( EW.com ) -- Critics everywhere have hailed `` Bully '' as an important , engaging documentary . EW 's Owen Gleiberman calls it `` sensitive and eye-opening '' ; the film has also earned a near-perfect 93 percent `` Fresh '' rating from the reviews aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes . But in an article posted late last week , Slate 's Emily Bazelon alleged that some crucial parts of `` Bully '' are `` utterly one-sided '' and `` factually questionable . '' Her piece focused on Tyler Long , one of the doc 's featured subjects ; when he was just 17 , Long took his own life , apparently because he was bullied by his classmates . But according to Bazelon , that is n't the whole story . She wrote that Tyler also suffered from ADHD , bipolar disorder , and Asperger 's syndrome ; additionally , his girlfriend broke up with him a few weeks before his suicide . It seems likely that these factors contributed to Tyler 's decision to commit suicide , Bazelon wrote . She asserted that by not mentioning them -- and by possibly exaggerating the treatment Tyler received in school â€ ” director Lee Hirsch and producer Cynthia Lowen oversimplified and distorted the facts to create a smoother narrative . Lowen responded to the allegations with an exclusive statement to EW : . `` Due to its glaring inaccuracies , misinformation and lack of journalistic integrity -- the filmmakers of 'Bully ' would like to respond to Emily Bazelon 's 'The Problem with Bully . ' We are deeply disappointed by the author 's neglect to gain a clear picture of Tyler 's bullying in the Murray County School District , which is currently under investigation by the United States Department of Justice regarding allegations of ongoing bullying and harassment . Bazelon suggests that Tyler was NOT bullied in the days , weeks and months before his death . This is factually incorrect . There are literally hundreds of bullying events and incidents that have been testified to under oath by his fellow students . Multiple students testified he was bullied on a `` daily basis , '' and the pleadings reflect constant bullying his junior year , including the very day he killed himself . Bazelon erroneously cites Tyler 's prior health history and its significance to the case : he was never diagnosed with Bipolar disorder , and Asperger Syndrome is not a recognized risk factor for suicide . That Tyler was on the autism spectrum is never something the filmmakers have hidden , it is something we have discussed in many interviews and post-viewing Q & A 's . The fact that Tyler was on the spectrum does not reduce the school system 's responsibility to provide a safe learning environment . As filmmakers we felt that was the bottom line . For this very reason , we chose not to introduce his autism in the film . The filmmakers are dismayed by Bazelon 's failure to reach out to either the Long family or their legal counsel , so that they may have had the opportunity to address the Murray County School District 's assertions . '' When presented with Lowen 's statement , Slate deputy editor Julia Turner responded with one of her own : . `` Emily Bazelon 's central concern about 'Bully , ' expressed in her review for Slate , is that the movie presents a one-sided and incomplete version of the events leading up to the suicide of Tyler Long . The movie includes no mention of the mental health issues Tyler faced , and it fails to note that the school district disputes the Long family 's account of the causal role bullying played his death . The school district 's legal papers tell us that Tyler was diagnosed with ADHD , bipolar disorder , and Asperger 's when he was in sixth grade , and while the family 's response brief objects to the bipolar diagnosis as `` immaterial , '' it does not factually challenge it . Perhaps more important for this conversation , no one disputes that Tyler was on the autism spectrum , and considerable research links Asperger 's and autism to an elevated risk of suicide . ( More helpful information on that here . ) Emily has covered bullying for Slate for a few years now . Her reporting has taught her how complicated the issues around it can be , especially in the tragic cases when a student takes his or her own life . And her interviews with suicide prevention experts have taught her how important it is to avoid oversimplifying the facts , which can make suicide look romantic or appealing , especially to teen viewers . Emily 's review was not intended to endorse the school district 's view ; merely to point out that an alternative viewpoint exists , and that the movie had a responsibility to address it . '' Bully is currently showing in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles ; TWC plans to expand that number to up to 150 theaters in the next few weeks . See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
Slate 's Emily Bazelon alleged that some crucial parts of `` Bully '' are `` utterly one-sided '' `` We are deeply disappointed by the author 's neglect to gain a clear picture , '' a `` Bully '' producer said . The book is not only about bullying but also about how people can be bullied and what they do when it happens to them.