Formerly titled “Good Joe Bell,” the slightly adjusted “Joe Bell” is from the Oscar-winning writers of “Brokeback Mountain” and tells the true story of a father’s walk across the U.S. to raise awareness about the harms of bullying. Mark Wahlberg plays that dad and the son, his gay son is newcomer Reid Miller.
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“Joe Bell” made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year but was met with mixed reviews. From director Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monsters and Men“), it’s a film about empathy but didn’t quite work with audiences. Marcus Green recut the film and retitled it simply “Joe Bell” in hopes of it getting a second life. The movie also stars Connie Britton and Gary Sinise. Here’s TIFF’s take on the movie.
Joe (Wahlberg) could have been permanently broken by regret but instead sets out on a mission. He will walk across America, speaking to school groups, communities, anyone who will listen about the corrosive dangers of bullying. Screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, who wrote Brokeback Mountain, shift between Joe’s cross-country odyssey and earlier scenes at home in Oregon. There, Jadin (Miller) suffers brutal homophobia at school and visible embarrassment at home from his father. He sees no other way out but suicide.
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Here’s the official synopsis:
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From filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green (MONSTERS AND MEN; upcoming KING RICHARD), along with the Academy Award-winning writing team behind BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (Diana Ossana & Larry McMurtry) and Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg, JOE BELL tells the intimate and emotional true story of an Oregonian father who pays tribute to his gay teenage son Jadin, embarking on a self-reflective walk across America to speak his heart to heartland citizens about the real and terrifying costs of bullying. Newcomer Reid Miller (as Jadin), Connie Britton and Gary Sinise star alongside Wahlberg.
Roadside Attractions will release “Joe Bell” only in theaters July 23. Here’s the first trailer
