Joe Bell (2021) May 2026

The 2021 film Joe Bell (originally titled Good Joe Bell ) is a biographical drama that tells the heartbreaking true story of an Oregon father's cross-country walk to raise awareness about the consequences of bullying.

After several delays and a title change, Roadside Attractions released it in U.S. theatres on July 23, 2021 . Joe Bell (2021)

The film also features Connie Britton as Joe’s wife, Lola, and Gary Sinise as a local sheriff Joe meets on his journey. Critical Reception The 2021 film Joe Bell (originally titled Good

Directed by and written by the Academy Award-winning duo Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana ( Brokeback Mountain ), the movie stars Mark Wahlberg as Joe Bell and Reid Miller as Jadin. The film also features Connie Britton as Joe’s

Some reviewers found the film's nonlinear storytelling—which uses Jadin as an "apparition" or mental companion during Joe's walk—to be an effective way to explore their relationship. However, others argued the film focused too much on the father's redemption and "pain" rather than the son's lived experience.

The film is based on the life of , a man from La Grande, Oregon, whose 15-year-old son, Jadin Bell , died by suicide in February 2013 after being relentlessly bullied for being gay.