MEAN CREEK
Released: August 20, 2004
When teenager Sam (Rory Culkin) is bullied, his brother and friends lure the bully into the woods to seek revenge. There have been some critics who liken "Mean Creek" as a modern day blending of "The River's Edge" and "Stand By Me", which is fairly accurate. What child hasn't had the "wan't to see a dead body?" conversation with other kids? This movie, written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes, is a stark and deliberately slow paced story but packs more than enough good dialogue and characters to fill several movies. The young cast, including Rory Culkin (one of the many Macaulay Culkin siblings), is right on the money in every scene. The subject matter and resulting language is why the MPAA rated this movie "R" but this is vital viewing for the intelligent 13 and up teens. What happens to these characters and their individual decisions are framed perfectly here, making for a very smart teen movie that never panders to its audience. This is about living with consequences, regardless how unappealing they may be...
89 Minutes
Paramount Classics/Paramount