Bully (2012) (Blu-ray/DVD Review)
Directed By: Lee Hirsch
Starring: Alex Hopkins, Tyler Long
Rated: PG-13/Region: A/1×78/Number of dics: 2
Available from Anchor Bay
From Sundance Award-winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, comes a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary following five kids and families over the course of a school year. Offering insight into different facets of America’s bullying crisis, the stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter, who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate and often shocking glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, this is a powerful and inspiring film that every educator, parent and teenager should see.
You hate what brings a movie like this together, but I feel this makes for an experience that everyone kids to adults should see. The school year we spend with these people here takes us deep into the world of a school kid who is being bullies, as well as parents who have kids that have committed suicide due to such bullying. It isn’t always an easy watch due to the realism, but it does make you think and maybe something like this would make kids and adults alike think if they see it. You know stuff like this happens every day but it never does really seem real until you see it and this film shows you all you want to see of it.
Besides dealing with very sensitive subject matters, this movie really is intriguing and interesting. The running time of this one does go by quick as we dip into these people’s lives and it does hit emotional points for all involved, including the viewers. That is a very good thing and it only helps to drive this film more home towards all its targets. If you have kids or if you don’t have them, you should still take the time to see this movie at least once. And if you know anyone with kids in school you should highly recommend it.
– Blu-ray Only Special Version of Bully, edited for younger audiences
– The Bully Project at Work Featurette
– Communities In Motion
– Deleted Scenes
– Alex after Bully
– Alex’s character Sketch
– Alex Raps
– Kelby’s Original Skecth
– Meryl Street on Bullying
– Sioux City after Bully
– Good Morning America
– Kevin Jennings: An Advocate’s Perspective
– We Are Daniel Cui
– Bully, the Book
