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.

Congresswoman Believes Movie ‘Bully’ Will Help Pass Laws

With the film being supported by many celebrities, Bully has also hit a nerve in the U.S Congress. Linda Sanchez, a Democratic Congresswoman, has shown her support for the film and hopes that it will help get laws passed. One law in particular is the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which "would ban bullying, collect information on harassment, and provide technical assistance to school districts" if passed. Like many others, Sanchez also disagrees with the R rating because the film is a documentary and should not be treated under normal circumstances. Despite the rating, she is urging parents to allow their children to see it.

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.

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.