Why the Phony Ratings Controversy Over Bully is Giving the Movie a Wedgie

This blog writer takes the stance that Harvey Weinstein's argument for getting a PG-13 rating, that he thinks it's important for all kids to see, is wrongheaded.  "Importance" does not give your movie the right to have special treatment in a standard ratings system that millions of other films have had to go through.

"Honestly, Bully feels like a movie parents should be watching to get an inside look at what school can be like for bullied kids. And if parents are old enough for an R-rated movie—or at least able to bring their kids to the movie—what's Weinstein's problem?"

Canadian Censors Opening Doors For 'Bully' US Release

If you've read about the ratings drama between the makers behind Bully and the MPAA, then you know by now that there is a strong likelihood that Bully will be released domestically unrated. In this article from the Canadian Press, there's an interesting comparison between the ratings system here in the US and the ratings system in Canada, which is releasing the film with a PG rating.

Also mentioned, The Hunger Games and how violence and language are treated dramatically different in the US and Canada. The film's director Lee Hirsch is hoping that the PG rating in Canada will open the door for theater owners in the US to play his film despite its lack of a rating.

Is the MPAA a Film-Ratings Bully?

This Businessweek article gives the overview of the situation like every other article on the subject out there. But it also has some interesting quotes from people on both sides of the argument for/against the rating.  The argument for the MPAA's decision is this:
“Harvey and the director keep saying that we should make an exception for this movie because it’s important and people don’t really care about language anyway,” the theater executive says. “That’s dangerous because it makes ratings officials into censors. People who rate the movies shouldn’t be deciding the quality or importance of the movies.”

"Bully"= A Push For Ratings Change

This is an article in the LA Times by David Dobkin, the director of "Wedding Crashers". He criticizes the MPAA and how they judge movies that get an R rating. He argues that "Bully" should not be constrained to normal rating because it is a documentary. By telling a real life story he thinks it should be exempt from an R so that children can see what goes on in reality.

Reading 'Bully' as a Family Film

Tara Poker-Pope of the New York Times did a write-up on how to read Bully as a family film and why the hoopla associated with the MPAA shouldn't effect a parent's decision to take their kids to see it. The slippery tentacles of the Weinsteins may have used the rating issue to generate buzz but the director claims in an interview that he never wanted to make an, "R-Spirited Film."

Time will tell if this film will become known as the movie that changed the MPAA or was just a Weinstein marketing stunt.

Bully Overhauling the MPAA

This article discusses how the unrated documentary may be the tipping point for the ratings system. It summarizes the controversy that has surrounded the documentary and how the unrated film would be treated as an NC-17 release, not allowing many to see the important film. Celebrity support has caused certain theaters however to treat it as a rated R film. I believe this shows the power that celebrities and other high status individuals have and how the strict rules of the rating system can be overcome. The controversy has served to keep Bully in the headlines and has created a following and interest in the documentary.

Victoria Justice for The Bully Project

Victoria Justice, DoSomething.org and Sparknotes team up with the new documentary 'Bully' giving teens a chance to address the issue in a student-led nationwide census. A number of celebrities have come out to support and stop this issue and encourage others to take a stand and intervene. Read more here.

Bully Criticized for Ignoring Important Facts

The documentary has recently been under fire for leaving out key information, including the fact that Tyler Long, one of the key subjects of the film (who committed suicide) suffered from mental health problems. Emily Bazelon of Slate recently pointed out that "Tyler also suffered from ADHD, bipolar disorder, and Asperger’s syndrome; additionally, his girlfriend broke up with him a few weeks before his suicide. It seems likely that these factors contributed to Tyler’s decision to commit suicide". The film ignored these important facts, and blamed Tyler Long's suicide solely on the fact that he was bullied. This prompted a response by the film's producer Cynthia Lowen, who basically argued that the fact that Long had autism doesn't make to school system any less responsible for his death. Slate stands by its assertion that "the movie presents a one-sided and incomplete version of the events leading up to the suicide of Tyler Long".