The buzzy new documentary Bully will hit theaters this Friday — but only five theaters will screen it, thanks to a standoff between producers and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). After the MPAA gave the anti-school-bullying documentary a restrictive R rating that would have prevented kids from seeing the film without a parent, its producers made the rare decision to ignore the MPAA and release the film with no rating at all. (The MPAA slapped an R on Bully because of six instances of the word "fuck.") Now, Bully's very limited release might have the same effect as an R rating: Kids won't be able to see it. A bold move or the wrong move?
It's a boneheaded move: Kids will have to be lucky to see this movie, says Cole Abaius at Film School Rejects, because most theater chains don't show unrated films as a matter of policy, while others don't allow anyone under 18 in — no exceptions. It looks like director Lee Hirsch is "ready to cut off his entire head to spite his face."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
