Mean Creek (2004)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Jacob Aaron Estes

Writer (WGA):

Jacob Aaron Estes (written by)

Release Date:

29 September 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Bully | River | Birthday | Prank | Dare

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

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

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual references, teen drug and alcohol use.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Sweden:11 | Brazil:16 | Belgium:KT | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut) | Ireland:15A | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Clackamas River, Clackamas, Oregon, USA

Company:

Whitewater Films

Trivia:

The case # is 3668543.

Goofs:

Continuity: When George is lying on the shore and Clyde runs to shout for help, he stumbles and falls almost entirely into the water. A few shots later he stands facing the others and is seemingly dry, definitely too dry to have just been immersed in water.

Quotes:

[first lines]
George: Hey! What do you think you're doing? You're a punk, Sam!

Movie Connections:

References Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Angel On My Shoulder

Disturbing yet beautiful portrait of adolescence

To start off this review I must say, that when I first discovered the corny box cover I thought it had to be a comedy. When I read the back I figured it must be one of those dark comedy films. And with a cast like that, how could it not be??? I have never been so wrong in my whole life.

I have seen many movies before, and none have held such great performances as this, and hardly any have spoken to the audience in such a powerful way. This film is quite disturbing, mainly because of its brutal honesty. The characters are deeply flawed yet still ring true to real life. Out of the main characters, you can at least relate to one, if not all.

The actors....wow. I can't believe that Josh Peck gave such an amazing performance as George, the bully or basically any of the cast members. I would have NEVER known that he was the boy from The Amanda Show. In fact the only actor I expected to pull this off was Rory Culkin. The performances were so natural, so beautiful I almost forgot I was watching a film.

Sure, many people hated this movie. That's their choice and no matter which film you see, there's bound to be haters. Yet, I think that the people who hated it just haven't looked deep enough into it, into the dark underlying.

Mean Creek is a very unique and individual film. You can't even really put it into a category. The atmosphere, emotion and message this film brings across to the audience is so real and gives you the final slap across the face at the end of the film. It really hits you. I think that some people who hated this movie are just scared of it. I think they're scared of just how much reality there is in it and the heartbreaking proof behind it.

The dialogue is also pretty damn real. Jacob Aaron Estes really captures the essence of what its like to be a male adolescent...the dialogue feels like its coming straight from the heart.

This movie portrays the state of mind of a teenager beautifully. Definitely 10/10.