Mud

 By: Kara Maltby

From Take Shelter to Mud, Jeff Nichols is starting to prove himself as a director. From the reactions of the audience once the end credits began rolling, others are noticing his natural talent as well for both writing and directing. He is a natural-born storyteller.

Two fourteen year-old boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who are very mature for their age and have less-than-perfect home lives, live on the river and find an old abandoned boat in a tree on an island not too far from their homes on the riverside. When they discover that a man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) is temporarily living in this stranded boat, their lives take an exciting and dangerous turn.

They learn that Mud is in love with a beautiful blonde woman named Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) and is trying to run away with her but needs their help. He is running from the cops because he shot and killed a man who did Juniper wrong and needs to reconstruct the boat in order to have a chance at escaping.

From delivering notes to Juniper in secrecy to stealing parts for the boat, the boys take on the challenge of saving Mud and ensuring he and Juniper’s safe escape. After talking to a man who has known Mud and Juniper for a long time, Tom Blankenship (Sam Shepard), however, the boys soon discover not everyone is who they think they are. They must decide who to trust while learning about the hardships of love lost from those around them.

From still shots of the beautiful scenery by the river to shots of Mud’s grungy life in the woods, the film is visually stunning and truly captures every emotion of the characters in the film while keeping your attention on the screen. It made me want to move to the river and live a life similar to these young boys after seeing each shot and hearing how much they each loved their lives on the riverside.

Each performance was also impeccable and so fun to watch. I never once was aware of the fact that they were acting because their were so natural and convincing in their roles. Each emotion and line seemed effortless and pulled me into the film that much more. I was so pleasantly surprised to see Matthew McConaughey play a much more serious role as well. He truly proved himself in this film as a talented actor and as so much more than the attractive, shirtless eye-candy. In fact, the film constantly reminds you of the importance of his shirt. The two young boys were also amazing. It seemed as if they had really grown up in this town their whole lives and weren’t just acting, like the two young children in Winter’s Bone.

Not only was the acting flawless, but the story was incredible as well. It was heartfelt without being over-the-top and never lost my attention. It is one of those few movies that I never once looked down at my watch. In fact, when it ended, I wasn’t ready for it to be over. I wanted more.

I loved watching Ellis learn about Mud and was so encouraged by his faith in love, even when it seems everyone around him is giving up. When his father told him that he and his mother were considering a divorce and he responded with, “But you’re married. Aren’t you supposed to love each other?,” my heart went out to him. When he gave so much to help Mud and Juniper and she asked why, he responded, “Because you love each other.” When May Pearl rejected him, he responded, “But I love you.” I was constantly surprised and encouraged by the endless faith and hope in this young boy’s heart. 

The story also did a great job of character development and redeeming your trust in characters just when you’re about to give up on them. When Ellis yells at Mud for lying to him and using him to deliver messages to Juniper because Mud was too scared to face her himself, I found myself so emotionally attached to Ellis that I was wanting to yell at Mud along with him. This didn’t last long, however, because Mud completely redeems himself by risking his life in more ways than one to save Ellis and begins to face his own problems.

I will admit that I did not find May Pearl’s (Bonnie Sturdivant) character necessary at first. It was not until Ellis punched May Pearl’s new boyfriend that I understood her character’s significance. She was a vessel for showing how Mud was influencing Ellis and just how much Ellis looked up to him. Ellis did exactly what Mud would have done in this situation. It was also sweet to see this vulnerable and sweet side of the tough boy when he cries over losing this girl that he only knew for a short time.

This film has now become one of my favorites and is one that I believe I will watch again and again and be just as effected by it each and every time. Based on how well the audience received Mud, I think Jeff Nichols has a very bright career ahead.

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols; produced by Everest Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment

Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

WITH: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, and Michael Shannon