Mean Creek
is a
challenging, emotionally poignant tale about the development of
morality through choices and experiences in adolescence. It’s a
coming of age film, along the lines of Stand By Me
(although much rougher around the edges), with characters and
situations that are easy to recall and relate to from childhood.
If you could snap
your fingers and the bully terrorizing you in school would die, would
you do it? This is the central question posed in this bracing film
that alternates between being a revenge fantasy and a cautionary tale
of poor choices and associations. And with bullying being such a hot
topic since the Columbine events, the film hits some very disturbing
and challenging emotional notes.
Mean Creek
follows one group of childhood friends, with the central character
being middle-schooler Sam (Rory Culkin) who makes the foolish mistake
of messing with the school bully’s, George (Josh Peck), video camera
one day at school. George ends up pummeling Sam for his meddling and
gives him a noticeable shiner. This attracts the attention of Sam’s
older brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) who enlists the help of his
friends Clyde (Ryan Kelley) and Martini (Scott Mechlowicz), a troubled
kid who smokes and drinks his pains away. They plan a humiliating
revenge on George which will involve them deceiving George and taking
him on a boating trip in the nearby river. Sam brings along his
girlfriend Millie (Carly Schroeder) too, and they all set out on a
trip that will change them forever.
CRITIQUE
Mean Creek
is the most harrowing, realistic and complex coming of age drama
released since Stand By Me. It is a quietly devastating and
effective tale about the perils of adolescent association and the
impact that even the smallest choices can have on the rest of our
lives. This is a little seen gem of a film and deserves a large
audience. The independent film (which debuted at the Sundance Film
Festival) is so well written, directed, and acted it has the feel of a
documentary and its easy to have a strong vested interest in these
characters because of how well you can relate to them. The film never
takes the easy road and builds upon complex characters and
motivations.
The script from
writer and director Jacob Estes is simply brilliant, he examines
multiple layers of bullying and the effects it has on different
personalities, as well as the bully himself. He wrote this script
from his heart and from his own experiences and it shows. The story
balances hope with inevitability and ponders some very deep and
interesting questions. The dialogue is remarkably realistic and it
never seems to deviate from character. And the climatic loss of
control at the end is astonishing.
Estes also has done
quite a remarkable job behind the camera as well. The brilliant use
of George’s hand held video camera footage helps establish that
character’s inner complexity and personal demons. The scene at the
water’s edge where he puts silence and personal space to incredibly
palpable use is astonishing. He brings a raw, visceral visual style
to each and every scene, which contributes to the films’ themes. He
also brings out remarkable performances from his young cast, letting
them breathe life and youth into the characters. Remember Jacob
Estes’s name, he is a brilliant young director with a heck of a debut.
The young cast is
nothing short of miraculous. Rory Culkin has been giving strong
supporting roles in a number of films lately (Signs, You Can
Count on Me) and here he gets his first starring vehicle. And he
just hits it out of the park. He gives a wonderfully nuanced and
touching performance that provides the emotional core of the film. He
is a rising star with unlimited potential. Scott Mechlowicz brings a
smoldering, intense screen presence to his pivotal role, he reminded
me of a young Brad Pitt. He makes the character of Martini more than
just a one-note troublemaker. He makes you truly care for his
character and yet stay frightened of what he might do next to those
around him (or himself). Trevor Morgan and Carly Schroeder also give
fantastic supporting performances. The best performance in the film
though is by newcomer Josh Peck as the bully George. The character
starts off as this obvious, violent bully type and then quickly begins
to shift into a somewhat likeable, emotionally erratic guy who at his
core wants to be friendly but has trouble fighting back his violent
temper. He is a kid with emotional problems, someone who needs and
wants friends but can’t help but push them away. George continually
builds upon his complexity and manages to generate likeability and
rooting interest from the viewer.
THE VIDEO
The quality of the
video transfer ranges from poor to good, given the film’s extremely
low budget and the perils of shooting outdoors during broad daylight,
it’s expected. There are image problems that pop up from time to
time, but the lower quality transfer actually makes for a more
appropriate experience (since the film gives off that documentary like
vibe). I had no problems with the video transfer, but those looking
for perfect video quality might be a bit disappointed.
THE AUDIO
The audio is
presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and it is outstandingly clear and
crisp; the balances sound great. The soundtrack sounds wonderful and
the dialogue is crisp.
THE EXTRAS
The extras are a
disappointment, really only a commentary track and a few storyboard
shots of various scenes in the film before production; the film is
deserving of more.
Commentary by
Director and Cast
– Commentary from director Jacob Estes, cinematographer Sharon Meir,
editor Madeleine Gavin, and actors Josh Peck, Trevor Morgan, Ryan
Kelley and Carly Schroeder. This is a very charming and interesting
commentary track from the cast and the director. It’s charming
because of the youthful, energetic cast who doesn’t take everything so
seriously. There are some great insights and stories about the
shooting of the film from the young cast, and the director is
informative and interesting (without being boastful). The cast is
always making fun of themselves and their performances (as well as
their fellow cast members), so it makes for a breezy, fun
commentary. Although one obvious, glaring omission is commentary
from the main star Rory Culkin.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The core of Mean
Creek is that the decisions we make, even the smallest, at that
vital developmental stage in adolescence have an incredibly large
impact in who we become and what road our lives travel on. It is a
potent and harrowing theme that is delivered brilliantly with
incredible acting (from such a young cast) and amazing directing from
Jacob Estes (from his own mesmerizing screenplay). Mean Creek
will be revered in the years to come and deserves a large audience.
