LOS ANGELES, Cal. — The highly anticipated documentary “Bully” opens Friday, March 30, but few theaters are showing it because it is being released without a rating, which many theaters are unwilling to risk.
The film follows several families who have been affected by bullying and features difficult content and crude language. Because of the language, the Motion Picture Association of America gave the film an R-rating, and refused to change the rating unless several portions of the film were omitted. Instead of editing out the language, producer Harvey Weinstein decided to release it without any rating at all.
“The language that’s in those scenes… there’s power in that,” said Lee Hirsch, the film’s director. “When we talk about bullying we want to be honest. We want to show what the kids are actually going through.”
On Tuesday, The Weinstein Company launched a social media campaign against bullying to have as many people as possible retweet the message: “Did you know 13 million kids get bullied every year? I support @BullyMovie. Let’s make it a trend: #BullyMovie.”
See some of the tweets below:
In a statement to the Huffington Post, Bladimiar Norman, Senior Vice President of Marketing at The Weinstein Company said, “We are incredibly humbled by the wonderful participation of such influential individuals and organizations…. The celebrities and organizations have done their part, now it is time for us to do ours, and get to the theaters.
Read more of the statement here in the Huffington Post report.
Currently, no theaters appear to be showing it this weekend in the Kansas City area, but Kansas City based AMC Theaters announced Wednesday that in cities in which it is playing, AMC will allow kids under 17 to see the movie with a parent or with a signed permission slip from a parent.
Click here for a link to TheBullyProject and here for a link to the petition started by Michigan teenager Katy Butler to fight the R rating.
