The bully got to move forward

Well it's psychiatry that tells us this and not just bullied people trying to get imaginary revenge. Obviously it won't apply to everybody but it probably does apply to quite a few. I personally didn't know any bullies growing up so I don't have any first-hand anecdotes to share. But you're assuming that just because this kid wasn't afraid to fight somebody larger than him that he had no fears at all. His popularity or ability to win a fight really have nothing to do with it, and starting fist fights isn't the measure of courage. As the old saying goes, there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. And he still could have been afraid of many things, a black eye apparently wasn't one of them though. But going back to the movie let's say Daniel stood up to the bully and fought him, I don't think that would have given him a free pass to move on though it could have helped his case.

Here's a good example, Mike Tyson is one of the best boxers of all time. Tough as nails, beat up guys much larger than him, etc. But he has admitted that times in his career and when doing live appearances he would sometimes get stage fright. Many professional athletes do, but they usually call it "performance anxiety". I guess it sounds better than something with the word "fright" in it.

"Dan Marino should die of gonorrhea and rot in hell. Would you like a cookie son?"

Have read your review. Yeah, I don't see this as a new-age worldview of any kind. It's an absurdist comedy. And we simply do seem to live in a world where the fearless and evil bullies are rewarded, unfortunately.

Everyone's sucked in by the true love experience that redeems him at the end of the movie, but why dead people are supposed to be better at falling in love at first sight than living humans are is to me, rather funny. I can't help but question that, and pondering it leads to a rather dark conclusion.

I'd like to see a sequel turn all of our interpretations upside down.