- IMDb page: Mud (2012)
- Rate: 7.4/10 total 518 votes
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: 10 May 2013 (UK)
- Runtime: 130 min
- Filming Location: Dumas, Arkansas
- Director: Jeff Nichols
- Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland | See full cast and crew
- Original Music By: David Wingo
- Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
- Plot Keyword: Fugitive | Teenage Boy | Boy | Bounty Hunter | Pact
Writing Credits By:
Jeff Nichols (written by)
Known Trivia
- Chris Pine was originally considered for this role.
Plot: Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love. Full summary » | »
Story: 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). Mud is a gritty, superstitious character; his clothes are dirty, his tooth is cracked, and he needs help. He tells the... Written byRoadside Attractions
Produced By:
Glen Basner known as executive producer
Lisa Maria Falcone known as producer
Michael Flynn known as executive producer
Sarah Green known as producer
Tom Heller known as executive producer
Morgan Pollitt known as associate producer
Aaron Ryder known as producer
Gareth Smith known as executive producer
FullCast & Crew:
- Matthew McConaughey known as Mud
- Tye Sheridan known as Ellis
- Jacob Lofland known as Neckbone
- Reese Witherspoon known as Juniper
- Sarah Paulson known as Mary Lee
- Ray McKinnon known as Senior
- Sam Shepard known as Tom Blankenship
- Michael Shannon known as Galen
- Paul Sparks known as Carver
- Joe Don Baker known as King
- Johnny Cheek known as Kyle
- Bonnie Sturdivant known as May Pearl
- Stuart Greer known as Miller
- Clayton Carson known as Pryor
Michael Abbott Jr. known as James (uncredited)
Kristy Barrington known as Princess (uncredited)
Lauren Lee known as Additional Dialogue (uncredited)
Douglas Ligon known as Motel Clerk (uncredited)
Matt Newcomb known as Male Nurse (uncredited)
Makeup Department:
Carla Brenholtz known as key makeup artist
Robin Fredriksz known as makeup artist: Reese WItherspoon
Jamie Hess known as special makeup designs lab work
Alexis LaCentra known as special makeup designs lab work
Mike McCracken known as special makeup designs lab work
Matthew W. Mungle known as special makeup effects designer
Kelly Nelson known as department head hair
Tina Roesler Kerwin known as makeup department head
Tina Roesler Kerwin known as makeup designer
Alissa Shores known as key hairstylist
Lona Vigi known as hair stylist: Reese Witherspoon
Clinton Wayne known as special makeup effects designer
Art Department:
Jason Babin known as prop maker
Rick Bernos known as painter
Mike Boswell known as greensman
Adrian Bozeman known as prop maker
Leo Brown known as prop maker
Mike Caldwell known as prop maker
Lizzy Faulkner Chandler known as art department coordinator/clearances
Daniel Coe known as construction coordinator
Mitchell Crisp known as on set dresser
Larry L. Dean Jr. known as lead greensman
Gavin Deloach known as construction utility technician
Henson Flye known as set dresser
Doug Green known as prop maker
Colleen Haley known as art production assistant
Thaddys Hearington known as prop maker
William Johnson Jr. known as painter
Jerod Johnson known as painter
Peggy Johnson known as paint foreman
Thomas V. Johnson known as lead scenic
Tom Johnson known as lead scenic painter
Kristin Mann known as props
Matthew Martin known as set dresser
Mark Moore known as storyboard artist
Scott A. Reeder known as props
Hannah May Roark known as assistant property master
Joey Santoro known as set dresser
John Eric Seay known as construction foreman
David Sessum III known as prop maker
David Sessum Jr. known as prop maker
Jonathan Shaffer known as property master
Miranda Sink known as set dec pa
Debbie Smith known as painter
James Smith known as set dresser
William Vestal known as greensman
Richard Blake Wester known as leadman
Dorsey Williamson known as picture cars
Jason Wilson known as prop maker
Russell Wilson known as prop maker
Karen Young known as on set dresser
Production Companies:
- Everest Entertainment
- Brace Cove Productions
- FilmNation Entertainment
Other Companies:
- All Celebrity Travel travel agency
- Arkansas County Sheriff's Department special thanks
- Arkansas Custom Tours/Travel travel agency
- Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission special thanks
- Arkansas State Police special thanks
- B.A. Department, The production and legal affairs
- Big Banjo's, Dumas Arkansas special thanks
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera dollies
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment hydrascope telescoping crane arm
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment stabilized remote camera systems
- Cleared By Ashley clearance coordinator
- Community of Crocketts Bluff, Arkansas special thanks
- Crocketts Bluff Lodge special thanks
- DeWitt Stern Insurance Services insurance provided by
- EFilm digital intermediate services provided by
- Fat Dot publicity
- Intelligent Media international monitoring agency
- LAFX score mixed at
- Lakeshore Records soundtrack
- Music+Arts Studio scoring
- Norm Marshall and Associates product placement
- Office Space special thanks
- Piggly Wiggly, Dumas Arkansas special thanks
- Pivotal Post Avid HD Editing Equipment Provided By
- Ready to Serve catering
- Red Footed Booby Company post production accounting
- Resonate Studio, Austin strings recorded at
- Scarlet Letters title design by
- Skywalker Sound sound services provided by
- Stuck On On adr recorded at
- Stuttgart Fire Department special thanks
- Stuttgart School District special thanks
- Tequila Mockingbird adr recorded at
- Troublemaker Studios re-recorded at
- Worldwide Movie Animals animals provided by
Distributors:
- Ad Vitam Distribution (2013) (France) (theatrical)
- Lionsgate (2013) (USA) (theatrical)
- Roadside Attractions (2013) (USA) (theatrical)
- Mongkol Major (2013) (Thailand) (all media)
- Pinema (2013) (Turkey) (all media)
- Vértigo Films (2013) (Spain) (all media)
Special Effects:
Visual Effects by:
Antony Allen known as compositor
Brett Angelillis known as animator
Lersak Bunupuradah known as cg artist
Zach Christian known as matte painter
Patrick Clancey known as digital opticals
Chad E. Collier known as data technician: Method Studios
Janice Barlow Collier known as technical administrator: Method Studios
Juan Colon known as 3D tracking
Loraine Cooper known as compositor
Sean Danischevsky known as 2D supervisor: London
Tom Daws known as flame artist
Gus Duron known as digital optical editor
Amy Garback known as I/O coordinator
Zafar Janjua known as visual effects coordinator
Jake King known as colorist assistant
David Lo known as cg artist
Benjamin Mattern known as animator
Julia Neighly known as visual effects producer
Paula Olszowska known as compositor
Mitch Paulson known as supervising digital colorist
Rob Phillips known as digital intermediate producer
Martha Pike known as digital intermediate editor
Andrew Pinson known as compositor
Giorgia Pulvirenti known as compositor
Jason Schugardt known as visual effects supervisor
Rosalie A. Staley known as digital intermediate associate producer
Lauren van Houten known as 3D tracking
Anastasia Von Rahl known as visual effects coordinator
Jenny Wan known as roto/prep artist
Matt Wilson known as compositor
Fabio Zapata known as 3D tracking supervisor
Release Date:
France 26 May 2012 (Cannes Film Festival)
France 13 November 2012 (Arras Film Festival)
USA 19 January 2013 (Sundance Film Festival)
USA 26 April 2013
France 1 May 2013
Ireland 10 May 2013
UK 10 May 2013
Hong Kong 18 July 2013
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual references, language, thematic elements and smoking
Mud, Jeff Nichols follow up to the criminally under-seen Take Shelter,is a strange mix between a coming of age story and and escaped conthriller. Set in a Arkansas town that's about as redneck-y as redneckgets, Mud focuses on a couple of boys in their early teens, Ellis (TyeSheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland). The duo comes across a boatlodged in a tree thats occupied by a bum named Mud (MatthewMcConaughey). Mud seems amiable to the boys, trading food for aguarantee that the boat will be theirs once he goes on his merry way toreacquaint himself with the love of his life, Juniper (ReeseWitherspoon). However, once it becomes clear that Mud is being huntedby the police and a pack of bounty hunters due to a past crime, theboys strike a deal with their homeless friend: they'll get thetree-stranded boat up and running in exchange for the pistol Mud usedto commit the crime he is being pursued for.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, lets make something explicitly clear: Mud is justabout as cheesy as you get. The movie never misses a chance to takeemotional cheap shots at the audience, and many of the plot lines (oneregarding marital troubles between Ellis's folks in particular) feelripped straight out of Lifetime movies. However, for each overwroughtgroaner that misses the mark, there is a genuine moment of tendernessbetween characters that hits the emotional bullseye.
There are plenty of moments when Nichols should have pulled back,should have avoided the schmaltz, but they don't ruin the scenes thatget the relationships between characters right on. Especially effectiveare the scenes between Ellis and Mud, with Ellis's admiration of gruffand mysterious Mud never being overdone. The same cannot be said forthe relationship between Ellis and his feuding parents, which moreoften then not amps the drama up to 11 when what it needed more thananything was restraint.
Mud also overstays its welcome due to an excessively leisurely pacethat includes one too many subplots. Mud has plenty of fat to be cut,from the standard teen infatuation story of a young boy dropping the"L" word after a single date to a subplot revolving around a scubadiver (played by the always awesome but tragically unnecessary MichealShannon) which only pays off in the oddest and least fulfilling way.Had 20ish minutes been cut, I can't help but feel it would have madefor a more effective final act, but as it stands the numerous blandasides from the main story drag the film down, especially in the finalact.
Despite these flaws, Mud succeeds where it really counts. Therelationship between the two boys, and their interactions with Mud, area pleasure to watch. This is largely due to the easygoing chemistrybetween the actors, making the strange idea of a 14 year oldbefriending a middle aged hobo somewhat more believable. The acting ingeneral is great all around, McConaughey stealing the show with hisdetached Mud. The only week link is Witherspoon as Mud's fickle love,who seems to be sleepwalking through scenes that needed a moreemotional push.
As a final note, the last half hour or so of the movie goes a littlecrazy. Following the lamest forced-emotion scene in the film (somethingthat was telegraphed excessively earlier in the film), the filmcompletely switches genres for its climactic scene. Without going intodetail, the ending was more than a little jarring and felt out of placein a slow drama.
Mud was very well-received by a packed house at the Paramount Theatrefor its Regional Premiere at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. The crowdparticularly loved local favorites director Jeff Nichols and the alwaysshape-shifting Matthew McConaughey. (How is it possible thatMcConaughey hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar yet?) Mud is acharming, entrancing film that has almost lyrical quality as it unfoldsalong the rural backwoods of Arkansas's Mississippi River. The storyrevolves around the adventures of two young teenage boys who meet amysterious drifter appropriately named Mud. Mud is hiding out an islandin the Mississippi River awaiting the arrival of his beloved Juniper.The story has elements of drama, thriller, and romance. While the filmis slightly too long and the story has a few unnecessary anddistracting subplots, its overall eloquence and is absorbing. So likethe Mississippi, the story meanders a little too much. The Riversetting becomes a character in the film that shapes the drama playingout along it. The two teenage actors are excellent, but the film istour-de-force for McConaughey who is its heart and soul. Highlyrecommended for those who like serious drama and appreciate naturalbeauty.
ReplyDeleteI saw it in Cannes a few days ago, and what a beautiful and strongmovie!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a shame this movie didn't get the Golden Palm!!!
I don't want to spoil this movie, but I can just say it's a rare andbeautiful movie about love, friendship, nature and wildness. Verysensitive, touching.
The cast is great, Reese Whiterspoon, Matthew McConaughey, and the twochildren.
Great photography too, with great shots of the Mississippi (amongothers).
I'm looking forward to see Jeff Nichols' next project!