Harvey Weinstein is a guy who uses every trick in the book to promote independent films, even if it means playing a little bit dirty sometimes. Can you blame him? He’s up against Hollywood blockbusters with multimillion dollar marketing campaigns, and without his aggressive tactics, movies like The King’s Speech and The Artist would probably never have found their way to mainstream audiences. However, the problem is that sometimes it’s hard to tell whether he’s truly doing what’s right for the movie or if he’s simply doing what benefits himself. This week he is threatening to take a “leave of absence” from the MPAA after they handed down an “R” rating for the documentary Bully. But is he taking a legitimate stand or is it just a publicity stunt?

The documentary, formerly titled The Bully Project, is directed by Lee Hirsch and examines the severe problem of bullying in schools across America. Earlier this week, the MPAA said that the film would be rated “R” for language, but Weinstein appealed the decision, insisting that the movie needs to be accessible to the kids who are involved in the bullying. An “R” rating would also make it difficult for the movie to be screened in schools. He seemed to have a good point, unfortunately, the MPAA upheld their decision anyway.

It’s not the first time that The Weinstein Company has disputed MPAA ratings. Just a little over a year ago they successfully appealed an NC-17 rating for Blue Valentine. It’s also not the first time that an important documentary has received an “R” rating; Yael Hersonski’s Holocaust doc A Film Unfinished found itself in the same predicament last year. Ironically, Weinstein now seems to be doing a bit of bullying himself as he says his company is “considering a leave of absence for the foreseeable future.” It’s unclear what exactly that means, but he seems to be implying that they will no longer submit films to the MPAA for ratings. However, whether or not theatres would still be willing to show their movies remains to be seen.

The MPAA has responded with the following statement:

“Bullying is a serious issue and is a subject that parents should discuss with their children. The MPAA agrees with the Weinstein Company that Bully can serve as a vehicle for such important discussions.

The MPAA also has the responsibility, however, to acknowledge and represent the strong feedback from parents throughout the country who want to be informed about content in movies, including language.

The rating and rating descriptor of ‘some language,’ indicate to parents that this movie contains certain language. With that, some parents may choose to take their kids to this movie and others may not, but it is their choice and not ours to make for them. The R rating is not a judgment on the value of any movie. The rating simply conveys to parents that a film has elements strong enough to require careful consideration before allowing their children to view it. Once advised, many parents may take their kids to see an R-rated film. School districts, similarly, handle the determination of showing movies on a case-by-case basis and have their own guidelines for parental approval.”

So what do you think? Is the MPAA way off base here? Should documentaries be subject to a different rating system because of their potential importance as learning tools? Bully hits select theatres on March 30th; the trailer for the film is embedded below.