A brilliant film that helped define a genre

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The problem I had with Mean Creek is that I never really found its premise to be believable; the fact we're told George is a 'bully' merely because he punched Sam a couple of times in the face. Do the writers even know what a bully is? A bully will usually target someone who's smaller and weaker than them and will usually do this for no other reason than to make themselves feel better about themselves. George warned Sam not to touch his camera and when Sam ignored him, George gave him a good hiding. Whilst I'm not condoning what George did, I hardly think his actions qualify him as a 'bully'.After the altercation with Sam, George is then invited on a boat trip with Sam and his friends... Anyone in their right mind would refuse to go anywhere with a group of people who are friends with the person that you've just beaten up. I just found the entire premise ridiculous and unconvincing. I mean you have to ask yourself if it's really believable that a group of friends would go to that much trouble over 'one' altercation... sure you may go to these sort of lengths if George had been bullying Sam for months, but again I struggled to find a lot of this believable.We're then treated to a tedious and long game of 'Truth Or Dare' which I felt was clumsily written into the story and just dragged on and on.I also found the film to be quite boring as well and this is probably due to a large number of characters being rather shallow and lacking in depth (although Estes does flesh George out quite well). The performances were pretty weak across the board (with the exceptions of Mechlowicz and Peck who both managed to be far better than the material). At times the camera work was also nauseating and gave the film a very amateurish feel to it.The final 20-25 minutes consist of the gang moralising over whether they have 'done' the right thing or whether they should 'do' the right thing. Whilst the narrative swings in this direction towards the end it never really offers much commentary and the messy and unresolved ending made me wonder what the point was in building the film up in this manner only to then offer no closure on the matter. George's monologue at the end made very little sense and created a disappointing finale to a disappointing film. It's a shame really as I could see a lot of potential here.

It is very difficult to write about this oppressive movie without creating spoilers. Turns in the script are important in understanding steps following and knowing the end would probably ruin preceding thrill... Well, the events and different reactions to a certain incident are logical (particularly, when bearing in mind the age of involved persons), but I personally found the composition of boat-trip members a bit odd as youth groups aiming for something "nasty" do not consist of members of so different ages... And one very minor girl among the bunch of sexually capable male teens tripping far? Hmm... Performances by youngsters are, of course, high-level (above all, Rory Culkin and Trevor Morgan), and the one involved in "group-mocking" is no saint himself. The ending is versatile, with loose ends, and viewers can ponder on and over what has really happened and if the consequences did reflect the true nature of events.In general, Mean Creek is a decent independent drama, but it is also complex to specify its audience - it is not suitable to most families with children, but adults only may find difficult to dedicate their time for a movie where adult characters and very briefly on screen.

George's character was really unbelievable and annoying. At the end when he dies you don't feel bad for him at all. The character of Sam and his girlfriend do a decent job, but everyone else struggles with the dramatic scenery(ESPECIALLY CLYDE). the major problem with the flick is the situations. The kids take it too far with the cussing and sexual orientation. There's one scene where they are playing truth or dare, and Marty is dared to show them his penis, and George makes a crack about Sam and his girlfriends all bothered in bed. To inappropriate seriously. The way George talked sickened me. He also called the girl a C***. Too far.

Familiar but still Engaging Story of Teen Trouble. The Acting Ensemble is Peerless and the Style of the Movie is Low-Key and Hauntingly Attractive. The Interaction among the Group is Authentic and never Strained. The Dialog is Sharp and Intelligent.But there are Two Major Flaws that keep this from being Absolutely Compelling. First the Bully Character is not Developed enough Initially to Solidify the Central Theme. Second, the Third Act Demonstrates a Weak Resolution that Raises too many Questions and that Intrudes and Separates the Audience from the Film.The Group's Behavior up to that point was Well Thought Out and Spot On. However, as Things Unfold, it seems to go Astray in an Ending that is neither Quite Believable or Satisfying. There is much to Praise in the Director's First Film, but adapting the Premise of some Very Fine Movies, that are so Similar that Comparisons are Inevitable, there must be some sort of Hook to set it apart and in that, this Film Fails to Deliver.