Mean Creek is a 2004 independent film directed by Jacob Aaron Estes and starring Rory Culkin, Trevor Morgan, Carly Schroeder, Scott Mechlowicz, Ryan Kelley, and Josh Peck. The movie was filmed mostly in Clackamas County, Oregon, including the cities of Boring, Sandy, and Estacada, though footage on the river itself was filmed in SE Washington.
Plot
The movie was filmed and set in a small town in Oregon. Small and shy Sam (Rory Culkin) admits to his older brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) that the school bully, a dyslexic boy named George (Josh Peck) has hurt him, and not for the first time. In fact, Sam seems to be George's favorite to pick on and bully almost daily.
Rocky, being a mostly peaceful guy who likes to do drugs and laze around, decides along with Sam and his two friends to play a peaceful, yet powerful prank to get revenge. Rocky's two friends are Clyde (Ryan Kelley), a shy, also peaceful teenager, embarrassed by harassment of his gay fathers by Marty (Scott Mechlowicz), the other friend. Rocky is outgoing, but Marty may go over the top. He is an angry and violent young man, shown in one of the first few scenes shooting at bottles and calling them names of real people (the real people are crew members), only to be physically bullied by his older brother at their trailer, for mentioning his dad, who we can only assume is not around and did not have a good fate.
The boys decide to take George on a trip boating for a "birthday" party for Sam and to then get him to strip naked playing truth or dare, then proceed to make him run home naked.
On the car drive there, Marty is drinking as he drives. George says that his mother has asked him not to drive in a car with drunk drivers. To this, Marty responds with obvious sarcasm, saying that his mother has given him permission to drink and drive. George, not picking up on the sarcasm, comments saying that Marty's mom must be pretty dumb for "letting him drive inebriated." Marty quickly responds back, hitting at a weak point of George's, saying "My mother is dumb. She has a learning disability." Marty obviously knows George has a learning disability and this sets the tone for the rest of the movie, George trying to fit in with everyone and everyone being semi-polite back, but Marty being outwardly rude and mean to George, despite George's repetitive attempts to be his friend.
Sam invites his friend and semi-romantic interest Millie (Carly Schroeder) along, although he does not tell her what they are going to do until they are on their way. Millie refuses to continue until Sam promises him and his brother will call it off, which Sam agrees to do. Sam tells his brother to stop, and Rocky, being respectful of his brother's wishes brings it to his friends. Clyde has no problem with it, but Marty, enjoying others suffering, refuses to give up. Throughout the trip, George attempts to fit in with the others by telling insulting jokes to the others, which they don't find amusing in the least. However, they begin to sense a desperation in George—he is annoying, but also lonely and wanting to fit in.
They start the ride on the boat and are playing truth or dare. Through a chain of events, George shoots Marty in the groin with a water gun. This does not hurt Marty and he is only somewhat irritated at George, telling him to stop. The others find it funny. George, in a humorous moment with the others after shooting Marty, makes a funny quip about his father, not remembering what has happened to his father. This sets Marty off, even more irate that anyone would talk about his father, although still not telling what has happened to him. In an intent on revenge, Marty tells George the whole plan and trick and starts to ridicule him.
George becomes irate, yelling at everyone and using offensive, vulgar, and deeply hurtful words to attack and get back at all of them. Last, George goes after Marty, obviously deeply hurt and in turmoil. George uses the most hurtful subject he can think of and reveals why Marty is so upset over his father. George reveals that Marty's dad was an alcoholic who committed suicide by shooting himself in the head and according to George "splattered his brains all over the wall." George repeats and repeats this phrase in a sort of chant, until, trying to separate Marty and George, Rocky knocks George off of the boat. George cannot swim and flounders, yelling "Help!" repeatedly. All the children do initially is watch, perhaps puzzled that he cannot swim but possibly also enjoying his predicament. All the while the current increases the separation of George from the boat and he takes longer each time to resurface.
Finally, George accidentally hits his head with the video camera that he takes everywhere and does not come to the surface. Now concerned, Rocky dives after him while the others paddle the boat but he finds no sign of George. Only minutes later he sees George washed up in the shallows, face down. Rocky exhorts the others to help him bring George to shore, where Millie strives to resuscitate him. Her determined effort is in vain.
The kids are terrified, and in a panicked attempt to save themselves, they ultimately obey Marty's wish to bury George and then deal with the only witnesses that know they were with George, namely Marty's brother and a friend of Marty's brother. Clyde had been vociferous in stating that they could explain that it was an accident but Marty threatened him, gaining the complicity of both Clyde and the rest of the group. As they had already tricked George into not telling his mother where he was going she wouldn't know of their involvement. Marty takes care of his brother and friend, both being fairly easy to convince and tell the situation to. He may not seem like it, but Marty's brother seems to care in some odd way for Marty.
Marty goes to tell the good news to the friends, who are all at Sam and Rocky's house, but arrives only to find that the group had discussed the situation and decided to turn themselves in. They are willing to accept the consequence, rather than have the guilt of George's death hanging over their heads. Marty however, refuses to turn himself in, getting angry with all of them and telling Rocky that he "sucks." He storms out and convinces his brother to give him his gun and car. The brother again agrees to the favor, albeit reluctantly, probably thinking that he is helping Marty. Marty robs a gas station with the gun and drives off, to become a fugitive of the law.
Meanwhile, the others all go to George's house and confess to his mother. The film does not say what happens to the kids or what their consequence is, yet it doesn't matter much, leaving it up to the watcher's imagination.
The film ends, with the police watching a tape George made of himself talking on his video camera. It shows even more deeply how George did care for people and only wanted to fit in. He was a sensitive boy, just wanting friends and somebody to love and to love him. Unfortunately for him, he was also a bully, with malicious intent or not. (Earlier in the film George had asked Clyde what Clyde had done to make George hit him. Clyde made George aware that the attack had been unprovoked but George could not accept this: Clyde must have done something. Sam, the usual target for George's bullying, confirmed that the attacks were generally for no reason.)
Cast
Reception
Reviews
Mean Creek received an 91% rating from Top Critics at Rotten Tomatoes (31 fresh and 3 rotten reviews)[2] and an overall rating of 90% from all critics (104 fresh and 12 rotten reviews).[3]
References
External links
