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Do the movie studios which make up the MPAA realize that Chris Dodd is now 
part of non-member The Weinstein Company’s publicity machine? First there was Harvey Weinstein’s PR offense over the MPAA’s refusal to change the rating for The Weinstein Company documentary Bully from an R to a PG-13. Then at the Oscars the MPAA chief and Harvey Weinstein were seen hugging it out. Now Dodd, Weinstein and the film’s director Lee Hirsch will come together for a screening and panel discussion. Joining the group Thursday March 15th in Washington DC will be Kaya Henderson, the D.C. public schools chancellor. I’m not trying to say that bullying isn’t an awful problem or the MPAA isn’t wrong in its rating. But looks like Weinstein once again will get free publicity for one of his films – and how many actual MPAA members wouldn’t love that for their pics.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Could it be anymore ironic that Harvey Weinstein is the defender of a movie about bullying? This is like Woody Allen trying to run an adoption agency.
Harvey Weinstein isn’t a bully.
He’s a dictator.
The difference is that the dictator leads through ability, while the bully is just a case of bad brain chemistry like a dog with rabies.
I can deal with a benevolent dictator (or at least one who produces good movies), but a dog with rabies and a bully can only be put down. They are utterly useless.
The MPAA is out of control. Good for Harvey for taking them on. They allow all kinds of violence, but slap any remote suggestion of sex with an ‘R’ – they are inconsistent to filmmakers. You show them your script before you shoot, then come back with the film and their stance has changed. It’s an expensive waste of time. They just censor.
They can just *Beep* the “F-WorD” and get a PG-13 A beep is more effective anyway
How did that work out for The King’s Speech?
We don’t really know, do we? The King’s Speech had already made a fortune by the time they did the PG13 release.
Right, and nobody wanted to see the PG-13 version.
As an author of four books by Random House, one nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, I find it totally disgusting that our supposed freedom of speech is questioned in an important film like Bully. It’s difficult to see the truth of what’s washing up on shore, when you have your head stuck in the sand. Show the fucking movie as PG 13 without pulling any punches because kids in the real world sure don’t pull any.
I have already expressed myself over and over again the importance of showing this film and changing the rating. I find it disturbing that the MPAA and the theaters are offended by a few curse words in the film, but they’re not phased by the violence in the film that someone is getting beaten up….in real life children can get concussion and die from being bullied….
This is the first time that Harvey is using his art to save the lives of young children, and that is the reward in itself….imagine if you as an artist can present your art creatively and make a difference by saving lives with it…..that’s true accomplishment! In our work as artists, it’s always about ” humanity “, and Harvey Weinstein is demonstrating that, some moments are not always about profits, but about people! Go Harvey and win it!
Of course Harvey is largely motivated by free publicity, but the thought of someone taking the MPAA on for what hypocrites they are is enough for me to give him a pass. Either the industry needs to pressure the MPAA to be more objective and transparent or it’s time for a new organization to be given the job.
Agree with all of this. He shamed them and got the correct rating for Blue Valentine. Hopefully he does the same here.
The MPAA standing in the way of kids seeing a film they need to see – in the name of protecting them – is the very definition of irony.
What’s ironic is that the language that is causing the film to get an R rating is language that is being used in real life by kids who aren’t old enough to see an R rated film. I’m all for keeping our kids safe, but this is a documentary, which is documenting real life, and maybe we all should see the language our kids are using when we’re not looking at them, and the things our kids do to other kids when no one is watching. If this was a fictional film, I would support an R rating, but since this is simply documenting real life, the R rating seems silly, since the words being spoken are by underage youths. If you really believe that kids under 17 don’t know what “fuck” means, and have never said it before, you’re delusional.
Lionsgate just won their MPAA appeal for Perks of Being Wallflower. It was originally rated R and was changed to PG13. How did Weinstein fail to overturn Bully’s rating?
This is honestly what I don’t get– they should just bleep the offensive words. If they do this for this movie, they must do it for all. This is not like an nc 17 vs an R. So this is an insane argument but simply a publicity stunt. The NOAA is not judging theme but levels of language, violence and sex — something that parents look for. If they really want change, why not create a new rating that would be just about language because it is many times unfair that language will get you an R
Bleeping is problematic in this context. This film needs to feel real to kids and a bleep just subconsciously reminds them – each time – that its been filtered by grownups.
MPAA lost any semblance of the moral high-ground when they stopped providing meaningful ratings for trailers. “Appropriate Audiences” might be relevant for trailers shown in theaters with specific movies, but since most trailers are viewed online, “Appropriate” provides no guidance at all.
I have posted my thoughts and beliefs many times about the MPAA rating. I am more than disturbed that the MPAA and theater owners are offended by the language in the Bully movie. Yet, they are not offended by the massive cruelty and violence our children live with every day, by the psychological and phsyical damaage done to our children as a result of bullying and by the many suicides caused by bullying — all a reality — not a movie!
MPAA Chief Senator Chris Dodd — please pay attention! This issue is serious and has reached epidemic proportions! As a legislator you should be on the side of America’s children.
Harvey Weinstein may be getting publicity from this — but he is actually trying to help keep our children safe and alive.
To remove the language from the film would lose major impact. The public must see how our children are being treated as this film will be an incredible eye opener for those who think bullying is a rite of passage. It is not!
So to the last one voter at the MPAA — please give the film a PG-13 rating and to all of the Harvey Weinstein naysayers … I don’t know the man, but in my book he is a hero for fighting this!
Ross Ellis
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
STOMP Out Bullying
http://www.stompoutbullying.org
I sincerely hope Senator Dodd provides the guidance and leadership that is sorely needed to find a resolution to this ratings issue.
It’s so unfortunate that a documentary that could be of help to so many bullied and emotionally tortured children is being sidelined because of inconsistencies in the rating system. The last article Ms. Finke published on this issue contained a post from a mother in Alabama whose daughter committed suicide because of incessant bullying. She’s just one of countless parents that have had to suffer the unimaginable horror of burying their own child because of this growing epidemic.
And why??? Because America seems to be more concerned about the mere appearance of propriety, as opposed to actions of true decency.
It’s not too late for the MPAA to be a hero in all of this, and take their place beside Hirsch and Weinstein to help all of these victimized children. A PG-13 rating will ensure as many students as possible can see this film, which will hopefully open the eyes of the apathetic student body and make them realize they need to take a stand against hateful actions and words.
If Mr. Weinstein feels so strongly that all students (presumably middle school and up) watch this film, why not ditch the theater release and partner with one of the major broadcast networks to give the film maximum exposure? Perhaps PBS would be a suitable partner for a project like this.
Create mini-curriculum for schools to use in the days before the TV premiere, make a viewing guide with questions for students to think about while watching the movie, and then create materials to facilitate a follow-up discussion for schools the day after the broadcast.
If the point of this project is to get many millions of US middle-school and high-school students to understand that bullying is wrong, then why not forsake some profits (millions of students times $10 per movie ticket) and switch to a TV broadcast that could be a homework assignment, with suitable pre-viewing and post-viewing discussion, for millions of students at the same time?
For the first time someone from the MPAA actually is fighting for something they believe in, which is to protect kids who are defenseless, helpless, and unable to defend themselves when being abused by their peers, such as they can throw a basketball at their head, take their lunch money, give them a black eye, broken arm, scraped knees, verbal abuse, tarnish their image, destroy their friendships etc…..children are very vulnerable and have not built a defense mechanism to be able to take care of themselves in harmful, dangerous situation such as bullying, and often internalize everything to the point of killing themselves….therefore in order to protect the sweet, vulnerable ones, as adults we must destroy the evil act of bullying for the kids that don’t have a voice or to scared to speak up! This is not free publicity, but they’re helping to push the film and change the rating to bring awareness to how harmful and dangerous bullying really is, and it causes deaths…..they’re trying to stop young children from dying unnecessarily, that’s why they’re working so hard to change the rating…..I don’t think there should be any rating at all, but they should let children in grade school watch this as well, below thirteen….then distribute it internationally to every country to help children stay alive all around the world, after it has been shown in the US! Parents, teachers, students all need to see this and have ” discussions ” about this, hopefully this will have schools take serious actions to change their systems and protect the children more in the future.