Bully hits home

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Courtesy of www.PBS.org

Alex Libby makes an appearance in Bully.

Connor Wheatley, Reporter

The film Bully is a documentary about the victims of bullying and their experiences. The film begins with the death of Tyler Long, who was bullied mercilessly by his classmates, which drove him to commit suicide at the age of 17. The story then jumps to Alex, a 13 year old who is being bullied. His parents attempt to talk to the administrators and try to stop it.

The film then jumps to Kelby, a lesbian who is bullied by both students and teachers alike. Part four focuses on Ja’meya, who is picked on relentlessly until she brings a gun to school and then gets arrested. The film then shifts to Ty smalley, an 11 year old boy who was driven to suicide. The ending focuses on how the parents of the dead and the surviving victims start an organization called Stand For the Silent, which focuses on stopping bullying.

The film is meant for two audiences, that is, victims of bullying and anti-bullying activists. Victims of bullying would be pleased by the film because it shows how there are people who survive bullying, and how their lives got better. Anti-bullying activists would enjoy the film because they would be informed about a new anti-bullying organizations.

The people in this film include: Kelby Johnson, Alex Libby, Phillip Libby, Maya Libby, Ethan Libby, Logan Libby, Teryn Long, Lona Johnson, and Ja’Meya Jackson. They are effective in conveying the message of the film because they give real emotions.

The music isn’t always used, but when it is, it provokes the audience’s emotions in order to sympathize with the people in the documentary. The music is often used when talking about the deceased victims of bullying and their parents. However, there are no sound effects used.

The message the film tries to convey is that bullying is a problem that cannot be ignored, and it will take all of us to stop it. The message is conveyed in how the bullying occurs. The administrators do not seem to want to fix the problem, so the parents end up taking it into their own hands.

For some people, it may not be very hard hitting or close to home, but for others, it completely hits home. Those who see bullying as just simple hazing may disagree. However, for others, it will be truly an eye opener.