If a movie about bullying plays in theatres with an R rating, does it make a sound for those who need to hear its message?
The Weinstein Co. is fighting the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating of their new film Bully, a documentary about the consequences of bullying that they want younger kids to see.
The R rating covers a broad range of adult situations considered inappropriate for people under 17, including racy simulations of sex acts and full frontal nudity, as well as persistent and extreme violence. The ratings sin of Bully? Six bad F-words—if it had just one, it could get a PG-13 rating.
A Twitter campaign to lower the rating, supported by some high-profile young stars like actress and singer Demi Lovato, is underway. Meanwhile Harvey Weinstein is no doubt screaming some R-rated language on phone calls to the MPAA. Bullying could be a problem in Hollywood, too.
