"Bully" movie leaves people stunned, some in tears

MEQUON -- The new film "Bully" premiered on Friday, April 13th and is having a powerful effect. The film is a documentary about the dramatic side effects of bullying, including school violence and suicide. Filmmakers say they produced the movie to make people aware of the problem of bullying, and what can be done to put a stop to it.

Gene Shulist owns a school supply company and is trying to stop bullying among kids. "We are going to be putting a card into all of our school supply kits saying `Let's stop bullying.' I'm angry and I'm sad. It affected me a lot," Shulist said of the film.

The film is taking an emotional toll on moviegoers, who say the film shows how real bullying is.

The documentary reveals bullying over a 13-month span in the lives of five different families. Along with the families, the film documents the responses of teachers and administrators in dealing with the bullying. It also focuses on the growing movement of parents and kids working to change the way the problem is handled in schools and communities.

The filmmaker says more than 13 million kids will be bullied this year, making this the most common form of violence experienced by young people in the United States.

Every person FOX6 News spoke with after viewing the film was emotionally touched by the film, and suggested that parents, teachers and administrators take the time to see it so that they can use the information to help kids through difficult but common situations.

"Bully" is rated PG-13 and is being shown in mainstream theaters as well as independent theaters.

CLICK HERE to visit the documentary's website - TheBullyProject.com.