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    Movie Review

    Mark Wahlberg's lackluster performance undermines anti-bullying message of Joe Bell

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 20, 2021 | 9:39 am
    Mark Wahlberg's lackluster performance undermines anti-bullying message of Joe Bell
    play icon

    An underrated part of moviemaking is the casting process. There are certain actors who can play a wide variety of roles, and there are some actors whose range is somewhat limited. No matter how strong a script might be, if you cast the wrong actor(s), the film is going to be hampered.

    That’s certainly the case with Joe Bell, which has Mark Wahlberg in its title role. The based-on-real-events drama finds Joe walking across the United States to spread an anti-bullying message in support of his son, Jadin (Reid Miller), who was bullied in their hometown of La Grange, Oregon for being gay.

    The film bounces back and forth between Joe’s time on the road and before the journey, chronicling how hard of a time Jadin had just trying to live his life. Not only do other boys target him at school, but when he tries to confide in Joe at home, Joe’s overbearing nature and machismo prevent him from being able to truly empathize with Jadin’s plight. Joe’s minimal support leads to even greater stress for Jadin, something Joe reflects upon during his walk.

    Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men) and written by the Brokeback Mountain team of Diana Ossana and the late Larry McMurtry, the film fails in its message for a variety of reasons.

    The first is trying to hide the real reason Joe is walking across the country. It’s only a slight spoiler to know that Jadin died by suicide because of the bullying, but for some reason Green, Ossana, and McMurtry structure the story so that fact is in question for the first third of the film even while they hint at it strongly. If they had gone the chronological route, the progression of events would have had a larger impact. Instead, it feels like they’re trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the audience instead of trusting them.

    The second reason is the performance of Wahlberg and the character he’s playing. Wahlberg’s inability to believably show emotion has been evident for most of his career – Andy Samberg had a memorable SNL sketch about it – and he struggles mightily trying to do so here. That weakness is compounded by the attitude of Joe, who is very difficult to empathize with because for much of the film he’s just as much of a bully toward his wife (Connie Britton) and his kids as the high school boys are to Jadin.

    Additionally, much of Joe’s dialogue on the road only feels like lip service toward his overall message. He’s only shown giving a couple of speeches, both of which are perfunctory and fail to inspire in the slightest. If the point of the film is to show Joe’s transformation from an uneducated jerk to someone who motivates others with his words and actions, the film fails miserably.

    And why is the movie so focused on Joe? The person most affected by the events shown is Jadin, but the film spends relatively little time trying to figure out who he is. Late in the film, Joe says, “I just made Jadin’s being gay all about Joe Bell … about me” as a sort of atonement for his sins, but the line comes off as ironic, since the movie is also all about Joe Bell, not about Jadin.

    The message of Joe Bell is an important one, but its delivery is botched both in the film’s storytelling and poor casting of the lead role. LGBTQ+ people deserve all the support they can get, but this film is not a great example of how to give it.

    ---

    Joe Bell opens in theaters on July 23.

    Reid Miller in Joe Bell.

    Reid Miller in Joe Bell
      
    Photo by Quantrell D. Colbert/courtesy of Roadside Attractions
    Reid Miller in Joe Bell.
    movies
    news/entertainment

    Traffic News

    Dallas Bike Ride event will close down streets around downtown

    Teresa Gubbins
    May 15, 2025 | 6:20 pm
    Dallas Bike Ride
    Dallas Bike Ride
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    Thousands of bicyclists are expected to hit the streets of Dallas thanks to the Dallas Bike Ride, an annual ride taking place on Saturday, May 17 that's anticipated to draw 4,000 riders.

    Described as a family-friendly celebration of cycling and community, the Dallas Bike Ride welcomes riders of all ages and abilities to cruise at their own pace past iconic Dallas landmarks including Reunion Tower and the JFK Memorial. It's a recreational ride with a festive atmosphere: snacks, drinks, photo opportunities, and live music along the route.

    The 20-mile ride is "car-free" because — just like the marathon — it blocks off the streets where it passes, and those streets include the most densely populated neighborhoods in the inner city/urban core: the Central Business District, Victory Park, the Design District, West Dallas, Kessler Park, and the Bishop Arts District.

    That means four hours of avoiding those neighborhoods if you are driving, since it begins at 8 am, and is anticipated to last until 12 pm.

    A course guide highlights the neighborhoods and times that motorists are advised to avoid.

    The ride will start at City Hall, then cross over to Victory Park, before heading to Uptown and Oak Lawn, then through the Design District, to West Dallas, before doubling back towards downtown.

    From there it will swing over to Kessler Park and Bishop Arts before returning to downtown Dallas where it will end at City Hall with a branded Methodist Dallas Finish Festival, featuring live music, a beer garden, and food trucks.

    • Downtown Dallas will be closed from 7:45 am-12 pm, along Ervay, Commerce, Young, and Marilla.
    • Victory Park will be closed from 7:51-9 am, along Houston Street and Nowitzski Way.
    • Oak Lawn will be closed from 7:53-9:35 am, along Cedar Springs, Maple Avenue, Turtle Creek Boulevard, and Oak Lawn Avenue.
    • West Dallas will be closed from 7:48-10:40 am, along Continental Avenue, Riverfront Boulevard, and Commerce Street.
    • Kessler Park will be closed from 8:28-11:08 am, along Edgefield Avenue, Kessler Parkway, and Colorado Boulevard.
    • Bishop Arts will be closed from 8:32-11:59 am, along Tyler Street, Polk Street, West 12th Street, Zang Boulevard, and Jefferson Boulevard.

    The specific streets and times are listed here.

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