'Bully' Documentary Currently Rated R: Should It Be Changed to PG-13?

A new documentary about bullying, appropriated titled “Bully,” is currently rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). However, the people behind the film, as well as thousands of others around the country, are calling for the rating to be changed to PG-13 in order to make it more accessible to young people.

The MPAA decided to give “Bully” the R mark primarily because of a scene where a bully describes what he will do to a victim using variations of the F-word. Use of the F-word more than once, or only once when used to describe sexual intercourse, almost always results in an automatic R rating.

Last month, The Weinstein Company, which created the film, petitioned to have the rating changed to PG-13. TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein and Alex Libby, one of the bullied children in the film, argued that the R rating would prevent the film from reaching young audiences. In particular, the R rating prevents the documentary from being shown in schools. (The studio was planning on screening the film at various middle and high schools.) Additionally, many teens prefer to go to the movies with their friends instead of their parents, but you must be at least 17 years old to see an R-rated film without a parent or guardian.

The Weinstein Company lost their appeal. They were one vote short of the two-thirds required to overturn an MPAA rating. However, a ratings change doesn’t seem to be completely off the table. On Thursday, MPAA and Weinstein will be hosting an invitation only screening and panel event for Washington D.C. educators, to discuss “the challenges educators face in dealing with bullying in the classroom.” However, it seems likely that the rating itself will also be a topic of discussion.

What do you think SodaHeads? “Bully” is currently rated R, but should it be changed to PG-13?