Joe Bell Movie Storyline. The Oscar-winning writers of Brokeback Mountain tell the true story of a father’s walk across the US to raise awareness about the harms of bullying. His beard scruffy and brow furrowed, Joe Bell is the picture of heartland manhood. As husband and father, he’s not above shouting to get what he wants; in fact, he hardly knows any other way. But Joe’s teenage son Jadin has grown into a beautiful, talented young gay man.
He’s bullied mercilessly at his high school, and Joe’s grudging “tolerance” of his son is no help. With a stellar cast that includes Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller, Connie Britton, and Gary Sinise in heartbreaking performances, Good Joe Bell tells the story of a father learning to tell the whole world the true value of his son, even when it seemed too late.
Joe (Wahlberg) could have been permanently broken by regret, but instead sets out on a mission. He will walk across America, speaking to school groups, communities, anyone who will listen, about the corrosive dangers of bullying. Screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, who wrote Brokeback Mountain, shift between Joe’s cross-country odyssey and earlier scenes at home in Oregon. There, Jadin (Miller) suffers brutal homophobia at school and visible embarrassment at home from his father. He sees no other way out but suicide.
Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men) directs Wahlberg to one of his finest performances, finding new layers as Joe’s empathy deepens. And Reid Miller is terrific, radiating the exuberant light of youth even as he navigates the shadows around him.
Joe Bell is a 2020 American biographical drama road film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, from a screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller and Connie Britton, and follows the true story of a father and his gay son who set out to bond while walking across the country.
Joe Bell had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2020, and was released in the United States on July 23, 2021, by Roadside Attractions. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided on whether it was feel-good and inspirational or reductive and contrived.
Joe Bell (2021)
Directed by: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Reid Miller, Connie Britton, John Murray, Maxwell Jenkins, Gary Sinise, Blaine Maye, Ash Santos, Igby Rigney, Morgan Lily, Scout Smith, Cassie Beck, Tara Buck
Screenplay by: Diana Ossana, Larry McMurtry
Production Design by: Kelly McGehee, Moin Uddin
Cinematography by: Jacques Jouffret
Film Editing by: Mark Sanger
Costume Design by: Susan Matheson
Set Decoration by: Les Boothe
Art Direction by: Roger Crandall
Music by: Antonio Pinto
MPAA Rating: R for language including offensive slurs, some disturbing material, and teen partying.
Distributed by: Roadside Attractions
Release Date: September 14, 2020 (TIFF), July 23, 2021 (United States)
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