MEAN CREEK

US, 2004, 89 minutes, Colour.
Rory Culkin, Ryan Kellye, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Carly Schroeder, Josh Peck.
Directed by Jacob Aaron Estes.

Mean Creek is a modest film with a comparatively brief running-time by first time director, Jacob Aaron Estes. However, he has made a striking and forceful film that can be recommended to select audiences.

It would be of great benefit for conversation amongst parents and teaching staffs. Screenings and guided discussion among younger adolescents could help them articulate their moral questions and their value stances. Mean Creek has already won the prestigious American Catholic Humanitas award at the Sundance Film Festival.

The press notes usually contain a great deal of inflated gumph to promote a film. However, the notes for Mean Creek give a quick overview of the thinking behind the film and what it communicates:

“… not only a suspenseful morality tale but a rare and revealing portrait of a new generation, capturing the swagger, hidden insecurities, the posing and the yearning to fit in, the savvy and the barely contained aggression and, perhaps most of all, today’s fierce search for moral ground without any clear compasses.

“Using a handheld camera and a raw, visceral visual style that sets the audience adrift with the characters, the film provides a gritty, authentic and thought-provoking peek into growing up.”

It focuses on bullying in the school yard. It dramatises the anger and the drive towards some kind of getting even, including a moderate amount of crass teenage language and behaviour). It reminds us that adolescents think they have everything under control but that at any moment something devastating can happen and they have to accept responsibilities and the consequences.

The setting is a very small town in Oregon. The bully is a large and heavy boy used to getting his own way. Josh Peck is absolutely credible as this kind of boy. He talks too much, criticises and mocks others so that he can seem ‘cool’ and ‘with it’, whereas it is all posturing. As he goes out on the river with the group that wants to teach him a lesson, we begin to feel sorry for him as he has shown a pleasanter side of his character than we (and they) had ever seen. But, then we squirm as he keeps digging his own grave as, unaware, he relentlessly keeps piling on the gibes. And you know that something terrible is going to happen – and it does.

The young cast is always believable. Rory Culkin is the vulnerable victim, Trevor Morgan his protective brother and Scot Mechlowitz is excellent as the leader, a show-off who is really as bad a bully to his friends as the boy he is targeting. Giving the film greater depth are background stories for the two bullies, especially their difficult home lives and their inner insecurity.

Estes said that he was bullied when he was young in San Francisco and, being imaginative, he devised all kinds of fantasy revenges… “suddenly I started to wonder about the guy who was the bully. Who was he? Why was he doing this? And why had I let him affect me in such a profound way? These were the really interesting questions to me – and they became more interesting than getting back at the guy.”

That is what Mean Creek is about, moral dilemmas, the pressures of friendship and, finally, having the honesty to take responsibility for actions and their consequences.

1. A glimpse of young teenagers, their problems, pressures, responsibilities?

2. The title, the credits, the river, its beauty, a place of death, a means for meanness?

3. The Oregon settings, the small town, the school, houses and shops, the woods, the river? The hand-held camerawork and its effect? The musical score?

4. The setting and the tone, the recording from the video camera? Sam and his interfering, George’s violent reaction, Sam being hurt, Rocky and his reaction, defending his brother? The discussion about George and his behaviour?

5. Sam and his age, experience, bullied at school? Rocky as strong? Marty as tough, Clyde and his gentleness, being brought up by the two gay men? Observing George, their talk about him, the project, the plan?

6. George, his size, relationship with his mother, junk food, his room? His bullying actions, especially about the camera? His lack of judgment in assessing people’s reaction to him? People disliking him?

7. Millie, her age, friendship with Sam? The date and Sam’s reaction? Her writing in her diary, the questions and answers and practising them? The real date and her going through the questions, Sam’s reaction, laughter? Breaking down nervousness?

8. The plan, its seeming to be under control? The motivations? Sam not wanting to hurt George? Rocky and the phone call to George, George’s response, the laughter that the plan was going into practice?

9. Marty, his place amongst the group, Rocky out with him? Seeing him around the town? The gun? Kyle and his anger at Marty’s handling the gun? Kyle and his protectiveness, yet brutal towards Marty? The revelation about their father, his suicide? The absent mother? The boys at the shop, the crash? Later with Kyle, Marty trying to get Kyle to lie for him? The finale, the gun, going to Mexico?

10. The trip to the river, George and his thinking it was Sam’s birthday, actually bringing a gift? Millie and her learning of the plan, resenting being made part of it? Telling Sam to stop the violence? Sam and his talking with Rocky, Rocky being persuaded, telling Clyde? Marty and his reaction, refusing to change the plan?

11. George, on the river, enjoying himself, starting to talk, attacking everybody, loudmouth, digging his own grave, so to speak? Sam and his appreciation of the gift? George and his recording what was going on? The talk, the attack on the weakness of the boys, his childish reactions, their reactions?

12. On the lake, the exhilaration, its beauty – but George continuing his insults?

13. The Truth or Dare game? Rocky and the masturbation issue, Marty and his showing his penis, daring George to go into the river, George and his worries about no life jackets?

14. The build-up to the climax, angers, George taunting Marty about his dead father, Rocky and his bumping George, his falling, under the water, his death, Rocky trying to rescue him, the camera continuing to photograph, the underwater scenes? Millie trying to resuscitate George?

15. The long wait, the focus on the reaction of the members of the group? Regrets, stunned? Marty and his smoking?

16. The plan, to bury George, the others’ reaction, the fights? Clyde and his showing some strength of character, Marty prevailing, their burying the body?

17. The return home, everyone quiet? Marty and his interactions with Kyle, going to Mexico? Rocky and Sam at home, the discussions, Sam sneaking out to go to Millie? Clyde and his being at home with the two fathers?

18. The final meeting, Marty and the gun, Sam and the interview with the police, going to the lake, retrieving the body, his father going with him? Their going to George’s mother and giving her the news?

19. How well delineated the characters of each of the boys, Rocky as the older brother, friend of Marty? Marty and his rebellion, bitterness, presumption? Clyde, quiet, always being called a faggot, his sense of responsibility?

20. A film about bullying, kids, immaturity, pranks, loss of control, peer pressure, conscience and a sense of responsibility?