TIFF 2020 film review: 'Good Joe Bell'

(Images courtesy of TIFF.)

Mark Wahlberg gives a career-best performance as a father struggling with the intense guilt of failing his son in the biographical drama 'Good Joe Bell' (screening at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival).

In short: Based on the true story of Joe Bell (Wahlberg), an Oregon father who sets out on a walk across America in honor of his son Jadin. Connie Britton and Gary Sinise also star.

'Joe Bell' is two parallel stories rolled into one film, with one half following Joe on his cross-country walk and the other half set in the past. One half chronicles Jadin's struggles as a homosexual teenage student, living in a small town community that is more tolerant of kids throwing crap at Jadin than Jadin's sexuality. The other half is centered on Joe, who in the months after his son's death, is racked with guilt - replaying how he reacted to Jadin coming out to him and and what part he might have played in his son's death.

Wahlberg's nuanced performance captures a father whose love for his son eclipses his less-than-tolerant feelings about homosexuality - but just barely. It's a deeply conflicted performance, with Joe filled with so many contrasting emotions: he loves his son, but isn't exactly excited about his son coming out to him.

"Bullying," to most age groups, has been shrugged off as some name calling and accepted as just another "boys will be boys" fact of life. But watching the remorseless and hate-filled abuse inflicted upon Jadin is, quite frankly, disturbing. As it should be. The film is most effective in making starkly clear that "bullying" has evolved into a pervasive, insidious evil that doesn't end with some taunting in school hall ways - it infects social media and can affect every facet of a person's life until they feel like the walls are closing in. If nothing else, 'Good Joe Bell' absolutely depicts how aggressive bullying and societal apathy can collude to alienate a vulnerable, isolated person feel as if they have few, if any, options to end the harassment.

At a certain moment in the film, a character has the epiphany that the conversation takes a turn - with Joe realizing he made Jadin's homosexuality all about Joe Bell. And this is something this film struggles with: for a story about a teen tormented to the point of suicide ... 'Good Joe Bell' is about Joe.

Were it not for the fact that Joe Bell decided to walk across the United States speaking to whoever will listen about the evil of bullying -- this film would simply not exist. That sounds obvious - but it highlights the simple misguided act of focusing on Joe's walk rather than Jadin's story. Although Joe himself wanted to spread a message of tolerance, this film is more a rumination of guilt than anything else. The target audience isn't bullies or even the targets of harassment - 'Good Joe Bell' speaks to those closest to loved ones struggling with bullying.

Final verdict: Despite a stellar performance by Wahlberg, Joe's inward self-reflection is not as effective or moving as watching Jadin's tragic and horrifying abuse.

Score: 3/5

'Good Joe Bell' screens during TIFF 2020. This biographical drama is not yet rated and has a running time of 90 minutes.