A really great, classic, Disney film that deals with many themes, including bullies and using your wits in defense, is Song of the South. Uncle Remus’ tales of Brer Rabbit and the Tarbaby might be what she is looking for.
Your daughter is 12, right? Angus might be an appropriate movie. The whole movie is about a rather large, smart kid who gets picked on a by pretty much everyone, especially Rick Sandford. Rick sets him up to look like a fool at a winter ball thing, which is where the climax happens. It might work for her.
The Simpons comes to the rescue:
In Lisa’s Date With Destiny, Nelson, on a date with Lisa, is taunted by Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney (“You kissed a girl! That’s so gay!”). After the confrontation, Lisa congratulates Nelson on getting rid of the bullies without resorting to violence.
I recommend the movie Powder, about the bald teen who is ghostly white and has various supernatural powers. Toward the end of the movie, the boy is being bullied by about 5 guys. Then strip him naked (this part might nix it for a 12 year old audience, but if I recall right not much nudity is shown) and throw him into a pool of mud. He reacts by reading the mind the ringleader and learns that the bully is behaving this way because his own father bullied him as a little boy. This screws with the bully’s head and I think they leave him alone after that. (Then again, they may proceed to kick the crap out of him - it has been at least 10 years since I saw the movie).
Has it never occurred to you – or your daughter – that IRL just standing up to a bully verbally is a good way to get thoroughly pounded? Even if you’re a girl?
The popular wisdom that bullies are cowards might be true, but what difference does it make, if they consistently choose victims smaller and weaker than themselves?
Of course, there’s always this episode of Drawn Together.
How about Mask? (The Cher one - not the Jim Carrey one).
Rocky has Elephant Man disease - he’s tormented by bullies throughout the movie and always takes it; however, in the end he confronts a bully, with words, and I suppose has some satisfaction.
It’s a pretty sad movie, but I really liked it…
Looks at OP
:smack: Never mind.
None of the movies I mentioned apply.
No, never. :rolleyes:
I agree with Stranger on a Trains sentiment.
In Million Dollar baby there is a scene where a black guy is harassing Hilary Swank. She retorts wittily, and he backs off.
Well, there’s always the Yahoo email Butt toucher! commercial…
Heh, that one will be great. Nothing like underwear jokes to win the hearts and minds of sixth graders.
Sorry not applicable, but the bully scene in The Cowboys is the best one on film.
Steven
That’s the best example I’ve read her thus far. However, in said impassioned monologue, Dempsey’s character also wields a baseball bat and threatens to break a guy’s arm. So it may not be the very best example of someone using pure reason, devoid of all violence.
In the end, the teacher forbade the use of such props and aids, no doubt to compel students to actually talk. I got some interesting movie recommendations though.
But he only hit people in the context of organized matches, or maybe if he was attacked (I don’t know, I haven’t seen all the movies). That’s different from just beating on someone who’s weaker.
In “Revenge of the Nerds” the nerds resort to democratic means to beat the bullies. R-rated, though.
Then the bullies have a tantrum and trash the nerds’ house and in the end the nerds win everyone onto their side with a rousing speech.
I’d say so! :eek: I can barely watch that and I’m 38; I guess if she’s watching that at 12, she can probably handle The Roxanne nose like a penis reference.