The movie's rating attracted national attention, thanks to a Change.org petition started by 17-year-old Katy Butler. The petition "MPAA: Don’t let the bullies win! Give ‘Bully’ a PG-13 instead of an R rating!" has almost achieved its goal of gaining half a million signatures.
According to the L.A. Times, The Weinstein Company made the decision to ensure teens under 17 would not be restricted from seeing the film. The initial R rating initially meant the film would find difficulty being screened in U.S. high schools or middle schools.
Teenagers don't want to go to the movies with their parents, Butler told Mashable during the New York City leg of her trip around the country promoting her petition.
Butler was a bullying victim in her Michigan middle school, where her classmates jammed her hand in a locker because she was a lesbian. Butler says that while her parents knew she was unhappy, they had absolutely no idea how her middle school peers were treating her.
During her month-long trip around the country to promote her Change.org petition, Butler hand delivered more than 200,000 signatures to the MPAA, demanding they change the rating.
The film's no rating status will prevent it from being screened in certain theaters, which is a risk The Weinstein Co. decided to take. Still, screenings of the film are already planned for AMC Lincoln Square in New York City, and ArcLight Hollywood and AMC Century City in Los Angeles.
The Weinstein Company, the studio distributing Bully, started its own campaign to get the MPAA to change the "R" rating against the film in February. The film board in Canada issued the film a "PG" rating.
Lee Hirsch, the film's director, stood by his decision to include curse words in the film, which caused its R rating.
"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. "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."
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