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) and an overall rating
of 90% from all critics (104
fresh and 12
rotten
reviews).
References
- Mean Creek (Top Critics) @ Rotten Tomatoes
- Mean Creek @ Rotten Tomatoes
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