Beneath the surface, 'Creek' offers plenty

Sometimes the most overdone of premises can still make for an interesting movie. In his debut film, "Mean Creek," writer/director Jacob Aaron Estes starts you off with the concept of a young boy (Rory Culkin) getting revenge on a bully (Josh Peck) by stripping him naked and dumping him into a river. But, predictably, the prank goes awry and the innocent teenagers now have a horrible secret to keep between them.\nViewers might initially sigh at the unoriginality of the premise. A group of friends are all tied up in a death and they hide it so nobody goes to jail. Tensions are high and somebody's bound to crack. See "Jawbreaker," "Very Bad Things," "Bully" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer" for plenty of examples. But what makes this film different is that it isn't focused as much on what happens after the accident, but what leads up to it. \nEstes has a very good sense of pace when it comes to character development. The friends all scheme to get George, the bully, to go on a boating trip so they can exact their revenge. Along the way, George becomes more than just an aggressive jerk. You find that he's just a lonely fat kid who talks a lot of trash as a means to be accepted. Estes jerks your emotions around; one minute you don't want to see George get his punishment, while the next you eagerly wait for it to occur. Eventually, you watch George take all of his resentment and anger toward the world out on the boys, spouting enough wretched insults and rehashing enough harsh memories for his character to finally deserve his fate.\n"Mean Creek" is a very realistic movie, which is its biggest strength and also its biggest weakness. It's refreshing to watch a suspenseful film without over-the-top, ridiculous plot twists. Everything proceeds as it should, but that's also the main problem. Nothing surprises you in this film and although I'd expect most viewers to feel satisfied afterwards, I don't expect many to be amazed. Estes does well with a simple premise, but the film is almost too simple when it comes to plot.\nThe bonus features on this film aren't very special. Standard director's commentary, behind-the-scenes feature and storyboards are included mostly as filler, but since this film received a very small theatrical release, I think bonus features aren't as important as the film itself.\n"Mean Creek" is a great first effort and it should be viewed as such. Enjoy the deep characters, but don't be upset if the plot is too shallow.