MEAN CREEK
Directed & Written by: Jacob Aaron Estes.
Produced by: Rick Rosenthal, Susan Johnson & Hagai Shaham.
Director of Photography: Sharone Meir.
Edited by: Madeleine Gavin.
Music by: tomandandy.
Released by: Paramount Classics.
Country of Origin: USA. 87 min. Rated: R.
With: Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck & Carly Schroeder.

Obviously a character is in danger when he is referred to as "Piggy", but unlike Lord of the Flies, vengeance is simmering from the beginning of Mean Creek when overweight middle school bully George (Josh Peck) beats up the slightly-built Sam (Rory Culkin) for touching his camcorder. This sets off a chain of events that will lead to high schooler Marty (Scott Mechlowicz) fermenting a plan to deceive and ultimately humiliate George during an outing on a lake with Marty's posse. Marty has the good looks, swagger and confrontational attitude that makes for a natural teenage leader.

Infrequently, these teenagers come across as too pensive. Sam's crush Millie (Carly Schroeder) is the only girl who unwittingly becomes involved in the plan, and she succinctly diagnoses George: "He has problems." And would George, straining to be hip, say something like, "It's a beautiful day to go boat riding with some buddies"? But writer/director Jacob Aaron Estes captures the right tone for the crude male bravado, especially for the apparently full-grown Marty. The acting of the young ensemble is mostly understated to the point of being sullen, but this deepens the mystery surrounding their subsequent actions.

Fortunately the film is driven by tension rather than dialogue, and the actors more than come to life in the turning point, which includes one of the most uncomfortable rounds of Truth or Dare ever filmed. It is at once embarrassing and mesmerizing to watch. Once the game has gotten way out of hand, the erratic George turns the table and zeroes in on everyone, ridiculing what is most vulnerable about the others. This scene, set in the Oregon outdoors, becomes ominously claustrophobic.

Unlike Thirteen, an abrasive teenagers-in-trouble drama, Estes's film doesn't attempt to turn his film into a wake-up call for adults. Instead of shock, the effect Estes successfully achieves is empathy. Like George, he presses the right emotional buttons, allowing his characters to take their time and not follow a predetermined path. Kent Turner
August 20, 2004

DVD Extras: The sparse special features may imply that there probably isn’t much value to them. This is entirely misleading. The commentary is rich in both quirky inside scoop and production details. Director Jacob Aaron Estes is joined by four young cast members, editor Madeleine Gavin, and cinematographer Sharone Meir. It is Estes and Gavin who take over explaining most of the scenes, and the commentary is the better for it. Interjections by actors Josh Peck, Carly Schroeder, Ryan Kelley, and Trevor Morgan consists of laughing at inside jokes or trying to talk about subjects they seem not quite sure of. While amusing at times, it cuts into the interesting conversation that Estes and Gavin provide the viewer - why scenes were cut, certain music was used, and the little mistakes or ad-libs that were incorporated into the final cut. And a short storyboard featurette allows the viewer to pan through 10 or so pre-production drawings. Mallory Potosky
March 7, 2005