Bully (2001)
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A group of teenagers in South Florida conspire to murder a mutual bully who has abused them for years.
The story
In 1993, high school dropouts Ali Willis and Lisa Connelly befriend local deli employees Bobby Kent and Marty Puccio. While the group spends time together, it is revealed that Bobby has been a violent and abusive presence in the lives of the others. After years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, the group decides to take action. Lisa proposes a plan to murder Bobby, and the group begins to organize a plot to eliminate him. The story follows their escalating preparations and the tension of their shared secret as they navigate the consequences of their actions in the Florida landscape.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1993, South Florida dropouts Ali Willis and Lisa Connelly befriend Marty Puccio and his abuser, Bobby Kent. Marty has endured years of abuse from Bobby, who is physically and sexually violent. Lisa, who is pregnant and believes the child is Bobby's, joins Ali in a plot to murder the bully. They recruit several friends, including Donny Semenec, Heather Swallers, and Derek Dzvirko. After a failed attempt with a gun, they hire a 'hitman' named Derek Kaufman. They lure Bobby to the Everglades, where Donny stabs him, and Marty and Donny repeatedly stab him while Kaufman bludgeons him with a baseball bat. The group hides the body in a swamp. Later, they attempt to maintain their secret, but eventually, several members turn themselves in or are caught. The film concludes with the teenagers in a courtroom; some are sentenced to life, others to lengthy prison terms, and Marty is sentenced to death (later vacated). The final title cards reveal the real-life convictions of the participants.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Larry Clark
- Writers
- David McKenna · screenplay; Roger Pullis · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Brad Renfro · Marty; Bijou Phillips · Lisa Connelly; Rachel Miner · Ali Willis; Michael Pitt · Donny Semenec; Leo Fitzpatrick · Derek Kaufman; Kelli Garner · Heather Swallers; Nick Stahl · Bobby Kent
- Genres
- crime drama; teen drama
- Themes
- bullying; youth crime; revenge; moral ambiguity
- Tone and mood
- clinical; disturbing; raw
- Setting
- South Florida, 1993
- Premise and plot tags
- based on true events; teenagers; Florida; murder
- Source material / true-story basis
- Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze
- Content notes
- sexuality; violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some criticizing its graphic depiction of sex while others praised its portrayal of youth crime.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 45 · scale: 100 · review count: 26
- Awards and nominations
- Stockholm Film Festival · award · won
- Production trivia
- The production was described as 'chaotic' due to a compressed schedule and weather.; The real-life officer who arrested Marty Puccio played the same role in the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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