What's on Redbox--Mud

The coming-of-age drama is a staple in the book of cinema.  From classics like “Rebel without a Cause” and “The Graduate” to the John Hughes movies of the 80’s and films like “Stand By Me” all the way to the more recent “Almost Famous”, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, and “The Spectacular Now”.  They have their own tropes and points of familiarity, but they should all have heart and tell a truthful story.  Not truth in the way of facts, but truth by way of emotional and relatable situations and moments in life that clearly take you from childhood to adulthood whether you want to go there or not.  “Mud” is a coming-of-age of which I have not seen the like it quite some time.

Directed by Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) and starring Matthew McConaughey as Mud and newcomer Tye Sheridan as Ellis a 14 year-old boy who lives on the riverbank in Arkansas with the estranged parents of the afore mentioned coming-of-age staple.  Ellis and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) stubble across the man who calls himself Mud on a small island not too far from their home.  He tells them why he’s isolated himself away from civilization and this prompts the boys help Mud acquire a boat and reunite him and his true love Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) before the some bad men try to kill him.

 Director Nichols pulls off a virtual magic act here.  He seamlessly blends a modern Huck Finn tale with the multiple levels of relationships between men and women.  We see the first love of Ellis, the doomed love of Mud and Juniper, the strained marriage of Ellis’s parents, and the lost love of Tom (Sam Shepard) Mud’s surrogate father.  All get enough time throughout the film as mostly seen through the eyes of young Ellis.  Tye Sheridan’s performance is as honest and sincere that even with a slightly off-kilter final act, the film as a whole is very satisfying and a real pleasure to watch.  I usually don’t care much for films with Reese Witherspoon, but she does a great job here with minimal dialogue as does most of the cast.  It’s a quiet film with spiritual speeches by Mud and the great long shots of the South give it an almost timeless feel, you can’t help but get immersed in this sure to be classic of the genre.

--Robert L. Castillo