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Average User Score: 8 (20 sources)

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Thorpe89

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Mean Creek I found to be a very hard hitting and powerful story of revenge gone wrong. A group of teens are getting fed up with the meaner, bigger bully and decide something must be done when he finally pushes the limit. So, they decide to take...
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Mean Creek I found to be a very hard hitting and powerful story of revenge gone wrong. A group of teens are getting fed up with the meaner, bigger bully and decide something must be done when he finally pushes the limit. So, they decide to take revenge by bringing him to the creek.

This bully at first seems to be the most arrogant and annoying person you don't want to bump into. Now, these teens are fed up with his actions and persuade him to come to the creek to let them do their prank on him.

Now, things seem more personal and it shows that this tough bully really isn't so tough after all. He seems more friendly to the others. They all seem to think this matter has gotten out of control and have had second thoughts on carrying out this prank.

However, one guy doesn't want to give in and assists that they go ahead. As things progress, the truth of why they brought him there finally comes out and things get heated. The bully gets out of control and begins to go back to his old ways by insulting everyone around him.

You'll often feel like this movie has really hit you hard in the stomach because of the later events. It certainly poses a lot of questions once you've finished watching it. This drama is not to be missed as it provides a great meaning and a good plotline that will keep you gripped throughout.

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Posted dec 23, 2007 9:18 am pt

NoOneIsAlone

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Good plot and good casting, I think that this movie wa very well done and I think that they really know how to do the movie. The film had a different atmosphere and I think that the way that it was done is very original. It was a good film.

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Posted mar 31, 2007 3:04 am pt

EmielGr

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Great movie which to me is the perfect sleeper hit. I didn't expect anything from it, but was a treat to watch. The story is ok, the acting is consistent but especially the music and the images are perfect.

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Posted mar 13, 2007 12:20 am pt

filemanager

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This movie was really really slow. But for some reason it kept me interested enough that I kept watching right to the end.

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Posted dec 19, 2006 5:15 am pt

• [+] San Francisco Chronicle
  
  100
  One of very few films to accurately portray the experience of growing up male.

  by Ruthe Stein | Read Full Review »
• [+] Entertainment Weekly
  
  91
  Although the talent of a kid with the last name of Culkin may not, at this point, register as such a novelty -- Rory follows brothers Macaulay and Kieran -- there is something precociously mature but natural about the work of this youngest Culkin sibling that stands apart.

  by Lisa Schwarzbaum | Read Full Review »
• [+] The Hollywood Reporter
  
  90
  Intelligent, universal tale.

  by Duane Byrge | Read Full Review »
• [+] Los Angeles Times
  
  90
  Mean Creek's greatest asset is its sense of truth. It doesn't pander to or indulge its characters like the teen films we're used to. It looks at them straight ahead and with respect. It's something you wish Hollywood, and even parents, did more often.

  by Kenneth Turan | Read Full Review »
• [+] Dallas Observer
  
  90
  The acting is remarkable across the board, undoubtedly a combination of a strong script, gifted actors and exceptional direction.

  by Jean Oppenheimer | Read Full Review »
• [+] ReelViews
  
  88
  By entering such fertile, intellectually stimulating and psychologically rich territory, Estes provides us with a freshman feature that is far beyond the generic coming-of-age tale Mean Creek initially seems to be.

  by James Berardinelli | Read Full Review »
• [+] Boston Globe
  
  88
  Adults should find its simmering drama at least as compelling as teens will, even if parental figures are only slightly more present here than in a " Peanuts" comic strip.

  by Janice Page | Read Full Review »
• [+] Empire
  
  80
  Estes enriches the plot by refusing to present each character's emotional dilemmas in black-and-white terms.

  by Alan Morrison | Read Full Review »
• [+] Washington Post
  
  80
  Never preachy, never sanctimonious nor touchy-feely.

  by Michael O'Sullivan | Read Full Review »
• [+] Washington Post
  
  80
  That rare movie that manages to be not only an adroit, carefully observed study in character and suspense, but important.

  by Ann Hornaday | Read Full Review »
• [+] The Onion (A.V. Club)
  
  80
  Dyslexic, talkative, and permanently tethered to a video camera that documents his solitary life and vivid fantasy world, Peck, in a stunning performance, resonates as both monster and victim, predator and prey.

  by Nathan Rabin | Read Full Review »
• [+] Variety
  
  80
  Estes' debut feature's strength lies in its crackling intensity, ultra-sharp character insights and an affinity for teenage protagonists who look and sound like real teens.

  by Scott Foundas | Read Full Review »
• [+] TV Guide
  
  80
  There isn't a one-note character in the mix, and they respond with haunting, subtle performances that feel utterly natural and unaffected. It's a striking debut for Estes, and a remarkable showcase for the cast.

  by Maitland McDonagh | Read Full Review »
• [+] Austin Chronicle
  
  78
  Like a kindler, gentler "Bully," Mean Creek hinges on the bullied fighting back against the aggressor, but offers a more expansive examination of aggression and, even more significantly, passivity.

  by Kimberley Jones | Read Full Review »
• [+] Miami Herald
  
  75
  In addition to providing a textbook example of suspense, Estes also makes us want to know what happens to these kids after the screen goes dark.

  by Connie Ogle | Read Full Review »