Mean Creek

For my second live blog post, I want to talk about the movie Mean Creek. It is directed by Jacob Aaron Estes and was made in 2004. It all begins in a small Oregon town, when shy Sam (Rory Culkin) confesses to his protective older brother Rocky that he is getting pummeled daily by the towering school bully, George. Together, they plan the perfect payback, inviting George on a birthday river trip tailor-made to end in the bully's humiliation. Rocky's pals Clyde and Marty and Sam's budding girlfriend Millie also join the journey, which starts almost immediately with misgivings. Seeing George in a new light, as a lonely kid desperate for friendship and attention, Sam wants to call the whole thing off. But the boat and the plot are already in motion, and no one can foresee the surprises and accidents that are to come.

This is a great independent film with a superb, but unknown cast. It won numerous awards on the film festival circuit including Independent Spirits Award for best director and best ensemble cast, and also best director debut award at the Stockholm Film Festival. It was independently produced by Whitewater Films.

This film gets under you because it starts off light and some what humorous. There is a bully issue, but like all bullies they are just lonely and want some real friends. The older brother knowing this because he is somewhat of a bully, tell his younger brother to invite him on a rafting trip and act like his friend. As the film moves along the bully realizes that no one actually likes him and so he starts to cut down everyone, especially Marty the older brother. He has a crazy father that is in a mental hospital, and the bully starts ripping on him. I don't want to say what happens last, but it puts the young kids into a situation that either they can run from or grow up and except the consequences. The ending is intense and brilliant, and not Hollywood material at all.

Bryan Pechacek