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Movie: Mean Creek
Director: Jacob Aaron Estes
Actors: Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck, Carly Schroeder
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Mean Creek is director-writer Jacob Aaron Estes' debut film. His script about a bunch of kids won the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting price for new talent and he got the chance to direct the film right away. Estes gathered an impressive talented cast of young actors. Is Mean Creek a happy kids flick? Not at all, Mean Creek is a movie about little kids with big problems.
The story in a nutshell:
Rory Culkin (Signs) is Sam, a shy boy who gets pushed around on a daily basis by school bully George (Josh Peck). Sam's older brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) no longer accepts it and wants revenge. Rocky and his friends Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) and Clyde (Ryan Kelley) come up with a plan for the ultimate payback. The group invites George on a river trip through the forest. Sam and his girlfriend Millie (Carly Schroeder) also join the trip but they're having doubts about the planned payback.
Mean Creek reminds me of Rob Reiner's masterpiece Stand By Me. Mean Creek also shows how kids deal with their age differences, friendship and bullying. Mean Creek also takes it a step further and touches on subjects like drugs, drinking and domestic violence. This all serves as a background for the main story of how to punish George. The film completely relies on the impressive performance of the young cast who all portray their roles in a very realistic way.
Jacob Aaron Estes wrote a fascinating emotional and tense story, which builds-up nicely to that one climactic moment of the payback. Estes delivered a realistic, gritty kids movie for grown-ups.
Written by Reggy 31/01/05
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