Mean Creek (2004)

Director:

Jacob Aaron Estes

Writer (WGA):

Jacob Aaron Estes (written by)

Release Date:

29 September 2004 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Beneath the surface, everyone has a secret.

Plot:

When a teen is bullied, his brother and friends lure the bully into the woods to seek vengeance.

Plot Keywords:

Bully | Friend | Boat | River | Oregon

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Rory Culkin	...	Sam Merrick
Ryan Kelley	...	Clyde
Scott Mechlowicz	...	Marty Blank
Trevor Morgan	...	Rocky Merrick
Josh Peck	...	George Tooney
Carly Schroeder	...	Millie
Branden Williams	...	Kile
Raissa Fleming	...	Maggie Tooney
Heath Lourwood	...	Jasper
Ryan Peterson	...	Cashier
Michael Fisher-Welsh	...	Mr. Levinworth
J.W. Crawford	...	Tom (as James W. Crawford)
Shelly Lipkin	...	Mr. Merrick
Kaz Garas	...	Detective Wright
Hagai Shaham	...	Handsome Police Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Melissa Brooks	...	Lady at School (uncredited)

Directed by
Jacob Aaron Estes

Writing credits (WGA)
Jacob Aaron Estes		(written by)

Produced by
Deborah Del Prete	....	executive producer
Susan Johnson	....	producer
Dessie Markovsky	....	associate producer
Jacob Mosler	....	co-producer
Ryan Peterson	....	associate producer
Gigi Pritzker	....	executive producer
Rick Rosenthal	....	producer
Hagai Shaham	....	producer
Nancy Stephens	....	executive producer

Original Music by
tomandandy

Cinematography by
Sharone Meir		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Madeleine Gavin

Casting by
Matthew Lessall

Production Design by
Greg McMickle

Art Direction by
Betsy Goslin

Costume Design by
Cynthia Morrill

Makeup Department
Molly Craytor	....	key hair stylist
Molly Craytor	....	key makeup artist
E. Larry Day	....	hair department head
E. Larry Day	....	makeup department head
Teresa Livengood	....	hair stylist
Gary J. Tunnicliffe	....	corpse creation

Production Management
Matt DiFranco	....	unit production manager
Ryan Peterson	....	post-production supervisor
Stephanie Tichenor	....	pre-production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jill Hoppy	....	second second assistant director
Jacob Mosler	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Anne Hartner	....	art intern
Libby Klaetsch	....	art intern
Jay Martin	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Lance Brown	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lance Brown	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Cottrell	....	production sound mixer
J. Aloysius Flanagan III	....	foley editor
Damon P. Harris	....	boom operator (as Damon Harris)
Ricky Hernandez	....	sound designer
Steve Hollenbeck	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Jackson	....	supervising sound editor (as Robert C. Jackson)
Emile Razpopov	....	sound designer
Xavier Sol	....	sound editor
Xavier Sol	....	sound re-recording mixer
Curt Cash	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Scott Kramer	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Derek Bird	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Adam Stern	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Steve Buckley	....	stunt coordinator
Travis Swanson	....	water safety

Camera and Electrical Department
John Banholzer	....	best boy grip
Noal Clemons	....	electrician (as Noel Clemons)
Xiomara Comrie	....	first assistant camera
Kevin Cozad	....	electrician
Jim Dunn	....	electrician
Brian Fleskes	....	key grip (as Brian 'Coach' Fleskes)
Bruce 'Sarge' Fleskes	....	additional grip
Anthony Hardwick	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Wes Houle	....	electrician (as Wes Hoyle)
David R. Kohn	....	gaffer (as David Kohn)
J.P. Morgan	....	best boy grip
Josh Peck	....	additional videographer
Oliver Ponce	....	second assistant camera
Steve Purcell	....	electrician
Lex Rawlins	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Chris Schram	....	best boy grip
Kelli Schroeder	....	still photographer
Luke Spalding	....	grip intern
Chris Steele	....	best boy electric
Crawford Vining	....	camera intern
James Winters	....	electrician
Mark Tomlinson	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Megann Ratzow	....	casting: Portland
Lynn Reinstein	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Heather Cornick	....	wardrobe intern
M.M. Craytor	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Ray Morfino	....	technical consultant: editing
Penny Olson	....	assistant editor
Richard Semer	....	color timer
Chris Weber	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Jessica Catron	....	musician: cello
Tom Hajdu	....	musician: keyboard, percussion
Leandro Maciel	....	music engineer
Leandro Maciel	....	musician: guitars
Andy Milburn	....	musician: keyboard
P. Daniel Newman	....	music editor (as P. Dan Newman)
tomandandy	....	music producer
Robin Urdang	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Tyler Robinson	....	driver: grip truck
Keith Sheldon	....	driver: fifth wheel

Other crew
Roger Armstrong	....	legal services
David Barr	....	office production assistant
Aaron Corpus	....	key production intern
Alex Davenport	....	office production assistant
Marc Dearmond	....	production intern
Bret Dickerson	....	key boat operator
Coleen Donnelly	....	caterer
Sage Eaton	....	production assistant
Erik Fauske	....	production intern
Nathaniel Flynn-Ryan	....	production intern
Peter Froelich	....	security
Susan Funk	....	location production assistant
Shaun Gavin	....	location manager
Tim Gradt	....	location production assistant
Doris Hellmann	....	production accountant
Simon Hill	....	location manager
Jason R. Houston	....	script supervisor
Gabe Huston	....	third boat operator
Matt Jebbia	....	production intern
Joan Johnson	....	production coordinator
Lisa Loven	....	legal services
Erick Mertz	....	production intern
Billy Miller	....	security
Zamin Mirza	....	production intern
Rob Nahurski	....	assistant to producers
Davis Priestley	....	production assistant
Michele Robertson	....	publicist
Jane Rosenthal	....	canoe wrangler
Amanda Santana	....	craft service assistant
Marissa Santana	....	craft service assistant
Molly Santana	....	craft service
Sophie Serbulo	....	caterer
Douglas J. Sutherland	....	production associate (as Doug Sutherland)
Thad Tyler	....	second boat operator
Julie Landholt	....	graphic artist: titles (uncredited)

Thanks
Gretchen Lieberum	....	thanks
William Mapother	....	thanks
Daniel Petrie Jr.	....	thanks (as Dan Petrie Jr.)
Stuart Provine	....	thanks
Emily Gerson Saines	....	special thanks
Adam Stern	....	thanks
Stephanie Tichenor	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Whitewater Films

Distributors

• Paramount Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (video)
• Filmes do Estação (2005) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2004) (Greece) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Compagnia Distribuzione Internazionale (CDI) (2004) (Italy) (all media)
• Film Pop (2005) (Turkey) (all media)
• Focus Features (non-USA)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2005) (Thailand) (all media)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2005) (Vietnam) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• RTL Klub Televízió (2010) (Hungary) (TV)
• Tohokushinsha Film (2006) (Japan) (all media)

Special Effects

• Two Hours in the Dark (corpse creation)

Other Companies

• Alpha Cine Laboratory  dailies (as Alphacine)
• DTC Grip & Electric  grip and lighting equipment
• Half Moon Catering  catering
• Hollywood Global Studios  post sound services
• International Recording  post sound services
• NorthWestExtras  extras casting
• Post Modern Sound  post sound services
• Richard Flores Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Title House Digital  titles and opticals
• Turbosound  post sound services
• Turbosound  sound editorial

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual references, teen drug and alcohol use

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Sweden:11 | Brazil:16 | Belgium:KT | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut) | Ireland:15A | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 | New Zealand:R13

Filming Locations:

Clackamas River, Clackamas, Oregon, USA

Company:

Whitewater Films

Trivia:

The case # is 3668543 (seen when the police start watching George's video at 01:23:50).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sam is talking to Rocky about calling off the prank, the position of his hands on the oar he is holding keeps on changing, and in some close-ups his hands and the oar are not visible, when they should be (from 27:48 to 28:08).

Quotes:

[first lines]
George:Hey! What do you think you're doing? You're a punk, Sam!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Tremble

'Deliverance' For The Truth Or Dare Crowd

'Mean Creek' is 'Deliverance' for the Truth Or Dare crowd. John Boorman's 1972 thriller about a canoe trip gone wrong had a sense of reality and inevitability that redeemed the horrific violence. The film didn't flinch and no one escaped with a happy ending. Feature-film newcomer Jacob Aaron Estes' prank-gone-too-far morality tale isn't as riveting as 'Deliverance', but his 'Mean Creek' hits many of the same haunting notes. He skillfully uses guilt and paranoia as weapons. Just ask Nixon...it's not the crime, it's the cover-up.

The only cast member I've heard of is Rory Culkin, who reinforces the notion that he's the best actor in his family. Sam (Culkin) and 4 others (his potential girlfriend, his big brother, and 2 friends) have conned the local bully into joining them on a boating trip. They're planning to trick him into stripping off his clothes, then they'll make him run home naked. The girl (Carly Schroeder) doesn't discover this plan until she's already in the boat, but she convinces the boys to call it off. After all, George the bully (Josh Peck) is just a fat fool who might even be a nice guy.

Ah, but a good film never lets its characters off the hook that easily. Our Greek tragedies dictate that there would be no film (certainly not one called 'Mean Creek') if they all just lived happily yadda yadda. George doesn't deserve this treatment, but he's not perfectly innocent either. Actually, he's askin' for it. What eventually happens to him might not be deliberate, but how will the kids explain their actions? It doesn't help that George has been recording most of the trip on a video camera.

The skilled child actors are allowed to play smart characters. They give naturalistic performances and say real things. Estes' perceptive script doesn't let ANYONE off the hook because there's a lot of blame to go around. George isn't the only bully, after all. 'Mean Creek' is a fairly simple story told with a series of complex layers. Humiliation, vengeance, a waking nightmare, no heroes or villains...the film is filled with themes. In the final thirty minutes, the characters are forced to deal with the consequences of their actions. For such a child-filled movie, this is a grown-up story.