I’ve actually known my fair share of troubled kids, and this film is as accurate a depiction of them as I’ve ever seen.
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01/30/05
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Mean Creek (2004)
90
%
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Reviews Counted:115
Fresh:104
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7.4/10
Consensus: Mean Creek is an uncomfortably riveting glimpse into the casual cruelty of youth.
Theatrical Release:Aug 20, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $295,919
Synopsis: Director Jacob Estes's feature film debut is a remarkably accomplished coming of age drama about death and consequences. When overweight, emotionally troubled George (Josh Peck) beats up a smaller... [More]
Starring: Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan
Director: Jacob Estes
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Reviews for Mean Creek
Estes, born in 1973, hasn't lost his ear for the way kids talk, and his dialogue strikes hard and true.
09/22/04
Although it is a flawed film, with a first half that moves slowly and sometimes tediously, it is redeemed by a second half that is gripping, not only for its action but for its moral complexity.
09/23/04
Top Critic...a movie about moral choices, about learning what it is to be decent in the world.
01/27/05
An unusually truthful depiction of the way kids today talk, think and act.
09/03/04
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09/19/04
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04/26/05
A thoughtful, unpretentious coming-of-age drama with uncommon emotional heft and an engaging young cast.
08/27/04
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08/28/04
If you saw River’s Edge, you may know where this glum, well-acted drama is headed right after it sets sail.
09/24/04
At once endearing and infuriating, Peck has the audience emotionally vacillating between wanting to protect him and wanting to kill him.
08/19/04
Very much its own picture -- and a damn sight better one than Stand by Me.
09/03/04
It could have been simple-minded and predictable, but it becomes a rare film about moral choices, about the difficulty of standing up against pressure from your crowd.
08/27/04
Top CriticSuch a simple plot barely fills the film's 87 minutes, but writer/director Jacob Aaron Estes more than compensates with his labyrinth of moral dilemmas and complex characters.
08/26/04
Imagine a bolder Bully blended with a more probing River's Edge and you'll have some idea of this little drama's strong dramatic and emotional power.
08/19/04
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04/29/09
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09/11/04
Not quite convincing, but Estes deserves credit for asking us to sympathize with the type of obnoxious bully most movies offer up as a deserving target of 'payback.'
09/17/04
Bullies are people too!
08/18/04
One of the most subtle, evocative explorations of childhood and adolescent relationships since Stand By Me.
08/27/04
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