Mud is a 2012 American coming-of-age drama film starring Matthew
McConaughey, Tye Sheridan and Reese Witherspoon. The film competed for the Palme
d'Or at Cannes.
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)…
Awards
- Cannes Film Festival 2012 – Nominated for Palme d'Or
Mud Reviews
“One of the most creatively rich and emotionally rewarding movies to
come along this year.” LA Times
“..an art-house movie that will pull mainstream audiences along as
inexorably as the Mississippi River. Go see it.” New York Post
“..poses as a mere adolescent adventure tale but explores a rich vein
of grown-up concerns, exploring codes of honor, love and family too solid to be
shaken by modernizing forces.” Variety
“Glorious vision of youth and truth, love and loss, your name is
Mud.” Time
“A provocative mood piece. Nichols, who had an art-house hit in
2011 with “Take Shelter,” has a gift for creating characters of unusual
depth, and for eliciting performances of emotional resonance. With Mud, he seems
to be edging closer to the mainstream, but his skills are as sharp as
ever.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“..a movie of striking performances and memorable images and of people
who seem to belong in rather than being imposed upon their environment.”
Observer, UK
“Endearing and believable, the two actors playing Ellis and Neckbone
are pitch-perfect.” USA Today
“There's something old-fashioned about Mud, but if you allow yourself
to settle into its leisurely pace, it will reward you. If he were alive today,
Mark Twain would approve.” Entertainment Weekly
“It's a lovely, coherent piece of storytelling, with a unique sense of
place. Nichols has carved out a niche as a distinctive film-maker.” Daily
Telegraph
“In the hands of Nichols, Mud emerges as a thing of bruised beauty.
There's magic in it.” Rolling Stone
“By setting the action within a quasi-mythic framework Nichols is able
to draw us into his big adventure and help us to rediscover the whispers of
youth.” Eye for Film
“Jeff Nichols's third feature traffics unerringly in truth, delicious
surprise, unadorned beauty and unforced wisdom.” Wall Street Journal