I LEARNED QUICKLY TO STAY OUT of one student’s line of sight. To this day, I do not understand how I did not become one of his targets, but whatever was watching over me, I am thankful. There is no other way to say this, but he was truly a mean kid. He would pick on students during PE classes, in the school hallways, on the school grounds; it did not matter who was around him. He was a real “alpha male” with his group of cronies who followed him everywhere, acting as his audience and cheering section. Through my years at the school, I only suffered his bullying once; I was not the direct target but was with a group of friends who all suffered his nastiness. After witnessing a few of his pranks on students, I started imagining what could have happened that made him turn out so mean. It was “normal” for him to trip or knock students down in the hallway. Another of his acts was to grab an unsuspecting student’s book, lunch bag, or personal item and throw it down a staircase. I always believed he was hoping the item would get trampled on by students on the way to their next classes.      ONE COULD CALL IT LUCK OR fate, but whatever it was I happened to be in the right place at the right time. One day at the grocery store, I spotted him standing with a police officer. I assumed it was his father because they looked so much alike. Also, a police officer would not be yelling and slapping a perpetrator’s face in the middle of a crowded store. I was not close enough to hear everything since I was trying to remain partially out of their sight. The thing that struck me was how our school bully looked so timid and fearful; his “tough man” persona was gone. They soon left the store after making their purchases and I was left processing everything I had witnessed. I understood our bully was being bullied/abused by his father, which explained where he learned how to become a bully. It was not until my college years that I learned what the other ramifications could be by being a victim of an abusive parent. Whether he was taking out his frustrations on innocent students or trying to temporarily beef up his masculinity, it still did not take away the fact he was becoming just like his father. If I were to venture a guess, I do not think he ever acquired self-awareness to his actions; I can only hope if he has children, he has not taught them what he learned from his father.      WITH OPENING HER OWN BUSINESS AND being in a committed relationship, everything seemed to be on track for Lily Bloom, played by Blake Lively (A Simple Favor, The Age of Adaline). However, when an old flame enters the picture, Lily begins to question the path she has taken in life. With Justin Baldoni (Con Man, Jane the Virgin-TV) as Ryle Kincaid, Jenny Slate (Obvious Child, I Want you Back) as Allysa, Hasan Minhaj (Babes, No Hard Feelings) as Marshall and Brandon Sklenar (Midway, The Big Ugly) as Atlas Corrigan; this movie based on the best-selling novel was a perfect vehicle for Blake to act out in. She had the screen presence and emotions to make her character come to life. I became attached to the story, having been abused/bullied myself; but felt the script could have gone through a rewrite to tighten and improve the dialog. Also, one did not have to experience an abusive episode to appreciate this picture. I also thought Blake and Jenny worked well together. With an important story and message, this was a worthwhile viewing experience.

2 ¾ stars