CONGRESSMEN ENTER BULLY BATTLE

Twenty members of Congress have reportedly signed an online petition started by a high-school student asking the MPAA to set aside the R rating for Bully, the theatrical documentary about teenage bullying due to be released later this month by The Weinstein Company. The bipartisan group of congressmen, led by Democratic Rep. Mike Honda of Campbell, CA, signed a separate appeal in support of the petition drive, which has reportedly collected over 250,000 signatures in two weeks. “This important project shows the real-life anguish of many teenagers in this country who are tormented, harassed, and bullied by their peers,” the statement said. “This truth should be shared with as wide an audience as is appropriate and possible. We believe an R-rating excludes the very audience for whom this film is desperately important.” Meanwhile, Harvey Weinstein has told the New York Post that he intends to raise the issue with MPAA chairman Chris Dodd during a panel discussion in Washington D.C. on Thursday. “I’m hoping to bring kids from the movie. … With their testimony, anything, including change, is possible, in my belief. We feel it is our duty to continue to … fight for the PG-13 rating Bully deserves. The families who courageously let us into their lives in Bully provide just a glimpse into what’s happening to children everywhere.”