The Weinstein CompanyThere's no trying to bully this group.
After numerous attempts at trying to urge the MPAA to change Bully's R rating (for brief language), the Weinstein Company has announced that they will be releasing the highly anticipated documentary as unrated.
Michigan high school student Katie Butler's online campaign collected nearly 500,000 signatures requesting the MPAA overturn the "R" rating—including support from stars like Johnny Depp, Ellen DeGeneres, Meryl Streep, Michael Jordan and Demi Lovato. So what does Butler think of the Weinstein Company's unrated maneuver?
"I am happy Bully will maintain its authenticity and will be an accurate portrayal of what thousands of kids experience every day," said Butler, who was a victim of bullying herself.
"The MPAA might not recognize the reality that thousands of bullied kids face each day in school, but nearly 500,000 people around the country, from celebrities to politicians to bullied kids themselves, stepped up to speak out about bullying by signing my petition," she said in a statement.
"The brief use of explicit language in this film reflects what so many kids hear each day in school when they're being bullied. The MPAA said they wouldn't drop the R rating unless this language was removed, but nothing can remove it from the halls and playgrounds of schools where bullied students hear it each day, except education and exposure."
Bully director Lee Hirsch said that the unrated designation for the film will allow the film to portray the real trauma and torment that bullied students experience each day in school.
"The small amount of language in the film that's responsible for the R rating is there because it's real. It's what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days," Hirsch said in a statement put out by the Weinstein Company. "All of our supporters see that, and we're grateful for the support we've received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it's up to the theaters to let them in."
Bully hits theaters Friday.