Joe Bell

Joe Bell is a 2020 American biographical drama road film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, from a screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller, and Connie Britton, and follows the true story of a man named Joe Bell, who sets out walking across America to speak out against bullying and honoring his teenage son, Jadin Bell, who died by suicide after he was bullied for being gay. The film was produced by Jake Gyllenhaal’s production company, Nine Stories Productions, with Gyllenhaal himself serving as executive producer. The film had its world premiere under its original title Good Joe Bell at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2020, and was released in the United States on July 23, 2021, by Roadside Attractions. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided on whether it was feel-good and inspirational or reductive and contrived. Plot In May 2013, Oregon mill worker Joe Bell is walking through Idaho with his 15-year-old son, Jadin. Nine months prior, Jadin revealed to his parents that he is being bullied at school because he is gay. Joe is accepting although still often uncomfortable; he supports Jadin when he joins the cheerleading squad but asks him to practice in the back yard, worried that their neighbors will pass judgement. Along the way, they stop at a diner where the news on TV mentions same-sex marriage. When two patrons make a disparaging remark, Joe tells them about his mission - to walk across America in order to raise awareness against homophobic bullying - before leaving hastily. Jadin tells his dad that men like that won't change and that bullying starts with their children, who need to be educated properly about its effects.