CANNES -- That fat kid who always used to beat you up has feelings too. That's the moral of this intelligent, universal tale set in small-town Oregon, centering on a young boy's retribution against a grade-school bully.
With a story that's readily identifiable to nearly everyone's experience, "Mean Creek" has strong potential as a cable pickup on a teen-targeted network. It cuts straight to the core of school experience and does not reek of the teen angst/ennui of many independent films today. Filmmaker Jacob Aaron Estes has crafted a realistic and rich portrait of the moral dilemmas that adolescents experience.
In this smart encapsulation, Rory Culkin stars as Sammy, a slight but sensitive preteen who is continually tormented by the school bully. Goaded on by his older brother, Sammy and his friends concoct a payback: They lure the bully on a boating trip, planning to strip him and humiliate him, forcing him to walk naked back to town. But things soon go awry in a "Deliverance"/"Lord of the Flies" way.
Superbly scripted with no pat solutions or contrivances, "Mean Creek" is a thought-provoking film, when doing the right thing after having done the most wrong thing is the ultimate test for these youngsters. Flecked with sharp, school-kid humor and energized by a spunky sensibility, this well-made film could readily be used as a learning text for teachers and counselors who wish to reach their students on a personal and moral level. Best, its serious sensibility is not weighted down with pat moralizing or easy plot contrivances.
As the touchstone character, Culkin exudes the vulnerability and moxie of a decent-minded kid, while the other cast members resonate as the kind of schoolmates we've all had.
Technical contributions reflect the film's natural exuberance, especially production designer Greg McMickle's right-on teen set as well as editor Madeleine Gavin's brisk pacing.
MEAN CREEK
Whitewater Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Jacob Aaron Estes
Director of photography: Sharone Meir
Sound designer: Lance Brown
Production designer: Greg McMickle
Editor: Madeleine Gavin
Music: Tomandandy
Cast:
Sammy: Rory Culkin
Clyde: Ryan Kelley
Martini: Scott Mechlowicz
Rocky: Trevor Morgan
George: Josh Peck
Millie: Carly Schroeder
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 87 minutes...
With a story that's readily identifiable to nearly everyone's experience, "Mean Creek" has strong potential as a cable pickup on a teen-targeted network. It cuts straight to the core of school experience and does not reek of the teen angst/ennui of many independent films today. Filmmaker Jacob Aaron Estes has crafted a realistic and rich portrait of the moral dilemmas that adolescents experience.
In this smart encapsulation, Rory Culkin stars as Sammy, a slight but sensitive preteen who is continually tormented by the school bully. Goaded on by his older brother, Sammy and his friends concoct a payback: They lure the bully on a boating trip, planning to strip him and humiliate him, forcing him to walk naked back to town. But things soon go awry in a "Deliverance"/"Lord of the Flies" way.
Superbly scripted with no pat solutions or contrivances, "Mean Creek" is a thought-provoking film, when doing the right thing after having done the most wrong thing is the ultimate test for these youngsters. Flecked with sharp, school-kid humor and energized by a spunky sensibility, this well-made film could readily be used as a learning text for teachers and counselors who wish to reach their students on a personal and moral level. Best, its serious sensibility is not weighted down with pat moralizing or easy plot contrivances.
As the touchstone character, Culkin exudes the vulnerability and moxie of a decent-minded kid, while the other cast members resonate as the kind of schoolmates we've all had.
Technical contributions reflect the film's natural exuberance, especially production designer Greg McMickle's right-on teen set as well as editor Madeleine Gavin's brisk pacing.
MEAN CREEK
Whitewater Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Jacob Aaron Estes
Director of photography: Sharone Meir
Sound designer: Lance Brown
Production designer: Greg McMickle
Editor: Madeleine Gavin
Music: Tomandandy
Cast:
Sammy: Rory Culkin
Clyde: Ryan Kelley
Martini: Scott Mechlowicz
Rocky: Trevor Morgan
George: Josh Peck
Millie: Carly Schroeder
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 87 minutes...
CANNES -- That fat kid who always used to beat you up has feelings too. That's the moral of this intelligent, universal tale set in small-town Oregon, centering on a young boy's retribution against a grade-school bully.
With a story that's readily identifiable to nearly everyone's experience, "Mean Creek" has strong potential as a cable pickup on a teen-targeted network. It cuts straight to the core of school experience and does not reek of the teen angst/ennui of many independent films today. Filmmaker Jacob Aaron Estes has crafted a realistic and rich portrait of the moral dilemmas that adolescents experience.
In this smart encapsulation, Rory Culkin stars as Sammy, a slight but sensitive preteen who is continually tormented by the school bully. Goaded on by his older brother, Sammy and his friends concoct a payback: They lure the bully on a boating trip, planning to strip him and humiliate him, forcing him to walk naked back to town. But things soon go awry in a "Deliverance"/"Lord of the Flies" way.
Superbly scripted with no pat solutions or contrivances, "Mean Creek" is a thought-provoking film, when doing the right thing after having done the most wrong thing is the ultimate test for these youngsters. Flecked with sharp, school-kid humor and energized by a spunky sensibility, this well-made film could readily be used as a learning text for teachers and counselors who wish to reach their students on a personal and moral level. Best, its serious sensibility is not weighted down with pat moralizing or easy plot contrivances.
As the touchstone character, Culkin exudes the vulnerability and moxie of a decent-minded kid, while the other cast members resonate as the kind of schoolmates we've all had.
Technical contributions reflect the film's natural exuberance, especially production designer Greg McMickle's right-on teen set as well as editor Madeleine Gavin's brisk pacing.
MEAN CREEK
Whitewater Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Jacob Aaron Estes
Director of photography: Sharone Meir
Sound designer: Lance Brown
Production designer: Greg McMickle
Editor: Madeleine Gavin
Music: Tomandandy
Cast:
Sammy: Rory Culkin
Clyde: Ryan Kelley
Martini: Scott Mechlowicz
Rocky: Trevor Morgan
George: Josh Peck
Millie: Carly Schroeder
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 87 minutes...
With a story that's readily identifiable to nearly everyone's experience, "Mean Creek" has strong potential as a cable pickup on a teen-targeted network. It cuts straight to the core of school experience and does not reek of the teen angst/ennui of many independent films today. Filmmaker Jacob Aaron Estes has crafted a realistic and rich portrait of the moral dilemmas that adolescents experience.
In this smart encapsulation, Rory Culkin stars as Sammy, a slight but sensitive preteen who is continually tormented by the school bully. Goaded on by his older brother, Sammy and his friends concoct a payback: They lure the bully on a boating trip, planning to strip him and humiliate him, forcing him to walk naked back to town. But things soon go awry in a "Deliverance"/"Lord of the Flies" way.
Superbly scripted with no pat solutions or contrivances, "Mean Creek" is a thought-provoking film, when doing the right thing after having done the most wrong thing is the ultimate test for these youngsters. Flecked with sharp, school-kid humor and energized by a spunky sensibility, this well-made film could readily be used as a learning text for teachers and counselors who wish to reach their students on a personal and moral level. Best, its serious sensibility is not weighted down with pat moralizing or easy plot contrivances.
As the touchstone character, Culkin exudes the vulnerability and moxie of a decent-minded kid, while the other cast members resonate as the kind of schoolmates we've all had.
Technical contributions reflect the film's natural exuberance, especially production designer Greg McMickle's right-on teen set as well as editor Madeleine Gavin's brisk pacing.
MEAN CREEK
Whitewater Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Jacob Aaron Estes
Director of photography: Sharone Meir
Sound designer: Lance Brown
Production designer: Greg McMickle
Editor: Madeleine Gavin
Music: Tomandandy
Cast:
Sammy: Rory Culkin
Clyde: Ryan Kelley
Martini: Scott Mechlowicz
Rocky: Trevor Morgan
George: Josh Peck
Millie: Carly Schroeder
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 87 minutes...
- 5/17/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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