Number Rolled: 95
Movie Name/Year: Cyberbully
(2011)
Genre: Drama
Length: 87
minutes
Rating: TV-14
Director: Charles
Biname
Writer: Teena
Booth
Actors: Emily
Osment, Kay Panabaker, Meaghan Rath, Kelly Rowan, Jon McLaren, Robert Naylor,
Nastassia Markiewicz, Jade Hassoune, Caroline Redekopp, Ivan Smith, Ronda
Louis-Jeune, John Maclaren, Marcel Jeannin, Bruce Dinsmore, Danny Blanco Hall,
Tyrone Benskin
Taylor, thrilled about receiving a laptop for her birthday, signs
up for the site “Cliquesters” (which is a facebook-like social networking
site). After her account is hacked, she begins to experience horrible bullying
from just about everyone in her school. She tries to cope with the bullying,
but finds herself sinking into an inescapable depression.
I, once again, find that I like the message more than I like
the movie.
As a girl who was bullied pretty much all through school, I
saw a lot of familiar scenes. In fact, my heart actually hurt through most of
the movie. It was like reliving some of my darkest moments. No one will be able
to say that “Cyberbully” fails to capture the extent of what bullying can feel
like. That extreme helplessness and internal agony was captured to such a level
that, even now, it’s hard to not let my mind slip back to some of my worst
memories of childhood.
The most important aspect of this film to me was that it
showed another level of bullying. When people are online, they’re typing on an
inanimate object. It’s easy to forget that there are human faces and emotions
on the other side of the millions of screens also hooked into the internet.
When people forget that they are interacting with another human, it’s easy for
them to be cruel or to “kick the cat” as my mom used to say. A lot of the movie
was really eye opening as a reminder that verbal venom always has a bad effect
on someone.
I wasn’t all that fond of the actors, except Kelly Rowan who
played the bullied teenager’s mother. Also, Some of the script and the insults
were a little far-fetched, but when I actually experienced bullying some very
strange stuff was said to me.
Personally, I think that this should be a movie kids
entering Junior High School are required to see. Even though it might not have
been the best film in the world, it was absolutely incredible in teaching the
audience how to handle bullies. That is something that deserves recognition.
Overall Opinion – 3/5
P.S. Below you will find a list of sites that can help a
parent who suspects their child is being bullied. Among them are also sites
that will help you find out how to get help if you are the one being bullied.
Remember, there is no shame in getting help – the only shame is on the bullies.
U.S.
U.K.
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