Bully

Bully (2011)
Directed by: Lee Hirsch
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

I follow Philip DeFranco on YouTube and generally enjoy most of his videos. He does a Movie Club posting every Saturday where he watches a film and discusses it with fellow YouTubers. His most recent entry was for 2011's Bully. I had heard about Bully but never dedicated time to watch it. The reason is because I can't stand to see people being hurt in real life. This is the same reason I refuse to watch Intervention. I knew that the subject material for Bully would hit close to home because I was, to an extent, bullied in school.

Hirsch's film focuses on the everyday lives of three students in American schools, and the continuing grief that plagues two families that are dealing with the loss of their own children. We are first introduced to the family of Tyler Lee Long. His father, David, speaks of Tyler lovingly. His narration of his fondness for his son is juxtaposed with family home videos. The tone begins to change as he discusses Tyler's teenage years. He reveals that the students would tell him to hang himself and that they wanted to hurt him. After dealing with the pain of the ridicule for too long, Tyler hanged himself. The film then introduces, one by one, the central people of the text. Alex Libby lives in Sioux Falls, Iowa and is picked on relentlessly because he looks different. He tries to laugh things off because he doesn't know any other way to get through the day. When his parents ask him about his day he clams up, and refuses to divulge any information about the bullying. Next, we are introduced to Kelby Johnson. She is a teenage lesbian dealing with the stresses of ridicule dealt out by not only students, but faculty as well. Her parents, former Sunday School teachers, have been shunned in the community and alienated from their friends. Jameya Johnson was a highly successful student that was destined to go to the military. She played basketball and came from a loving household. Because of the bullying that she endured, Jameya chose to bring a gun to school. While riding the bus to school, she pulled the weapon and threatened the lives of those that were bullying her. Jameya was charged with over forty criminal felonies and is in a youth detention center at the beginning of the film. The last subject of the film is Ty Smalley. He was an eleven year old that decided to shoot himself because of the incessant bullying. The filmmaker shows what happens to these kids in school, on the bus, and at home. The danger to one of the students gets so out of control that Hirsch is forced to show footage to the parents and administration so that action would be taken.

Bully made me sad and extremely upset. As I stated in my intro, I was bullied in school and I knew those memories would come flooding back. I will say that I was not bullied to the extent as the kids in these films, but it doesn't make it any less painful to the person experiencing it. From my experience, I believe that kids (or grown people) that bully others are not intelligent enough to know what to do with themselves, or what to do when there is someone different around them. I was able to turn a lot of the bullying around on the person trying to hurt me because of my wit. I gained a reputation as a funny person so the bullying lessened, and then stopped. Some kids, like Alex, are not built that way and they shut down; they accept bullying as a part of their lives. If Bully teaches anything, it shows how criminally ineffectual some school administration can be. The Principal of Alex's school is so insanely bad at her job that it makes you want to scream. Hirsch shows this with a quick but telling moment. As the camera operator and the Principal walk down the hall they pass a child (class is in session at this point). As he continues walking, the Principal stops and turns to ask him if he is in trouble. He replies (while still walking) by nonchalantly saying "not really". She just says "ok" and then continues to walk. There is another scene where she pulls to kids to the side that are arguing. She asks the boys to shake hands because that ends all types of conflict. The perpetrator of the argument reaches out his hand and the victim refuses to shake it. The Principal gets upset and forces them to shake hands. The one kid leaves as she talks to him about the situation. He explains that he is picked on every day, and that he tries to distance himself but he is followed by the bully. She says that it will be handled; it never is. When Alex's parents come to the Principal after seeing Hirsch's footage, they plead with her to do something. She begins to talk about her new niece and how she cares for all the children in the school. Bullying in schools may never end because there is only so much that can be done. The best thing for the situation is to educate everyone about the consequences of bullying, and the emotional scarring that can occur. Eleven years old...that is too young for anyone to consider suicide as an option. If Hirsch had not made this film, how long would these kids have lasted? Click here for more information about The Bully Project.

I am not going to do a "No BS" review for this film because I feel everything that I stated needs to be read. Our country is in an incredible state of turmoil. School shootings seem to be a more common occurrence (thankfully not routine, yet), child suicides are becoming more prevalent, and religious zealots are harming more people every year. Bullying comes in all forms whether it be a person that hurts others to make themselves feel better about themselves, or an organization that protests funerals because their lives don't match the warped ideals of the group. This film is well done and it will absolutely break your heart. You're not alone if you feel compelled to reach out, through the screen, to hug these kids; to let them know that it is all going to be ok in the end. The teenage years in a kid's life are ALWAYS awkward and trying, but it's because you are finding out who you are and how everything works. It shouldn't be because they are being ridiculed for being different.

My Score: 9/10