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==Reception==
==Reception==
''Mud'' received universal acclaim from film critics. Review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a score of 99%, based on reviews from 136 critics, with an average rating of 8/10, and an Adjusted Score of 105.184%<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/summer-movie-scorecard-2013/</ref>, with the site's consensus: "Bolstered by a strong performance from Matthew McConaughey in the title role, ''Mud'' offers an engaging Southern drama that manages to stay sweet and heartwarming without being sappy."<ref>{{rotten-tomatoes|mud_2012|Mud}} Retrieved June 16, 2013</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film holds a 76/100 rating, signifying "generally positive reviews".<ref>{{metacritic film|mud|Mud}} Retrieved June 16, 2013</ref>
''Mud'' received universal acclaim from film critics. Review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a score of 99%, based on reviews from 136 critics, with an average rating of 8/10, with the site's consensus: "Bolstered by a strong performance from Matthew McConaughey in the title role, ''Mud'' offers an engaging Southern drama that manages to stay sweet and heartwarming without being sappy."<ref>{{rotten-tomatoes|mud_2012|Mud}} Retrieved June 16, 2013</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film holds a 76/100 rating, signifying "generally positive reviews".<ref>{{metacritic film|mud|Mud}} Retrieved June 16, 2013</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 07:55, 17 June 2013

Mud
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJeff Nichols
Written byJeff Nichols
Produced byLisa Maria Falcone
Sarah Green
Aaron Ryder
StarringMatthew McConaughey
Tye Sheridan
Sam Shepard
Reese Witherspoon
CinematographyAdam Stone
Edited byJulie Monroe
Music byDavid Wingo
Production
companies
Everest Entertainment
Brace Cove Productions
FilmNation Entertainment
Distributed byLionsgate
Roadside Attractions
Release dates
  • May 26, 2012 (2012-05-26) (Cannes)
  • April 26, 2013 (2013-04-26) (limited US)
Running time
130 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million[2]
Box office$19,517,000[3]

Mud is a 2012 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Jeff Nichols. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Sam Shepard, and Reese Witherspoon. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[4][5] It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013, and had a limited release in select theaters on April 26, 2013.[6][7]

Plot

Two teenage boys, Ellis and Neckbone, travel to a small island in the Mississippi River in search of a boat stuck in a tree. Once there, they meet Mud – a fugitive who wants to reunite with his old girlfriend, Juniper, and then skip town. Mud explains he killed a man who impregnated Juniper and then pushed her down a flight of stairs, causing her to lose the child. The boys decide to lend Mud a helping hand, working to free the boat from its perch and in exchange for Mud's .45 pistol. Mud also tells them about Juniper, who he claims to love. He explains that she has a nightingale bird on her hand, and Neck and Ellis spot her at the supermarket. Eager to follow her, they find her at a motel being abused by Carver. Ellis charges Carver and shoves him off Juniper, but he gets a black eye in return. Juniper thanks Ellis for saving her.

The police are searching for Mud, but the boys don't give away his hiding place. Then things grow more dangerous when the vengeful father, King, of Mud's victim arrives in town. They pay off the police and hire a small militia to find and kill Mud.

Meanwhile, Ellis is dealing with his own personal troubles. His parents are heading for divorce, which puts their old river houseboat in danger of deconstruction due to recently passed laws. Ellis also falls for a high school girl named May Pearl, with whom he experiences first love. Mud looks to Tom Blankenship, an older father figure from his childhood, for help. Tom lives across the river from Ellis, so he is easy to find. Tom, however, is none too pleased about the trouble Mud has gotten himself into all in the name of Juniper. He refuses to help.

The boys steal machine parts from junkyards and help Mud repair the boat and rebuild the engine. They also locate Juniper, but she decides not to leave with Mud and breaks his heart by having an affair with another man. Ellis also suffers heartbreak when May Pearl cruelly rebuffs him in front of her friends. Ellis angrily calls Mud a liar and says he made Ellis a thief when he returns to the island. He then leaves and accidentally falls into a creek with water moccasins and is bitten. Mud and Neckbone get Ellis to the mainland and from there Mud takes Ellis to the hospital. One of the hospital employees recognizes Mud from the Wanted posters and tips off King.

Mud and Neckbone get the repaired boat into the water. True to their deal, Mud gives Neckbone his gun but not the bullets. Mud wants to say good-bye to Ellis before he leaves, so Neckbone takes him to Ellis’s houseboat where he is now recovering. As Mud says his good-byes, Carver and his posse arrive. A shootout takes place, during which Tom uses his old sniper rifle to pick off several attackers from the roof of his home. Mud tries to get away, but as one of the members pulls a gun on Ellis, he distracts him, only to be shot himself before disappearing into the river. After all the posse members are dead, including Carver, the police arrive. One trooper calls King and delivers the message that his other son is dead.

Ellis’s parents separate and they lose the houseboat. However, Ellis looks towards the future with hope. He is uncertain of Mud's fate, or whether he is alive or not. Tom finds Mud in the river, alive, and treats his wounds. The duo uses the repaired boat to travel down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico in the pursuit of Mud’s freedom.

Cast

Production

Jeff Nichols wrote and directed Mud, which was fully financed by Everest Entertainment and produced by both Everest and FilmNation Entertainment.[8] Nichols began developing the story in 2000 while he was still a student. He was inspired by Mark Twain's works including the 1876 novel Tom Sawyer. He also sought to reflect the theme of love in the film, "I wanted to capture a point in my life in High School when I had crushes on girls and it totally broke my heart and it was devastating. I wanted to try and bottle that excitement and that pain and that intensity of being in love and being a teenager."

Nichols said he had envisioned the role of Mud for Matthew McConaughey,[9] though in May 2011, Chris Pine was in talks for the lead role.[10] Ultimately, McConaughey was cast as Mud the following August and was joined by Reese Witherspoon.[11] Witherspoon was at the same agency as Nichols, so he was able to approach her for the role of Juniper.[9] For the film's depiction of the Southern United States, Nichols cast boys who could already pilot boats and ride dirt bikes instead of ones who would have to be taught on set.[12] For the lead teenage role Neckbone, over 2,000 boys auditioned, and 15-year-old Jacob Lofland from Yell County, Arkansas was cast as Neckbone.[13]

Nichols started shooting Mud in his home state of Arkansas on September 26, 2011.[14] Filming took eight weeks and concluded on November 19. He filmed in Southeast Arkansas; locations included Dumas, De Witt, Lake Village, Crocketts Bluff, and Stuttgart.[13] The island in the film was located outside the city of Eudora.[15] The cast and crew numbered over 100 people, around half who were Arkansas residents. Over 400 locals were also involved as extras. According to the state government's Economic Development Commission, "Mud is the largest production ever to be filmed in the state."[13] Nichols said about filming in parts of Southeast Arkansas, "These places and people have such a particular accent and culture, and they're quickly getting homogenized. I wanted to capture a snapshot of a place that probably won't be there forever."[12]

Mud's cinematographer Adam Stone used a Steadicam for filming. Stone, who was also cinematographer for Nichols's previous films Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter, said, "If you look at 'Shotgun Stories,' the camera is fairly moored. With 'Take Shelter,' we had a lot more dolly work. In 'Mud,' the camera never really sits still. The locations were either super-remote or really small and cramped, so the Steadicam was the only thing that could get in there."[16] The film was shot on Kodak VISION3 35 mm film stocks in the anamorphic format with Panavision G-Series lenses.[17]

Nichols came up with the concept for the film in the 1990s. He had always had McConaughey in mind for the role after seeing him in Lone Star.[18]

Release

Mud premiered on May 26, 2012 at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, where it had a competition slot for the festival's prizes including the Palme d'Or.[9] Reuters reported that the film "[earned] warm applause at a press screening".[19] Variety's film critics Justin Chang and Peter Debruge considered Mud one of their favorites of the film festival. Debruge said the film was reminiscent of the novel Huckleberry Finn: "It so elegantly addresses what masculinity and family really mean in the heartland." He said the Mississippi River in Mud was "a mythic backdrop... in which old values struggle against stronger modern forces in the world".[20]

British film critic Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, stating that "Mud is an engaging and good-looking picture with two bright leading performances".[21]

After its Cannes premiere, no distributor immediately purchased rights to release the film in the United States.[22] By August 2012, Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions acquired rights to distribute Mud in the United States.[8] In January 2013, Mud screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and the Austin American-Statesman reported, "His modern take on Mark Twain played to an enthusiastic sold-out crowd of more than 500 people."[22]

The film opened in limited release on April 26, 2013, before expanding on May 10, 2013.

Reception

Mud received universal acclaim from film critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 99%, based on reviews from 136 critics, with an average rating of 8/10, with the site's consensus: "Bolstered by a strong performance from Matthew McConaughey in the title role, Mud offers an engaging Southern drama that manages to stay sweet and heartwarming without being sappy."[23] On Metacritic, the film holds a 76/100 rating, signifying "generally positive reviews".[24]

References

  1. ^ "MUD (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
  2. ^ "In Motion With Arkansas Moviemaker Jeff Nichols". talkbusiness.net. July 15, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  3. ^ "Mud". Retrieved June 16, 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  4. ^ "2012 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Cannes Film Festival 2012 line-up announced". Timeout. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  6. ^ Fox, Jesse David (2013-01-16). "Mud Trailer: Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon Have a Southern-Accent-Off". Vulture. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
  7. ^ Tapley, Kristopher (2013-01-16). "'Mud' trailer with Matthew McConaughey reignites the fuse in advance of Sundance bow". Hitflix. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
  8. ^ a b McNary, Dave (August 16, 2012). "Lionsgate, Roadside warm 'Mud' for U.S.". Variety. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b c Leffler, Rebecca (May 26, 2012). "Cannes 2012: Jeff Nichols' 'Mud' Slides Into Competition with Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon". The Hollywood Reporter. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (May 15, 2011). "Cannes 2011: Cannes director and 'Memento' producer will collaborate on new film, possibly with Chris Pine". Los Angeles Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Abrams, Rachel; Sneider, Jeff (August 8, 2011). "Thesps wrestle in 'Mud'". Variety. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ a b Zeitchik, Steven (May 26, 2012). "Cannes 2012: Jeff Nichols cleans up with 'Mud'". Los Angeles Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ a b c Staff (December 12, 2011). "Lensing completed on Jeff Nichols' Mud". arkansasedc.com. Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Retrieved February 6, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  14. ^ Bell, Christopher (September 13, 2011). "'Take Shelter' Director Jeff Nichols Talks 'Mud,' Hopes To Have Michael Shannon In Supporting Role". The Playlist. indieWire. Retrieved February 6, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  15. ^ Millar, Lindsay (December 14, 2011). "Nichols talks 'Mud,' more". Arkansas Times. Retrieved February 6, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  16. ^ Debruge, Peter (February 14, 2012). "10 Cinematographers to Watch: Adam Stone". Variety. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Getting Dirty: Mud embraces authenticity of locations". Kodak InCamera Magazine. November 9, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  18. ^ Jeff Labrecque (21, Jan, 2013). "Sundance 2013: The Rebirth of Matthew McConaughey". Entertainment Weekly. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Collett-White, Mike (May 26, 2012). "Cannes gets happy ending with river film 'Mud'". Reuters. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ Chang, Justin; Debruge, Peter (May 29, 2012). "Cannes conclusions; Variety crix debate whether U.S. pics lived up to potential and what titles stood out at fest". Variety. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Peter Bradshaw (26 May 2012). "Cannes 2012: Mud – review". The Guardian.
  22. ^ a b Odam, Matthew (January 24, 2013). "At Sundance: 'Mud' director no longer mired in acquisition angst". Austin American-Statesman. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Mud at Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved June 16, 2013
  24. ^ Mud at Metacritic Retrieved June 16, 2013
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