This movie was rated with 4 stars, so my friend, Karen, and I decided to see it. I was afraid it was going to be a juvenile comedy or chick flick, but I was so wrong. It was a deep coming-of-age story, funny in some scenes but heart wrenching in others.
At the beginning, Karen and I commented that it was excruciating to watch. Why? Perhaps because we had lived it so many times. The nice kid from a good family who is quiet and smart. He hasn't necessarily been bullied but he hasn't found a friend. Those who used to be friendly had gone on and were suddenly too cool to include him. So he sat alone at lunch, he sat alone at games, he went home to his social life with his family. Sound familiar? You know those kids, too. You may have been that kid.
As the story progresses, the under stories begin to develop into a rich tapestry that is all woven together at the end. Indeed, it is a movie every person involved with young people should see.
The saddest part to me is how hard it is for adults to help. Parents try, but they cannot control the behavior of kids at school. Teachers try, but they can't catch everything that happens. Friends try, but they can't always do anything either.
The one thing I know for sure is that many times, bullies beget bullies, and if a parent is a bully, so is their child. If a parent is mean and nasty to others, their children are too. As much as we in education try to change the culture, we can't do so alone. But we keep trying by setting good examples, talking with students, educating communities. This movie is another way to get the message across. If it helps just one young person, one parent, one teacher, it will have been worth every penny it took to produce it!
No comments:
Post a Comment