Mud (2012)

Two young boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the vigilantes that are on his trail and to reunite him with his true love.

Director:

Jeff Nichols

Writer:

Jeff Nichols

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland

11 wins & 35 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey	...	Mud
Reese Witherspoon	...	Juniper
Tye Sheridan	...	Ellis
Jacob Lofland	...	Neckbone
Sam Shepard	...	Tom
Ray McKinnon	...	Senior
Sarah Paulson	...	Mary Lee
Michael Shannon	...	Galen
Joe Don Baker	...	King
Paul Sparks	...	Carver
Bonnie Sturdivant	...	May Pearl
Stuart Greer	...	Miller
John Ward Jr.	...	Galen's Helper
Kristy Barrington	...	Princess
Johnny Cheek	...	Kyle

Storyline

14 year-old Ellis (Tye Sheridan) lives on a makeshift houseboat on the banks of a river in Arkansas with his parents, Mary Lee (Sarah Paulson) and Senior (Ray McKinnon). He sneaks out early one morning to meet his best friend, Neckbone (Jacob Lofland). Neckbone, also 14, lives with his uncle, Galen (Michael Shannon), who makes a hardscrabble living diving for oysters. The two boys set out to an island on the Mississippi River, where Neckbone has discovered an unusual sight-a boat, suspended high in the trees, a remnant of an extreme flood some time in the past. They climb the tree and into the boat only to find fresh bread and fresh footprints. Realizing that they are not the only ones who have discovered the treehouse boat, they decide to leave. When they reach the shore, they find the same footprint in their boat. And that's when they meet Mud (Matthew McConaughey). Mud is a gritty, superstitious character; his clothes are dirty, his tooth is cracked, and he needs help. He tells the...

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Plot Keywords:

friendship between boys | southern gothic | boat | boy | river | 

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Taglines:

Entangled in his past. Running from the law. All for love.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual references, language, thematic elements and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Мад

Filming Locations:

Crocketts Bluff, Arkansas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,215,460, 28 April 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$21,590,086, 18 September 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, Everest Entertainment, Brace Cove Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jeff Nichols filmed in southeast Arkansas. Locations included Dumas, De Witt, Lake Village, Crocketts Bluff, and Stuttgart. The island in the film was located outside the city of Eudora.

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Goofs

When Neckbone calls Mud for help after Ellis falls into the snakepit, Mud grabs his shirt off the limb, sticks his arms in, and takes off running with the shirt unbuttoned. In the next shot as Mud runs towards the camera, his shirt is fully buttoned.

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Quotes

Mud: There are fierce powers at work in the world, boys. Good, evil, poor luck, best luck. As men, we've got to take advantage where we can.

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Crazy Credits

Everest Entertainment donates a portion of its profits from each film to charity. By watching an Everest film you have made a difference. We thank you.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Pain & Gain (2013)

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Soundtracks

The Kid
Written by Ben Nichols
Performed by Ben Nichols
Courtesy of Empty Road Music

User Reviews

A Ripping Good Yarn

Jeff Nichols' new film "Mud" is essentially a coming-of-age tale, but it borrows liberally elements of neo-noir, Southern Gothic and melodrama while being filmed as if it was based on some great novel that was never written. It makes for a ripping good yarn that should please a wide audience thirsty for drama with a bit of heart and some sentimentality (without ever being sappy).

The cast works extremely well together under Nichols' direction with McConaughey delivering an Oscar worthy performance as a troubled man hiding out on an island in the Mississippi River who is discovered by two young teenage boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland in two winning performances).

You won't want much more spoiled before seeing it. Highly recommended.

Check out full reviews at theschleicherspin.com