|
MEAN CREEK DVD REVIEW
Mean Creek
(Paramount Home Entertainment)
| The Movie |
The Extras |
Reviewed by |
| 7.5/10 |
6/10 |
Liam |
Who among us hasn't been bullied? Even bullies are bullied - which is why they probably become bullies to begin with. Anyways, we can all relate, right? With that being said, who among us hasn't wished that some horrible fate would befall that same bully? So for all of us, there's "Mean Creek".
The movie explores the revenge that one boy takes against his bully - and the tragic consequences of his actions. And moreso, it doesn't really just tell the story of the boy being bullied - but it give a nice perspective about the bully himself. That this character has feelings himself. In the movie there's Sam (Rory Culkin). After getting the shit kicked out of him by his bully, George (Josh Peck), he and his brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan) come up with an elaborate plan to exact their revenge - but at the same time not to hurt George. (As Rocky says, Sam comes up with a plan that only Ghandhi would approve.) So, they get together a few of their friends, pretend to befriend George, take him out on a boat, and tragedy ensues.
I don't think I'm giving anything away here - if you read the box cover at all, it isn't too difficult to figure out. Instead, the movie then becomes about what happens afterwards. It's almost like "Stand By Me" where these friends go out on an adventure, and soon learn a few harsh lessons about themselves.
There are only a couple of special features included on this DVD. The first is an audio commentary, provided by director Jacob Aaron Estes, cinematographer Sharone Meir, editor Madeleine Gavin and actors Josh Peck, Trevor Morgan, Ryan Kelley and Carly Schroeder. This one was pretty entertaining with a nice balance of technical info and some good behind-the-scenes tidbits. Although, as with most commentaries where there are more than a few participants, some get lost in the background (Carly Schroeder), some choose to be funny whereas others (Madeleine Gavin) try to be more serious. On the other hand, there's little to no dead air and you really get a sense of how well these people got along and how proud they are to have been part of this production.
Other features include a chronological storyboard gallery (including one scene referenced in the commentary that didn't make the final cut) and a number of previews for some other Paramount/Paramount Classics releases.
Overall, the movie is very nicely done, and I would have no problem recommending it to anybody - especially parents and their children who may be victims of bullying. It opens a nice dialogue and provides the opportunity for parents to talk with their children about this issue that continues to plague our society.
Features
Commentary by Director and Cast, Storyboards
Video
Widescreen
Audio
Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Surround
Subtitles
English, Closed-Captioned
Release Date
January 25, 2005
Rating
18A
Length
89 mins.
The information entered on this page will not be used to send unsolicited email
and will not be sold to a third party. Please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Recent Reviews...
27 Dresses
Charlie Wilson's War
Cloverfield
Lars and the Real Girl
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
There Will Be Blood
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Jackass 2.5
Stardust
December Boys
|
|
Order this DVD from Amazon.com
|
|
