Mean Creek, in my opinion, was an excellent film. Though the actual plot of the movie is somewhat unoriginal, Jacob Aaron Estes does a fine job directing it, and steering it away from any clichés. The acting was also exceptional, and the actors captured all the strong emotions caused by a death and regret, but in a subtle way.
The story slowly reveals the characters' true selves as they travel along a river, planning to pull a prank on George (Josh Peck), a local bully who has dangerous mood swings, and beat up Sam (Rory Culkin). Sam's girlfriend, his brother, and his brother friends take George on a trip, making him believe that they want to be friends with him. During the trip, George acts unusually nice, and the rest of them start having second thoughts, except for Marty (Scott Mechlowitz), who has no reason to discontinue the prank. Unfortunately, George had a strong mood swing, and nothing good came of it...
... that is, except for an originally captivating emotional ride, which sits heavy on the concepts of unimaginable regret and questioning whether the truth should be revealed. The last scene, in which George explains how his mind works, makes you look back on the movie and think, "Wow."
The story slowly reveals the characters' true selves as they travel along a river, planning to pull a prank on George (Josh Peck), a local bully who has dangerous mood swings, and beat up Sam (Rory Culkin). Sam's girlfriend, his brother, and his brother friends take George on a trip, making him believe that they want to be friends with him. During the trip, George acts unusually nice, and the rest of them start having second thoughts, except for Marty (Scott Mechlowitz), who has no reason to discontinue the prank. Unfortunately, George had a strong mood swing, and nothing good came of it...
... that is, except for an originally captivating emotional ride, which sits heavy on the concepts of unimaginable regret and questioning whether the truth should be revealed. The last scene, in which George explains how his mind works, makes you look back on the movie and think, "Wow."