State Theatre to Show Bully

BULLY takes a frank, head-on look at the bullying epidemic happening in America’s middle and high schools. It profiles several young victims — including Alex, a 12-year-old in Sioux City, Iowa, who endures merciless teasing and physical abuse on the school bus every day, and Kelby, a 16-year-old in Tuttle, Okla., who has been ostracized and attacked ever since coming out as a lesbian. In telling their stories and others, *Bully* explores the full range of bullying’s impact on kids, their families, and their communities, from the devastation of teen suicide to frustrated parents getting nowhere with school administrators. And, more than anything, it encourages teens to make a difference — to stand up against bullying instead of standing by. This year, over 13 million American kids will be bullied at school, online, on the bus, at home, through their cell phones and on the streets of their towns, making it the most common form of violence young people in this country experience. BULLY is the first feature documentary film to show how we’ve all been affected by bullying, whether we’ve been victims, perpetrators or stood silent witness. Lee Hirsch and Alicia Dwyer’s painfully earnest plea on behalf of persecuted children should be seen by kids, above all.

*What Parents Need to Know about BULLY from Common Sense Media:* *Bully* is a no-holds-barred documentary that intimately portrays bullying victims’ daily lives. While it’s often heartbreaking and deals with tough issues like suicide, the movie addresses an incredibly important, timely topic — bullying — in a frank, relatable way that’s age appropriate for teens and relevant for middle schoolers if an adult is present to guide discussion. *Bully*contains strong language but none of the swearing is gratuitous. Like it or not, it’s a realistic portrayal of what every middle schooler and older hears every day. This gives the film veracity and credibility with kids, and it will justifiably shock parents.*Bully*’s most challenging material isn’t just the language, but the suicides. Seeing grieving parents and friends could potentially be upsetting to teens and preteens, so they should definitely watch with adults. *Bully* also addresses the concepts of cutting, physical abuse, and more, but in a way that presents the consequences as well as the behavior itself. Victims’ parents are generally portrayed as supportive and loving, while school administrators come off in a much less positive light. Ultimately, *Bully*encourages kids to stand up to bullies, not stand by, and reinforces the fact that * everyone* can make a difference when it comes to this essential issue. *The film has been deemed to be appropriate for viewing by children as young as 12, when accompanied by an adult.*

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