MEAN CREEK
*** out of *****
Reviewed by Finger_Of_DOOM

Genres
Crime
Drama
Thriller

2004
Written and directed by
Jacob Aaron Estes
Cast
Rory Culkin .... Sam Merric
Ryan Kelley .... Clyde
Scott Mechlowicz .... Marty
Trevor Morgan .... Rocky Merric
Josh Peck .... George Tooney
Carly Schroeder .... Millie
Branden Williams .... Kile Blank

Filmmaker Jacob Aaron Estes makes his feature film directorial debut with thid sort of Stand By Me (1986) meets teenage boat trip meets juvenile prank gone wrong film, Mean Creek. It’s a slow boil thriller that has all the hallmarks of low budget filmmaking (use of small and isolated locations, a cast of virtual unknowns and effective, non-complicated camera techniques) and unfortunately also those of a first time feature filmmaker.

Mean Creek takes place in a small town in Oregon, USA. Sam (Rory Culkin) an introverted little boy is bullied constantly by George (Josh Peck), an annoying sort that doesn't care about anyone else's feelings. One day George beats up Sam for messing with his video camera. When Sam's brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) hears of this, they formulate a plan to deliver some payback. Rocky, his friends Clyde (Ryan Kelley) and Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) are all in on the plan, joined by Sam and girlfriend Millie (Carly Schroeder), they take George on a river trip for the purpose of playing a prank to humiliate George in order to teach him a lesson. But when George opens up to the group suddenly Sam sees him in a different light, and wants to abort the plan, however things have already been set in motion and it's too late to turn back.

Estes has his head in the right place but fails at creating a disturbing atmosphere for the audience by spoiling all the tension-building moments that the serene middle-of-nowhere location provides by adding unnecessary music. Music that tries too hard to build an artificial sense of 'dread', it's almost as if Estes is afraid of silence. We know something's going to go wrong pretty much right from the start, using silence to your advantage would have allowed the filmmakers a way to spring the moment on us. Rather than use music to cue our senses that something bad comes this way. Lesson number one in creating an uneasy atmosphere; don't overdo the score sometimes less is more.

Another hallmark of a first timer are the performances, the cast is young so there isn't a whole lot of acting maturity here, however for the most part all seem to fit well in their parts…all except one, Josh Peck who plays George, the victim of the prank. Peck is terribly miscast in this role, one that on paper seems complex yet onscreen Peck is the opposite and doesn't seem to have a grasp of his character. He felt hollow and uninteresting, most annoyingly his delivery seemed forced and disconnected from the rest of the cast. It's as if he was waiting for his castmates to finish their lines before he jumped in with his.

Despite this not all is lost, Estes has given us ample breathing room at the start to get to know these characters, something that is often rushed in other films. But here he has the patience to build the characters and move the story along at a steady pace throughout the film's duration. I was equally impressed with the naturalistic and believable performances by the rest of the cast, Culkin and Schroeder exhibit some real chemistry on-screen which works nicely when their relationship is tested through the crisis they face later in the film. The scenes and dialogue didn't feel out of place or contrived for their age all adding to the believability factor. This is something that Estes clearly spent time developing through the scripting process.

Mean Creek will not likely be a classic in years to come but it's a sign to look out for Estes as an emerging talent. While the film certainly has its share of flaws it's not a bad effort for a first feature.

Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.

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