After weeks of protesting against the R rating placed on the upcoming anti-bullying documentary “Bully,” The Weinstein Company’s co-chairman Harvey Weinstein has decided to release the film unrated.
The film’s director, Lee Hirsch, said in a press release, “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real. It’s what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days. All of our supporters see that, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in.”
“Bully” was filmed over the course of the 2009-2010 school year and shows the lives of bullied kids and the problems they endure. After the
MPAA issued the film an R rating, an outpouring of support came in favor of lowering the rating to PG-13 to allow children to be able to see the movie.
The lower rating argument has been supported by schools, politicians, activists and celebrities such as
Ellen DeGeneres, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp,
Justin Bieber,
Kelly Ripa and more. Seventeen-year-old high school student Katy Butler
also launched a petition on Change.org to ask the MPAA to lower the rating, but to no avail.
"Bully" will now be released in theaters in New York and Los Angeles March 30 unrated. If you are looking for more information about showing an unrated film to children, you can find rating details
here.
!["The Challenge" an original film by Carlos Diaz](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/dr/hln/www/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/cluster_thumb_150x125/2013/05/07/the_challenge_title_card.jpg ""The Challenge" an original film by Carlos Diaz")
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