Review 2013 by RD Clark

Mud

Written by: Jeff Nichols

Directed by: Jeff Nichols

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Sam Shepard,

Rated PG-13
Running time: 130 mins

Two adventurous teenagers discover a boat that has landed up in a tree and claim it as theirs. They soon discover that someone already lives in it. They decide to help him, by bringing the boat down and fixing it up so he can escape to the sea. Along the way, they discover much of the pain and limits and perils of love.

This is one of those bittersweet coming of age stories that some will find trivial and/or tedious; I found it engaging and enlightening. And, of course, any film with Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon has a head start. The trips along the river are enchanting and the peek into the lives of regular people hammering out an existence the best they can makes me feel a little better about myself.

I would call this a good, solid, matinee movie. Safe enough for the kids, although the younger ones might get restless. Interestingly, the audience I saw it with was pretty much white and older…yeah, like me.
No post credit scenes, so drink all the soda you want and boogie on out when the credits roll.

Flytrap rating: 7.5 /10

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