Mean Creek [DVD]

It seems to me that for practical purposes such religious practices as Christianity or Buddhism offer are a means to modify bare egotism. In their absence, a reinventing the wheel trial and error system operates. This promotes a willingness to pass judgement on others, and becomes magnified through peer pressure. Some have used the word 'casual' to describe the way that plays out here. That seems right, since the whole project was undertaken with the idea of satisfaction dominating with little concern that things often go amiss.Larger scale wars exhibit the same dynamic.

Surprised I never saw or heard of this movie until now. It held the test of time for a 2004 movie. I thought it was powerful and dark. I could see some might think it is slow, but it left an impression.

Mean Creek is a 2004 American coming-of-age psychological drama film written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes and starring Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck, and Carly Schroeder.The film is about a group of teenagers who devise a plan to humiliate an overweight, troubled bully on a boating trip. When their plan goes too far, they have to deal with the unexpected consequences of their actions.I have to admit - Mean Creek got me real good.The impression I was left with after reading the description of this film was that despite a slew of terrible decisions being alluded this would follow the typical formula of plots that have “revenge” at their center.On the contrary, however, Mean Creek is very careful not to polarize its characters into categories of bad or good. ‘George’ is initially introduced to the audience as aggressive and insensitive to others - but over time it is obvious that he is coping with some amount of insecurity and a desire to fit in with others. Within the first half hour dramatic irony is used to make audience members aware of the varying schisms that are formed as they pertain to whether retaliation towards George is justified - as not all 6 characters are on the same page (or fully aware of this plan to retaliate) - and if so: to what extent. Immediately before reaching its climax - and the primary point of contention - a combination of optimistic dialogue, a serene film score, and bright scenery evokes some much needed hope for the better. . .and just like that, it gets stolen away.Each separate character - which, again, despite representing varying caricatures of innocence and responsibility - become forcibly intertwined with one another as accessories and speak to the larger context in which these personalities develop. Core qualities that speak to each individual’s stance on ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ remains relatively consistent over time and makes for a conclusion that needs little elaboration (despite being a bit predictable). A passive malleability puts all of these characters on equal footing at times and successfully makes ‘Mean Creek’ a disturbingly insightful testimony in regards to the offhanded and casual brutality that children and young adults (who by and large are rather average) are capable of carrying out.Most importantly, ‘Mean Creek’ is an uncomfortable but necessary exploration of what is essentially teen and peer-driven behavior; A disturbing bridge between circumstance and intention is constructed through a variety of “bad choices” and formally imposed suggestions amongst a group of teenagers that are forced to make consciously moral decisions at the drop of a hat.Equal parts dramatic, modest, and brutally honest: It is a wonderful tool for fueling discussions related to situational ethics and dealing with the residual effects of social-pressure.I would recommend!

A group of kids plans on getting revenge on a kid who beat up one's younger brother. Good job of the actors.

Been looking for a copy of this movie anywhere just to have a physical copy. Swooped this up and it works great. Very glad there were still some in stock.

They got Josh from Drake & Josh in here!

This is a good movie, yes, but it is also an important movie to watch, there is a lesson to be learned.

Josh PeckThat is all

A surprisingly interesting movie.It is a low budget coming of age story about the strange relationship between the bully and the bullied.It's a shortish film at eighty six minutes, but actually gets a lot into such a short timeI found a whole host of different emotions surface whilst watching this film from disgust at the the teen's language and general behaviour, to that of empathy and compassion, nay sadness, at the loneliness and vulnerability of some of the characters including the bully.The young cast perform well. I suspect most people of my age group (60+) will find the language and general delinquency off putting but, I would say pursevere with it, it may surprise you.

Personally, I can't see where this movie deserves the criticism it seems to be receiving from others' reviews. How can the plot of a movie which is only 86 minutes long be too slow? Maybe the plot doesn't have all the cliche twists & turns that a Hollywood movie about teenagers would, but that's one of the exceptional things about Mean Creek. The whole story flows so naturally, from the performances of the uber talented young cast, to the realistic dialogue, to the eventual tragic conclusion. People who enjoy watching Hollywood interpretations of how adolescence and hormones can create knife-wielding psychopaths out of kids will probably not like this film. This film doesn't exploit its teen characters to serve the plot, unlike slasher films, which are a lot of good fun but cannot be taken seriously. This film is here to make a subtle point on the complexities of adolescence, which is probably best summed up by Trevor Morgan when he says "I don't know what to think", to which Scott Mechlowicz replies "Well if you don't know what to think then maybe you shouldn't be making decisions". When we are teenagers (and I should really be familiar with this because I'm still going through it at 17) we make choices that seem so concretely right one minute, and which seem completely misjudged and wrong the next. It is a time when we are very rarely really in control of our emotions, or are even able to understand their reason. Estes, the debut director and writer of Mean Creek, has used this observation to guide his characters seamlessly through the story wihtout it ever feeling like they are puppets.You won't find any cringy heart-to-heart Hollywood moments in this film; the characters' emotions are brought to the surface but never probed too deeply or intruded upon, which adds to the realistic feel. The film is entirely shot using a hand-held camera, further drawing you in so you are there with the characters, feeling what they feel, experiencing what they experience. The film is set in a small Oregon town which lends itself subtly to the increasing feeling of bleakness and alienation which is so rife in the teenage years.The performances from the young cast are all exceptional and in particular it is the relationship between best friends Rocky (Trevor Morgan) and Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) which tear you apart. Their obvious bond is continually tested throughout the film and their strong friendship beautifully expressed without it ever feeling sentimental. The relationship between the boys is beautifully encapsulated in one of the closing scenes when Marty's and Rocky's moral conscience lead them on different paths and they know it is the last time they will ever see each other. Their seeming inability to tell each other how much the other means to them when it matters most is a realistic portrayal of most close teenage friendships, and emphasises the poignancy of what both characters now face.Josh Peck plays the misunderstood bully George, who provokes the story, and proves that he is a much more talented actor for drama than his character on kids' comedy Drake & Josh would have you believe. He's not just a comic figure; he gets under the skin of his character and shows his loneliness, alienation and altogether good heart which contrasts stunningly with his mishandled rage.Clyde presents a very understated character, but portrays the complexities of being a bit of a third wheel and having a moral core perfectly without much material to work with. Sam and Millie together represent blossoming love and childish innocence against a backdrop of moral complexities and trying to hold onto what is right amidst the alcohol and drugs peer pressure of adolescence.This film doesn't shy away from honesty and the characters have no respite from the horror of what they have let happen; the situation faces them head-on and gives them no excuses, which I feel sets it apart from many teenage movies of today where the guilty characters are let off much too leniently, simply because they are the young 'heroes' of the movie.Mean Creek is down to earth and real. You might dislike the way modern day teenage life is portrayed, but that doesn't make it a 'bad' film. It just means it's done its job in provoking a reaction and contemplation.I recommend this film to everyone because you simply cannot afford to miss something so raw and real and beautiful.

Its a indie film of course, with a Culkin in it, I bought it because it made me feel the same the characters felt if that happened to me. The solitude of the boat ride was also strangely comforting.Anyway... The DVD arrive on time, and was packaged well.

Only purchased because I saw a clip of it on Facebook and it looked hilarioys ... turns out it's quite a dark movie aha still liked it though

Oh the horror! Wonderful movie, beautiful scenery kinda Apocalypse Now! Great cast.