About the Living

Bully is a 2001 teenage crime drama film directed by Larry Clark, based on the events surrounding the 1993 murder of Bobby Kent. It stars Brad Renfro, Bijou Phillips, Rachel Miner, Michael Pitt, Leo Fitzpatrick, Daniel Franzese, Kelli Garner, and Nick Stahl. The screenplay was adapted by David McKenna (under the pseudonym Zachary Long) and Roger Pullis from the book Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze. Its plot follows a group of teenagers in South Florida who enact a murder plot against their mutual bully, Kent, who has emotionally, physically, and sexually abused them for years. Bully was given a limited release in the United States on July 13, 2001, by Lionsgate Films. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some deriding it as an exploitation film for its graphic depiction of teen sexuality, while others praised it for its straightforward portrayal of youth crime and murder. It was nominated for the Golden Lion award at the 58th Venice International Film Festival, and both Miner and director Clark received awards at the Stockholm Film Festival.