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The new documentary Bully takes on the issue of harassment in American high schools, depicting real scenes of school bus torture, schoolyard violence, administrative indifference, and the tragic fallout in explicit detail. Now, the Motion Picture Association of America has made sure that made sure that most American high school students won't be able to see the film: It's slapped the doc with an R rating.
That's a problem for producer Harvey Weinstein, who had lobbied for a PG-13 label so he could tour the film in middle and high schools. The MPAA admitted that the documentary "can serve as a vehicle" for student discussion around bullying, but insisted that the film nevertheless "contains certain language" that requires it be rated R. The result? Teenagers will be barred from watching a documentary about what teenagers actually say and do to one another.
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thenewgreen · 4849 days ago · link ·
After reading this, The documentary exposed the MPAA's cadre of untrained anonymous raters, who are meant to represent regular American parents, but are really free to impose their own backwards values on the rest of the population, I'm excited to see this. That's a lot of power for someone to yield.
forwardslash · 4849 days ago · link ·
I second this recommendation, it's an awesome documentary.
thenewgreen · 4849 days ago · link ·
If I was watching a preview for a film and at the end the producer or someone of the like said, "we refuse to allow the MPAA to rate this movie, see it and make up your own mind. We feel it's appropriate for X age and older. We hope you enjoy the film" I would be more likely to see the film.
I'm sure that the MPAA carries some weight though and it's probably like David vs. Goliath.
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lessismore · 4849 days ago · link ·
I will definitely be more likely to see a film that is not associated with the MPAA. :)
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You'll be going out of your way to see said film, since nearly every commercial theater in the US won't show it. This isn't an issue when you're taking something on tour to schools, but the average consumer won't see something that isn't in their local theater.
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lessismore · 4849 days ago · link ·
There are other avenues besides the local commercial theater for the producers to release their films now. They don't necessarily have to distribute it by traditional means. If they are going to buck the trend, buck the trend.
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lessismore · 4849 days ago · link ·
They are not the primary viewing options now, but they are becoming more and more so by the day. I don't recall the last time I went out to watch a movie or flip on the the television outside of watching a sporting event.
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lessismore · 4849 days ago · link ·
Well there you go. Release it to Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Hulu, etc. etc.
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Kevin Smith hears you, but nobody else does: http://coopersdell.com/#vod
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The MPAA is a joke, but an R rating wouldn't stop an interested parent from sitting next to their kid at the theater and having a dialogue about it afterward. As far as touring middle and high schools with the movie, I think even a PG-13 rated movie would require parental consent. When I was in the 8th grade, I had to get my parents signature to watch a version or Romeo and Juliet that had nudity in it.
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lessismore · 4847 days ago · link ·
There is now an online petition to get the rating changed so that the film can be shown at schools.
http://www.change.org/petitions/mpaa-dont-let-the-bullies-wi...