Mean Creek (2004)

Let me start with the fact that I love this. This is a realistic look at the frameworking of bullying and its consequences. No one wants to be bullied. I think it is safe to say that most victims of bullying fantasize about revenge even if most never seek it out. I also think that the premise of taking out a pack revenge is realistic as well as the idea of backing out of it is. I think most kids realise that the bully is the one who has the real problem and in the end revenge is not as rewarding as it might seem to be.I'm not sure if what I am about to talk about would be considered spoilers so this is just a heads up warning in case those reading are seeking to avoid any kind of potential spoiling.The scenario that unfolds here clearly ends up being an accident. Watching the kids try and come to terms with it is the gem of this movie because even if their initial actions were wrong, they end up doing the right thing. That makes this a beautiful glimpse of the maturing mind and a wonderful movie to watch.Where this fails for me is that there is no resolution. It would've been nice to have seen how their choice to do the right thing was handled. I would've like to known if they were reprimanded in some way and how their friendships were affected. I also really felt bummed out by the fact that the ringleader of this group was clearly shown to be going off the rails at the end but what was his overall outcome. This had been so captivating yet it just stopped leaving me with the desire to know more about what happened and hating that I'd never really get answers. That causes what was shaping up to be a high rating to lose a few stars from me.

George Tooney (Josh Peck) is a foul-mouthed big kid obsessed with his video camera. Sam Merrick (Rory Culkin) gets into a fight with him and gets beaten up. Sam tells his older brother Rocky who starts planning revenge with his friends Clyde and Marty Blank. They lure George on a fake birthday trip for Sam. Millie (Carly Schroeder) finds George loud but not necessarily mean-spirited. She convinces Sam to change his mind. Despite the change, a conflict escalates on the trip going down the creek.This is River's Edge with younger kids. That is very compelling. The kids are solid actors. They feel real. After the incident, they need time living with the secret. It would be nice to have more conflict time as the cops search for missing George. The second half is set up for more drama.

I was actually expecting much based on the simple but interesting premise and the intriguing poster which for once caught my attention. However, this is not particularly impressive. The acting is passable but none of the actors show much range of abilities. Except for the bully, all the characters are pretty one dimensional. This is a character driven movie lacking in good dialogue and characterization.*SPOILERS* After the bully dies, the movie includes barely any discussion on what they should do and all the characters react the way you would expect them to. The characters show barely any emotion at all. There are so many opportunities for powerful performances and memorable dialogue here. But instead they decide without any real discussion to bury the body (which is the stupidest decision ever) and then later the discussion about coming clean is not even included in the film.The first part of the movie about bullying and adolescence was pretty good. The second part of the movie, after the bully dies, is completely uninteresting because nothing happens. Everybody agrees with Clyde that they should hide the body and then later everybody but Clyde decides to tell the police. No ideological conflict, no exploration of the mind of the characters.

Familiar but still Engaging Story of Teen Trouble. The Acting Ensemble is Peerless and the Style of the Movie is Low-Key and Hauntingly Attractive. The Interaction among the Group is Authentic and never Strained. The Dialog is Sharp and Intelligent.But there are Two Major Flaws that keep this from being Absolutely Compelling. First the Bully Character is not Developed enough Initially to Solidify the Central Theme. Second, the Third Act Demonstrates a Weak Resolution that Raises too many Questions and that Intrudes and Separates the Audience from the Film.The Group's Behavior up to that point was Well Thought Out and Spot On. However, as Things Unfold, it seems to go Astray in an Ending that is neither Quite Believable or Satisfying. There is much to Praise in the Director's First Film, but adapting the Premise of some Very Fine Movies, that are so Similar that Comparisons are Inevitable, there must be some sort of Hook to set it apart and in that, this Film Fails to Deliver.