Mud (2012)
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The story
Set along the Mississippi River in rural Arkansas, the film follows two teenage boys, Ellis and Neckbone, who encounter a fugitive named Mud hiding on a small island. They agree to help him repair a boat, evade bounty hunters, and reunite with his estranged lover, Juniper. As the boys assist the charismatic but disheveled man, they become entangled in his dangerous past and the complexities of his life as a fugitive. The story explores the bond between the boys and the man, set against the backdrop of the Mississippi River.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ellis and Neckbone, two teenagers near DeWitt, Arkansas, find an abandoned boat on an island in the Mississippi River. It is occupied by Mud, a fugitive who asks for food in exchange for the boat. Mud reveals he is waiting for his lover, Juniper. While the boys help Mud repair the boat and navigate his predicament, Ellis falls for a girl named May Pearl and faces his parents' impending divorce. Mud reveals he killed a man who had harmed Juniper. The boys help him repair the boat and coordinate a plan to escape with Juniper. However, Juniper fails to appear as planned. After a series of events, including a confrontation where Mud is forced to admit he is not a good man, a violent shootout occurs involving a group led by Carver. Tom Blankenship, a former Marine, intervenes and kills several attackers. Mud is injured but eventually survives, and the boys' lives continue to change as their family situation evolves. The film ends with Mud and Neckbone on the repaired boat, heading toward the Gulf of Mexico.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jeff Nichols
- Writers
- Jeff Nichols · writer
- Cast and characters
- Matthew McConaughey · Mud; Reese Witherspoon · Juniper; Tye Sheridan · Ellis; Jacob Lofland · Neckbone; Sam Shepard · Tom Blankenship; Ray McKinnon · Senior; Sarah Paulson · Mary Lee; Michael Shannon · Galen; Joe Don Baker · King; Paul Sparks · Carver; Bonnie Sturdivant · May Pearl; Stuart Greer · Miller
- Genres
- Southern Gothic; coming-of-age drama
- Themes
- brotherhood; coming-of-age; impact of fractured families
- Tone and mood
- atmospheric; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; river adventure; boyhood exploration
- Source material / true-story basis
- Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- Reception
- Mud received positive reviews from critics and was noted for its authentic portrayal of rural Southern white communities.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 97% · scale: percentage · review count: 183; Metacritic · score: 76 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Awards and nominations
- Best Director · Independent Spirit Awards · nomination; Best Young Actor/Actress · Critics' Choice Award · nomination; Grand Prix · Belgian Film Critics Association · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the largest production ever to be filmed in the state of Arkansas.; The film's inspiration came from Mark Twain's classic novels.; The film was a significant part of Matthew McConaughey's 'McConaissance' era.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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