HITTING THE ROAD WITH JOE BELL
only option they can see to find any peace. Such was the case for Jadin Bell, a 15-year-old
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Oregon boy who took his own life in 2013 after months of abuse from his schoolmates. He was bullied for being gay, both in person and online. His tragic death subsequently raised the national profile of youth bullying and gay victimization. This has led to greater precautions against these in schools and in society. Jadin’s death also motivated his grieving father, Joe,
to take a dramatic step to honor his son’s memory. Joe Bell embarked on a walk across America in April 2013. He intended it to last two years so he could speak about his late son’s experience to whomever would listen to him. Tragically, Joe’s life would also end prematurely in October 2013, when he was struck and killed in Colorado by a semi driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel.
rowing up as an LGBTQ teenager is not without its traumatic moments. Most of us weather them but, sadly, some have endured so much bullying that suicide appears to them to be the
NEWCOMER REID MILLER CO-STARS IN THE EMOTIONAL TRUE STORY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BULLYING
Jadin and his father are being commemorated this month with the release of a major motion picture. Titled Joe Bell, the movie tells each of their stories in deeply moving yet ultimately inspiring fashion. Notably, the screenplay was written by Diana Ossana and the late Larry McMurtry, who won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Brokeback Mountain in 2006. The film will be released in theatres on Friday, July 23, after having its world premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Joe Bell garnered rave reviews, both for the film as a whole and for the lead performances by Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg as Joe and young Reid Miller as Jadin. As Wahlberg states in the movie’s press notes: “With
movie theatres reopening, we are excited to partner with exhibitors to bring the extraordinary story of Joe Bell and his son Jadin to audiences around the country.” Additionally, the film’s producers note: “Joe Bell has
always been a labor of love and a story that we feel is necessary and resonant, not only first and foremost for the LGBTQ+ community but universally for parents and caretakers at large.”
JULY 2021| @theragemonthly 31
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