Movie review

By Robert D. Grubaugh

For The Edge

EDWARDSVILLE — July has been quite the interesting month at the movies.

Both Marvel’s “Black Widow” and the “Fast & Furious” series, “F9: The Fast Saga,” brought in big crowds and made some decent money on the strengths of their respective franchises. Neither was a “best in class” effort, but the supporting cast in Marvel’s latest, with Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz and David Harbour, made this picture far more than simply nonstop action.

“In the Heights” also premiered several weeks ago. I don’t give LinManuel Miranda the credit that everyone else does because his art is not in my preferred style. Still, this one hums along like an oldschool musical with some fantastic choreography.

Disney’s “The Jungle Cruise” and Matt Damon’s stirring “Stillwater” opened the end of July, but the movie I chose to review this month is one I hadn’t heard of until a few weeks ago. “Joe Bell,” stars Mark Wahlberg. He plays a reallife dad who undertook a cross-country walk/ speaking circuit to educate teenagers about bullying, a behavior that ultimately led his son Jadin (Reid Miller) to commit suicide as a highschool sophomore in 2013. Jadin tries to replicate the look of David Bowie during his “Ziggy Stardust” years and is out as gay teen in small town Oregon.

Jadin’s story is told as flashbacks as his dad Joe walks through Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Colorado. He’s joined by Jadin’s ghost, which haunts Joe’s behavior and taunts him to be a better man than the boys who tormented his son. These visions lead Joe through a journey of forgiveness. A last minute cameo by Gary Sinise as a rural sheriff is fantastic, but too little, too late. I wished this movie had more impact, but it felt sadly unfinished, much like Jadin’s life and Joe’s efforts.

I’ve written about it before, but in the age of constant connection, can there be a more dangerous thing for young people than bullying by their peers? During the last year and a half of quarantine and flex-scheduling it seems to have gotten even worse. The anonymity of the internet is great for privacy, but terrible for self-esteem. Tell your kids you love them. Make sure they know that the trolls won’t win the day. Encourage their uniqueness. Be there for the moments that matter. Don’t allow any opportunity for regret.

(Photo Courtesy of Jay Maidment / Marvel Studios|For The Edge)

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