Well, I give Joe Bell all the credit for being earnest. I feel like the filmmakers weren’t playing this cynic in the least. But I also think they confused earnest with interesting.

The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a (real-life) dad who decides to walk across the country to promote anti-bullying. Because his gay son committed suicide after getting bullied at school (and maybe not getting the best support at home from his dad who accepts his son but doesn’t really understand him).

It’s a heart-warming and tragic story but its focus mainly on Joe Bell wasn’t the interesting part. There is a fair amount about the son but he always seems like the background story. Granted, it’s about Joe Bell’s voyage of self-discovery but we meet him already trying to atone… just not very good at public speaking. Where this plot ends up is also a whiff… a tragic one but still left me cold.

It means well, but I think it has the wrong focus and isn’t as interesting as it could be within the focus it has. Maybe worth checking out if you just want a heart-warming tragedy and the story presented and Wahlberg’s acting works for you.

Score: 73