I Don't Wanna Be Here ! (Mean Creek (DVD))

Member Name: SRowlands

Product:	Mean Creek (DVD)
Date:	10/02/06 (145 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A drama that will absorb you...

Disadvantages: until the final scene - then leave you wanting more !

Now, before I start this review, it must be said that I do not generally like drama movies. The reason I actually watched this was down to a semi-drunken conversation with a mate, in which we were discussing movies. During this discussion, we went through the usual routine of "What's your favourite action / horror / sci-fi" etc, but when it got to dramas, he accused me of not having ever enjoyed one. My defence was the excellent movie, "The Shawshank Redemption", but he said that movie didn't count, as it was a Stephen King movie (and I am a big King fan). So, that also ruled out my other favourite dramas, "The Green Mile" and "Stand By Me"... and then, yes, I was actually stumped !!

With this in mind, I have started to discover a whole new genre with some unexpected results. The first drama I watched following this conversation was a 2004 movie, "Mean Creek"...


As the film opens, we are presented with a hard hitting (quite literally) scene of bullying, as a high school, overweight bully named George (Josh Peck) physically lays into a younger boy. When confronted by his older brother as to the origin of his injuries, the younger boy, Sam (played by Rory Culkin), admits to his brother that he is the victim of bullying.
Together, and with the help of some of their friends, they create a plan to get revenge on the bully by luring him into joining them for a river trip where they could get their own back for all the things he has done to Sam and the other victims.
The plan was flawless... or so they thought until things start to go wrong, and events that follow push everyone's friendships to the limit......

This is a fairly unusual modern movie, as Mean Creek does not rely on a huge budget, special effects or even a soundtrack to get the story across to the audience... it relies on just two elements - a good story and good acting !

The first thing that I noticed about this movie was the style of this film. Straight away it is obvious that this is not a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. The opening shots are filmed on a camcorder, and throughout the film you get the feel that much of this was filmed on handheld cameras or rented equipment. The actual budget of the film was a tiny (in comparison to Hollywood movies) half a million dollars. Yet, rather than lower the standard of the film, it actually adds to the overall atmosphere of the movie. The occasionally grainy picture, and background noises such as the roar of water breaking over rocks, that were not edited out make the whole thing far more believable, with a sense that it could have been produced by the group of kids itself !
The film was shot entirely on location in and around Oregon - and you can see why... the scenery is amazing. High mountains, steep grassy riverbanks, stunning wildlife and crystal clear water make you wish you were there. Again, when producing a low-budget movie, why waste money on building lavish sets when you have the beauty of the countryside around you. The scenes in the town and it's outskirts resemble a stereotypical poor American town, with run-down petrol stations and wooden housing.

Much of the films success must be credited to the cast of children and young adults who, without exception, portray their characters in a believable and realistic way. When first viewing this film, I immediately recognised Rory Culkin (MacCaulay's younger brother) from previous movies such as Signs. I recognised a couple of other members of the cast, but could not place where I'd seen them before. This is probably due to the fact that up to this point, their appearances were on American television dramas.
Trevor Morgan plays Rocky, Sam's older brother. His previous roles include characters in ER, Baywatch and CSI. He also played the role of Erik in Jurassic Park 3.
The role of George, the bully, is portrayed by Josh Peck - again fairly unknown in the movie business. Peck deserves a special mention, as this must have been a very tough role. At the beginning of the movie we see George as a vicious thug - and immediately despise him, but as the movie progresses, you actually get to see that there is another, gentler side to him which makes him act the way that he does, and you end up feeling for him.
Amongst the group of lads, there is one girl - Sam's new girlfriend Millie, played by Carly Schroeder. Millie comes across as an innocent country girl who unwittingly gets involved in the plot to get revenge on George. As a young actress (she was 14 when this movie was filmed, but looks younger), Schroeder's character shines through with an amazing performance.
Again, though, it's the fact that no one steals the limelight that makes this film believable and such a success. Each is happy to play their own role to the best of their ability, and to react to each others performance.

Again, a lot of credit must go to the writer and director of Mean Creek - Jacob Aaron Estes. His story and vision reflects on both personal experiences and is influenced by other stories and movies. Despite this being only his second movie that he has been involved in, his lack of experience is totally hidden by the quality of the results.


As I mentioned right at the start of this review, I am a big Stephen King fan, and really enjoyed the movie "Stand By Me". This film does bear a strong resembalance to the King classic - it is essentially a story about a group of kids that go on an adventure, unaware and unprepared for what lays ahead. Both movies are about discovery and friendships, and the blissful innocence that only children can have. The general feel of the two movies are also closely matched.
However, this cannot take anything away from Mean Creek - indeed, it is a compliment to be compared to such a classic story and movie.

So, onto the big question... did I enjoy Mean Creek ? Well, I can honestly say that, with the exception of aforementioned Stephen King movies, this is one of the best dramas I have seen in a long, long time.
I was drawn into the story right from the start, and really felt part of the story - almost as if I was there watching events unfold. The story - whilst nothing really original - is captivating, and will leave you what's going to happen. There is an uneasy sense of fear throughout the movie, and right up to the end you don't know how things will unfold - and the fact that this is not a Hollywood movie, there are limitless posibillites.
When the end does come, I was actually slightly disappointed... not because it was poor, but rather I wanted more !! I actually feel as though I could have watched another hour or so of the film and still really enjoyed it.

Therefore, I have no hesitation in recommending this film to readers of this review - even if traditionally you don't like dramas, try and make room in your movie-watching experience for Mean Creek !

Summary: A coming of age movie, in which a planned prank will change lives forever...