5.5
Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Joe Bell (2020)
Joe Bell (2020)
Overview
The true story of a small town, working class father who embarks on a solo walk across the U.S. to crusade against bullying after his son is tormented in high school for being gay.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Rating & Dimensions
Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Christianity: Positive
Viewer Rating
5.5
Overview
The true story of a small town, working class father who embarks on a solo walk across the U.S. to crusade against bullying after his son is tormented in high school for being gay.
Starring Cast
Where to watch
Detailed Bias Analysis
Analyzing...
Leans Progressive
Primary
The film's dominant themes align with progressive values by centering on the tragic consequences of homophobic bullying and advocating for LGBTQ+ acceptance and empathy, primarily through a father's journey of atonement and awareness.
The movie features a traditional main cast, but its narrative is explicitly driven by a strong critique of homophobia and a powerful message of acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals, making DEI themes central to its story.
Secondary
Joe Bell portrays the tragic story of Jadin Bell, a gay teenager who dies by suicide due to bullying, and his father's subsequent walk across America. The film critiques prejudice and affirms the worth of LGBTQ+ lives, framing obstacles as external forces and advocating for acceptance and understanding.
The film implicitly portrays elements of faith and community support, often associated with Christianity, as part of Joe's journey and the broader societal context. While Jadin's struggles highlight societal intolerance, the film does not attribute this directly to Christianity, nor does it portray Christian institutions or adherents as inherently problematic. The narrative aligns with virtues of empathy and acceptance.
The film 'Joe Bell' explores a father's grief and advocacy after his gay son, Jadin, dies by suicide due to bullying. While addressing themes of homophobia and the importance of acceptance, the narrative does not feature any identifiable transsexual characters or explicitly explore transsexual themes. Jadin is consistently portrayed as a gay male.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film "Joe Bell" is a biographical drama based on real historical figures. All main characters, including Joe Bell, Jadin Bell, and Lola Bell, are portrayed on screen with the same gender as their historical counterparts. No instances of gender swapping were identified.
The film "Joe Bell" is a biographical drama based on real historical figures. The main characters, Joe Bell and his family, are portrayed by actors whose race aligns with the documented race of the actual individuals, thus containing no race swaps.
Viewer Rating Breakdown
User Ratings
6.2
6.5
Critic Ratings
3.9
5.4
More Like This
Leans Progressive
7.2
Deepwater Horizon
(2016)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
7.4
Jojo Rabbit
(2019)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Progressive
8.3
Killers of the Flower Moon
(2023)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
8.7
All Quiet on the Western Front
(1930)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
Progressive
7.2
Super Fly
(1972)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Progressive
6.6
Babylon
(2022)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.9
Exhibiting Forgiveness
(2024)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
8.0
In the Heights
(2021)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
9.7
Wall-E
(2008)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
7.3
The Lost Bus
(2025)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
6.7
I Love You Phillip Morris
(2010)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Positive
Progressive
7.4
Hustlers
(2019)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
8.5
Soul
(2020)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
8.1
Dead Man Walking
(1995)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
Leans Progressive
7.9
Searching
(2018)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
7.4
Run
(2020)
Political: Center
Diversity: High
Leans Progressive
8.0
The Big Short
(2015)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: Low
Progressive
7.6
Wicked
(2024)
Political: Strong Left
Diversity: High
LGBTQ: Positive
Leans Progressive
6.8
The Last Rodeo
(2025)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
Leans Progressive
8.7
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
(1975)
Political: Leans Left
Diversity: Moderate
LGBTQ: Neutral