A Philadelphia City Councilmember is rallying Philadelphians to join the ranks of Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres and scores of others calling for a lower rating for a film about bullying.
Councilman Jim Kenney this week sent a letter to the Motion Picture Association of America, pressing the agency to change its “R” rating for “Bully” to a “PG-13,” and is taking to the airwaves and Internet to enlist support from other Philadelphians.
Kenney said he began working with film producers more than a year ago on a plan to get the documentary out to local kids.
The film, directed by Lee Hirsch, is set to release March 30, but its current rating would make it inaccessible to those under 17 not accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The MPAA chose the “R” rating by just one vote, based on the f-word being used a handful of times in the film.
“I don’t think language should ever be an issue in censoring anything and it’s sad to say but this word is virtually meaningless nowadays,” Kenney said. “When I was young, that word meant something and was rarely used but sadly today kids and adults use it on a regular basis without the same impact. This rating is an adult reaction to the language.”
Kenney said the film is “evocative” and can be a powerful teaching tool for bullies and those who face harassment in the classroom.
“This may get through to young folks that this type of activity against people who are different, people who are outcasts or on the fringe, can be very, very hurtful and dangerous. It can lead people to suicide or cause problems for the rest of people’s lives,” he said. “And I think it can create empathy for those who are on the receiving end of this bullying.”
Kenney’s letter to MPAA included data on local bullying — such as the more than 30,000 incidents of violence documented in the Philadelphia School District in the last five years — and called on the organization to help “change the environment in our schools so that no child should ever fear going to school.”
Kenney is working with Philadelphia Safe Schools Advocate Kelly Hodge and the local Anti-Defamation League to get 10,000 local students out to view the film before the end of this school year — part of a larger national goal of having 1 million students view it in the coming months — an effort that would be greatly hindered if the “R” rating remains.
“We can’t rely just on parents to take their kids to see this because a lot won’t,” Kenney said. “And in some of these situations, such as if there were a gay boy or girl who hadn’t come out to their family yet, how can we expect them to have to ask their parents to take them to see this? The kids need some independence, away from adults to be with each other and view this as peers. That’s how it’ll be most effective.”
The effort to get the local students to see “Bully” will cost about $50,000, Kenney said, and an account for donations will be set up in the coming days.
For more information or to donate, visit www.facebook.com/JimFKenney.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].