the goats is a much better name

It doesn't sound like an action thriller at all.

However, the title is pathetically generic and forgettable.

Don't say that you love me!
Just tell me that you want me!

TUSK!

-Fleetwood Mac

I haven't seen the film yet (didn't know it existed until a few minutes ago, it just went up on Netflix instant) but I was about that age when I read the novel and I liked it. I can still relate to all of that.

I agree that the new title is lame.

"Passion is just insanity in a cashmere sweater!"

Standing Up is a rather forgettable title, though The Goats probably wouldn't have worked so well either in view of all the "animal attack" films out there. ("What, it's not about townspeople having to keep a herd of fanged mutant goats from eating their town? Lame.") The titling troubles kind of remind me of a story I heard one time from a celebrity in which he mentioned how a certain European director he knew was planning to release a drama film about foster parenting called The Custodian in the U.S. soon, and he told the director he needed to re-title it. "Don't call it The Custodian. People will think it's about a janitor!" His friend didn't listen, and the movie didn't do very well over here.

My title for this movie would have been something like Camp Runaways or Kid Fugitives or even just The Boy & The Girl. (That last one would reflect the clever plot device of how the kids don't even learn each other's names until they're an hour into this 90-minute movie.) I also would have ditched the tagline about bullying that made this sound like some kind of lame "message" movie: the condemnation of bullying and learning how to deal with being bullied is there, but that was never really the book or the movie's real focus. I'd have gone with something more ponderous and vaguely romantic, e.g. "Out of an awful summer camp, and into their most awesome summer ever!"