that a film intended to educate audiences about an important issue will be barred from schools and won't be accessible to those who are most affected by it -- children under 17.

SCROLL FOR FILM'S TRAILER

Filmmaker Lee Hirsch, who says on "Bully's" website that this is a "deeply personal film" for him, started the online petition, citing the following:

We have a responsibility to the more than 13 million youth who are bullied every year in the US to make available this transformative, relevant piece of work.

The link was posted on "Bully's" Facebook page, and has been flying around the web in online comments and on local listservs for parents. As of Feb. 26, the petition had more than 2,400 signatures as well as comments like Allison Nasson's:

This movie needs to be seen by everyone. It is crucial for parents to see it so that they can understand the true manifestation of bullying in schools today, but kids are the ones bullying and the ones being bullied. This can do great things; it can provide hope to the victims, and create empathy in the perpetrators. But this will not happen if kids can't even get into the theaters.

Still, the MPAA defends its decision. The Los Angeles Times obtained a statement by the MPAA in response to to the film's R-rating:

The MPAA agrees with the Weinstein Company that ‘Bully’ can serve as a vehicle for...important discussions...The MPAA also has the responsibility, however, to acknowledge and represent the strong feedback from parents throughout the country who want to be informed about content in movies, including language.

But in a commentary for NPR, Linda Holmes defends the film and writes that the rating does little to inform parents about the contents of movie. Additionally, Holmes points out that vulgar language is often part of bullying:

There's a grotesque irony in declaring that what is portrayed in Bully should be softened, or bleeped -- should be hidden, really, because it's too much for kids to see. Of course it's too much for kids to see. It's also too much for kids to live through, walk through, ride the bus with, and go to school with. That's why they made the movie. The entire point of this film is that kids do not live with the protection we often believe they do -- many of them live in a terrifying, isolating war zone, and if you hide what it's like, if you lie about what they're experiencing, you destroy what is there to be learned.

Concurrently, Jacki Libby, the mother of one of the bullied students featured in the film, says the rating doesn't do much to protect children either.

"If they really want to protect children, they would protect them from what is now the danger of going to school, not some swear words they hear every day," Jacki Libby told the Sioux City Journal.

Shortly after the MPAA denied producer Harvey Weinstein's appeal on Feb. 23, the Weinstein Company released a statement saying it is considering withdrawal from the MPAA rating system.

The system is voluntary, but as Good explains, "filmmakers fear that releasing an unrated film spells box office failure, as many movie theaters won't show films that don't undergo the regulatory process."

In a statement, The Weinstein Company cites that it "respect[s] the MPAA and their process but feel this time it has just been a bridge too far."

In addition, it says the film's rating will impact several schools' plans to educate students about bullying:

The Cincinnati school district signed on to bus 40,000 of their students to the movie -- but because the appeals board retained the R rating, the school district will have to cancel those plans.

"Bully" is scheduled to open in select cities on March 30.

If you'd like to sign the petition, go to The Petition Site to learn more.

WATCH:

Comments

[djean1004]

01:24 AM on 01/08/2013

If they are trying to send a message how are many kids supposed to see it if its rated r.

[veger7]

08:16 PM on 03/20/2012

The MPAA classifcation and ratings administration has no legal standing. Owners of theatres may admit whomsoever they choose. Just another example of how the system does not work. The only effect of the R rating is to possibly stimulate the desire to see the film by those who are excluded.

[riesenslalom]

05:05 PM on 03/16/2012

This is controversy is not about ratings, rather it is a (very successful) ploy by the film makers to generate free publicity for the film. A good film maker--like a good writer--should be capable of getting the point across without resorting to the language in question. Eventually they will edit the offensive words so the film can be rated PG-13. It's just clever and shrewd marketing, which parents should point out to their kids.

[Jernigan23]

09:20 PM on 03/02/2012

I was bullied in junior and high school. I was bullied for a vast amount of reasons.....I was a virgin, I was too nice, I liked the same guy as a "friend", I was poor...it was a no win situation. I even had so called friends pay guys to try and "bed" me so that they could get me for being a "slut". I was miserable. Then my 8/9 year old son started getting bullied. I tried to help any way I could, but short of being at his side every minute, I could only do so much. Then the day came that I got a call from the school, they were about to file assault charges on HIM and have HIM arrested. He was about to have the most unreasonable punishment put on him because he was done being pushed around. All he did was wirte a note to a boy threating to hurt him, and my son was the one being punished. Luckly the school year finally ended and we moved.
What I am saying is that if school and court systems are willing to arrest an 8 year old, ignore the abuse, and then be shocked with school shootings, then by all means leave the movie rated R. If we want to know what they are going through or witnessing, then make sure to see the movie. Parents take them, rent it, there are ways to show them.

[BaPef Amheh]

11:15 AM on 03/01/2012

I was beaten with metal lacrosse poles in middle school, I had baseballs thrown at my back, and underwent years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of my fellow students. Teachers did nothing and when i attempted to defend myself I was punished for it. These films need to be shown and the world needs to realize this happens everywhere every day.

[SavannahD]

12:38 AM on 02/29/2012

I was bullied because I was overweight and it continued until I was in my 40's
"Suicide- Inner Voices that Carry" on Zoomers: http://ning.it/ziS2Gb

[meganmarieborn]

11:33 PM on 02/28/2012

Parents need to stop sheltering their children and realize what really goes on in schools these days. I heard more curse words at my public high school than I even knew existed. Bullying isn't rated "G." It's ugly and mean and needs to be shown for what it really is. It can't be sugar coated and have a "G" rating slapped onto it. If you don't want your children to see it, then don't take them to see it. Problem solved.

[TeraWatt60]

10:57 PM on 02/28/2012

OK so kids are supposed to see and would definitely benefit from this film against bullying yet the MPAA says that parents might be upset by "strong language" ...oh puhlesse that is like a "war documentary" where their dub in "darn it" or "Gosh" it completely loses any sense of realism. 

Parents can pretend their kids don't use or even know the meaning of swear words or slurs but for a film like this they need to make an exception and drop the fantasy and deal with reality for once. Otherwise it will sound as flat and phony as the "abstinence only" tripe that many of these same people advocate for dealing with sex education

[neighborhoodmole]

10:23 PM on 02/28/2012

Some movies are released in different versions, bleep the swear words for the PG-13 version and leave it uncensored for the R version and let each parent and school decide which one to let their kids view. It will do more good for the censored version to be viewed by more people than the uncensored version to be viewed by fewer. Since the point is to reduce bullying, do the most possible good. Let kids find the uncensored version online if they are curious, they will find a way if they want, but they need to know about the film first.

[Mindy Czech]

06:34 PM on 02/28/2012

It's ridiculous that this is being rated so harshly. Bullies don't use nicer language just because they're younger, and pre-teens and teens curse. When my worst bully was torturing me, he wouldn't hold back and use more pleasant sounding terms just because we were in high school. That's just nonsense.

[vmrs]

05:49 PM on 02/28/2012

Website is claiming the film isn't rated yet.

[vmrs]

05:42 PM on 02/28/2012

First people complain because something isn't rated G and then people are complaining because it is rated G.
Regardless of the message it is annoying that one in one situation it isn't ok but in another it is fine. People need to be consistent.

Quite annoying if you ask me.

[vmrs]

05:50 PM on 02/28/2012

(-In no way shape or form am I saying kids shouldn't see the film neither. Just making a point.)

[lambdin1]

05:08 PM on 02/28/2012

I'm signing the petition as soon as I write this. I've never known a movie rating to stop a kid from see a movie that they wanted to see!! It is a shame that it seems to be a "Catch 22"!!!!! Perhaps it can still be shown with a guardian or an adult accompaniment. Or not rated at all. Sort of like a documentary?

[DessieRandom]

04:53 PM on 02/28/2012

So kids can live through the violence of bullying, but "OMG they can't see this on a movie screen!!!!!"?

The rating should be lowered. Everyone should see this. It should be shown in every school to everyone. I myself want to see it.

[SPACEDOUT]

03:50 PM on 02/28/2012

The movie itself is to be targeted at children under 17--I mean, its bullying in schools that people are concerened about. And it should be at least PG-13. News flash people, this is the harsh reality in some areas.