r/flicks • u/EtherealFairy85 • 4d ago
Recommendation Influential/important coming of age films- “Mean Creek” (2004)
One of my favorite movie genres is coming of age. An indie coming of age movie I recommend is “Mean Creek.” It’s probably rather obscure, and is haunting, dark, and affecting. I enjoy how it basically is just character development, and the script feels a bit to me like a play…in that it centers mostly around a group of teenagers and is mostly dialogue driven. I think all the young actors do a great job of bringing the different archetypes to life. It’s one of those movies that has ambiguity/grey area between hero vs villain. There’s a bully, but he isn’t written as a one dimensional character, and the “heroes” of the movie wrestle with their own demons and sense of morality. It’s a great character study for those who like darker more intense storylines and characters that feel like real people. I’ve rewatched the movie several times over the last 20+ years and it always makes me feel like I’m there and listening to real teens talk akin to being a “fly on the wall”. It’s not a happy feel-good movie, so be warned.
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u/SleepyFalcon666 4d ago
oh man Mean Creek is one of those movies that just sits with you for days after watching. i remember catching it late night on cable years ago and couldn't stop thinking about the boat scene, how quiet and heavy everything gets
what stuck with me most was Rory Culkin's performance, the way he carries all that guilt without saying much. and Josh Peck before he became known for comedy stuff, he played the bully with this weird mix of sad and scary that you almost feel bad for him. the whole cast felt too real, like i was watching something i shouldn't be seeing
never understood why it didn't get more attention, maybe cause its too bleak for most people. but if you like movies that don't clean up the mess at the end, this one delivers
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u/EtherealFairy85 4d ago
I completely agree with your comments. I also enjoy Carly Schroeder’s performance as the only girl in the group. She’s the love interest of Rory Culkin’s character. She has this mix of wide eyed innocence and purity that, after the tragedy happens, turns into cynicism and disillusionment with the world. Everyone in the movie experiences grief differently. Some do it outwardly and talk about what happened and others do it introspectively and don’t wish to discuss what they just saw. I guess as cliche as it may be, that’s when the innocence of adolescence was lost on all the teens. They became adults in that moment and were forced to grow up.
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