Movie Review – Mud (2012)

Starring:

• Matthew McConaughey as Mud
• Reese Witherspoon as Juniper
• Tye Sheridan as Ellis
• Jacob Lofland as Neckbone
• Ray McKinnon as Senior
• Sam Shepard as Tom Blackenship

Running Time:  130 minutes

Genre:  Drama

Writer and Director:  Jeff Nichols

Rating:  Rated PG-13 for for some violence, sexual references, language, thematic elements and smoking. 

Brief
Description:  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.

I saw Mud last weekend and it is an amazing movie! It is very well written, has an excellent cast and showcases some beautiful landscapes and river scenes since it was filmed in Arkansas.

It was written and directed by Jeff Nichols, a graduate of Little Rock Central High School, where my oldest daughter graduated from two years ago and my youngest daughter currently attends high school.

Mr. Nichols also wrote and directed the films “Take Shelter” (2011) and “Shotgun Stories” (2007) both of which received high praise from critics.  We saw Mr. Nichols speak at an event in Little Rock last fall and his passion for writing and directing films was evident in his speech.  He also conducted several open casting calls in Arkansas where he discovered Jacob Lofland and selected him as one of the two young leads in the movie!

Jacob Lofland, Jeff Nichols, Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey and Tye Sheridan at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2012