bullying

My Bodyguard (1980)

[8] Writer Alan Ormsby and director Tony Bill create a compelling coming-of-age story that avoids two of the greatest pitfalls of the genre: it doesn’t talk down to its subjects and it doesn’t wallow in sentimentality. Chris Makepeace and Adam Baldwin give fine performances as the ‘new kid’ and the ‘mysterious loaner,’ respectively. Their unlikely friendship develops believably and becomes the heart of the movie. …

The Education of Charlie Banks (2007)

[8] Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Ritter star in this tale of two boys from different sides of the tracks who form a tenuous, unlikely friendship over time, until one boy’s secret and the other’s temper threaten to pull them apart. I think this might be one of the most enlightening examinations of bullying yet put to the screen. I expected the story to unfold predictably …