IMDb > Mean Creek (2004)
Mean Creek
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Mean Creek (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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Mean Creek (2004) -- When a teen is bullied, his brother and friends lure the bully into the woods to seek vengeance.
Mean Creek (2004) -- When a teen is bullied, his brother and friends lure the bully into the woods to seek vengeance.
Mean Creek (2004) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   13,261 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Jacob Aaron Estes (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Mean Creek on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
29 September 2004 (France) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Beneath the surface, everyone has a secret.
Plot:
When a teen is bullied, his brother and friends lure the bully into the woods to seek vengeance. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
4 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(35 articles)
Screamfest '09: 'Forget Me Not' Trailer
 (From Cinematical. 17 October 2009, 2:02 PM, PDT)

Mean Creek
 (From PasteMagazine. 15 October 2009, 10:22 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Intelligent, superbly acted and thoroughly absorbing more (123 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Rory Culkin ... Sam Merric

Ryan Kelley ... Clyde

Scott Mechlowicz ... Marty
Trevor Morgan ... Rocky Merric

Josh Peck ... George Tooney

Carly Schroeder ... Millie
Branden Williams ... Kile Blank
Raissa Fleming ... Maggie Tooney
Heath Lourwood ... Jasper
Ryan Peterson ... Cashier
Michael Fisher-Welsh ... Mr. Levinworth

J.W. Crawford ... Tom (as James W. Crawford)
Shelly Lipkin ... Mr. Merrick
Kaz Garas ... Detective Wright
Hagai Shaham ... Handsome Police Officer
more
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language, sexual references, teen drug and alcohol use.
Runtime:
90 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When Rory Culkin tries to coax Trevor Morgan to call off the prank, we eventually see 'Josh Peck''s character interrupt him and then scratch his head. Scratching his head was Scott Mechlowicz's cue to say his line. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Sam's shirt changes color several times, from blue to purple and back. This may just be a problem with color timing in the print. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
George: Hey! What do you think you're doing? You're a punk, Sam!
more
Movie Connections:
References Stand by Me (1986) more
Soundtrack:
Pot Kettle Black more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
97 out of 114 people found the following comment useful.
Intelligent, superbly acted and thoroughly absorbing, 29 September 2004
8/10
Author: anhedonia from Planet Earth

I knew next to nothing about this film when I went to see it. I knew it starred Rory Culkin, who was so good in 2000's best film, "You Can Count on Me," and received some critical acclaim. But I knew nothing about the story and what a wonderful surprise "Mean Creek" proved to be.

This is an intelligent, engaging movie buoyed by some of the best acting by young actors this year. Writer-director Jacob Aaron Estes, who won a 1998 Nicholl Fellowship in Screen writing for his script, takes the basic premise of revenge against a school bully and turns it into a moving and gripping film. Incidentally, this is the second terrific movie to come out of that Nicholl class - the other was Karen Moncrieff's "Blue Car," one of last year's best films.

Given the subject matter, "Mean Creek" could easily have been another after-school special masquerading as an indie feature. But Estes eschews the conventions of the genre to give his characters unexpected depth and create an engrossing morality play. None of his characters is a caricature; they're all flawed and unmistakably human. The moral issues they face are real and complex; the crises they create are dealt with expertly.

What's special about "Mean Creek" are its fine young actors. Culkin again is convincing as a skittish young boy being picked on by the school bully, but the two startlingly brilliant performances are by Josh Peck as the bully George, and Carly Schroeder as Millie, the young girl unexpectedly dragged into the plot.

Peck makes George captivating when he could just as easily made him a typical, one-note bully. Peck gives George substance and turns on the charm so well that we understand the others' reluctance to go through with exacting his comeuppance. George becomes likable, someone who seems to resort to bullying to hide inadequacies of his own. Peck draws us into his character; we feel sympathy for someone who is supposed to be unsympathetic.

The flaw in Estes' writing is that after making George someone who elicits compassion, Estes unwisely opts for an easy way out by forcing George to turn to his uglier side. Had George suddenly not turned mean, the moment would have been far more potent than it already is.

Young Schroeder is downright extraordinary. Her Millie is mature way beyond her years. She serves as the group's moral core and Schroeder's scenes in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy are so astonishingly raw, you're likely to forget she's a young teen actress. Hers is one of the best supporting performances the year.

"Mean Creek" is one of the best coming-of-age films. All teenagers and their parents should see this, despite its R rating. It's unfortunate the MPAA gave "Mean Creek" an R rating because despite the use of the F-word, "Mean Creek" is far less offensive than much of the PG-13-rated garbage - the more recent "Charlie's Angels" movies, for instance - and provides more enjoyment and insight into human behavior in five minutes than almost any mainstream movie playing right now.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Mean Creek (2004)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
If George was in my town, he would have had his ass kicked along time ag insk8311
Movies like? BradinScott
one thing? minor Spoilers movieman2332
LDS (Mormon) emblem in the screen door. seangooley
I know most of you all will disagree about George... shawnw007
Sorry, but he deserved it (possible spoilers). bowmanblue
more

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