Thursday, October 21, 2004
Revenge turns tragic in this teen prank film.
By GLENN LOVELL
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
The teen prank that spins wildly, inexorably out of control is at the dark heart of several low-budget favorites, including "River's Edge" and "Bully." What makes Jacob Estes' "Mean Creek" different, and very much worth your time, is its surprisingly sweet tone. Estes' kids may have mischief on their minds, but they're hardly what you'd call sociopaths or monsters; they're the vaguely unhappy kids next door who know right from wrong, but on one lazy, hazy afternoon, confuse the two -- with tragic consequences.
Inspired by actual events and shot just outside of Portland, Ore., on the Clackamas River, "Mean Creek" wastes no time choosing up sides and establishing conflict. Sam (Rory Culkin) innocently touches a video camera that belongs to a chubby bully named George (Joshua Peck). George jumps the smaller kid in front of classmates. Sam reports the incident to his older brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan), who mentions it to the leader of his pack, Clyde (a terrific Ryan Kelley).
Plotting revenge
Together, Rocky and Clyde plot in-kind revenge, with the less enthusiastic Sam, Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) and Millie (Carly Schroeder) along for the ride. They tell George he's invited to Sam's secret birthday outing, a weekend rowboat trip down the river. George, who is never invited anywhere, can't believe his good fortune. What he doesn't know is that his "friends" plan to strip, dunk and abandon him.
That's Estes' setup. It's laid out simply and economically, with everything leading to the river, which -- in counterpoint to the churning emotions -- seems peaceful and remote. The all-too-plausible twist: As the kids get to know George, who has a learning disability and shows flashes of lovability, they begin to feel sorry for the guy. But it could be too late. As so often happens, the situation takes on a life of its own -- especially after someone yells, "Truth or Dare?"
"Mean Creek" scores as one of the year's very best independents because Estes refuses to paint his characters with broad strokes as either all good or all evil. Just as we're ready to write George off as the obnoxious slob he works overtime to appear, our heart goes out to him. But then he reverts to his old bullying, sadistic self, and we find ourselves ready to lend a hand in his comeuppance.
Moral compass
And just as we're about to embrace the sweet Millie and timid Sam (beautifully played by Culkin), they say or do something that rattles our moral compass and leaves us thinking, "Hey, maybe they're not so innocent after all."
"Mean Creek" -- the year's second great movie about youths battling dark undercurrents (the first being Russia's "The Return") -- reminds us that good intentions mean diddly if you don't step forward when it matters. It also reminds us that there's something of the bully and victim in each of us. It's just a question of which quality will bubble to the surface at what moment.