Joe Bell: a very touching (real) story

Even though much progress has been made, being gay in (rural) America can still be a struggle. Joe Bell is the real story of a father walking across America to talk to people about his son's struggles with his identity. A very touching one at that.

Through his walk, we see flashbacks of Bell's life on how his own feelings got in the way of helping his bullied son. He "accepted" his coming out, but he thought Jordin could simply "keep quiet" and everything would be fine. But his joining the cheerleading team was a lot to handle...

If you watch this movie, make sure you are in a good mood because it's sad. That being said, it's very well-made, especially if you know nothing of the story. You will be in for some surprises, although in hindsight there were clues about it... Mark Walhberg is an excellent actor and his conflicting emotions are well-depicted. He does seem to represent to many men who have a hard time expressing emotions and instead just burst out in anger when there's too much to handle.

Jordin's situation, even though it's not the main plot, is hard to watch at time. I've never been bullied for being gay, but I have been bullied and I know how much of an impact it has on morales. Especially when adults in charge (I really hope it was exaggerated) just tell you there's nothing you can do and that YOU should thread carefully.

In short, this movie is a must-watch at least once. It represents two sides of a single coin: how young gays struggle with their identity and acceptance and how their parents' support (or lack thereof) can influence their future.

Final rating: 4.5/5