”This river brings a lot of trash down, you gotta know what’s worth keeping and what’s worth letting go.”
Earlier this week I read this quote, “True love is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have seen.” The quote is from Francois de La Rochefoucauld, from the page I found on net later. Personally I couldn’t agree more. If I can count the people I know who really experience it, I can’t mention more than 5 people, not even 3. No, celebrities doesn’t count. So, what’s got to do with Mud (2012)? Well, the focus of the story basically is about two men; Mud (Matthew McConaughey) and Ellis (Tye Sheridan), who believes in true love.
The two meet each other in a separate stranded island in Mississipi River. Ellis goes there because his friend, Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) found a boat stuck in a tree. Out of expectation, the boat already has an occupant. While Neckbone doesn’t want to get in trouble for getting to know a stranger in the woods, Ellis is somehow intrigued with Mud and his life. After several visits involving bringing food to Mud, the two get to know each other more. Ellis knows that Mud lives in that island because he waits for the girl he loves, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Ellis recognizes Juniper because of the bird tattoo in her hand, when he sees her in the supermarket in town. When he said it to Mud, the guy’s hope springs. At the same time, Ellis parents is on the verge of divorce, which conflicts him choosing where to live. Ellis also have a crush on his high school senior, and he managed to get her attention. After several events, Ellis and Neckbone then learns that Mud once murdered Juniper’s rich husband and policemen are after him for a while now. Mud need help in order to meet Juniper, and he wants Ellis and Neckbone to do it. Will they make it? And, does Juniper want to meet Mud too?
So, Mud and Ellis basically have hopes on love, it’s the true purpose why Ellis started helping Mud. To me it’s the best thing about this movie, seeing two strangers can work together because their beliefs. We are taken to see the love angle of Mud’s (perhaps) bad choices in life, through the innocent eyes of teen Ellis, who has just started his own search for love. It’s also pretty moving how Mud still believe that he and Juniper will still work after all of their history. Interesting enough how this movie is about love, when the way it delivers it feels very drama-ish with non-kind of lovey-dovey. That added with the wonderful performance of Matthew McConaughey, all rough and charismatic and the two teen boys, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. The two boys from little town reminded me of Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me (1986), the two besties have a pure and lovable brotherhood.
Mud have great actor support. The best to me is Sam Shepard as Tom Blakenship, who is like a father to Mud. The man showed why he is feared and mysterious enough, but showed his fatherhood in the end. Second is Reese Witherspoon as Juniper, a beautiful but tortured and conflicted woman. What surprised me was how little Michael Shannon appeared as Neckbone’s uncle, since he’s got big talent but not shown at all in here. I was secretly expecting he will flip out later (remembering his antagonist role in Man of Steel and Premium Rush), but he appeared only a few scenes.
The movie might be 10-15 minutes too long, but it was worth it. There’s family, love, adventure and friendship element. It can be seen by two age levels; teens from the angle of Ellis and adults from the angle of Mud. In the end, you are kind of hoping and expecting, will Mud and Juniper meet each other? A little like Romeo and Juliet. The movie doesn’t sugar coat and gave away fantasy. But, even when the feelings are true and you’re willing to go for it against all odds, there’s a lot of obstacles ahead. The obstacles sometimes comes from within. Mud is a great movie, one must-watch for the year 2013 and actually quite more sentimental than it looks.
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