*** 1/2 out of **** The coming-of-age story is among the most popular genres in contemporary fiction, and its appeal is easy to understand. The experience of growing up is a universal one, as is the loss of innocence that occurs when we are slowly introduced to the difficulties of the adult world. Mud, directed by Jeff Nichols, is a film that compellingly faces these difficulties, plunging its young protagonists into a world of crime, deceit, and sacrifice.
Ellis (Tye Sheridan) is a boy who lives with his family along a river
in the Deep South. While exploring a boat that was perched in a tree by
receding floodwaters, Ellis and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) discover a
dirty, sundrenched man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) drifting along the shore
of the small island. The boys quickly grow intrigued by Mud, who is living
isolated on the island while being sought by police, and are soon drawn into
his plan to repair the treed boat and escape with his lifelong love Juniper
(Reese Witherspoon).
The bond that forms between Ellis and Mud forms the heart of the film. While
Mud seeks his help initially out of sheer desperation, the two soon become
friends and confidants. Ellis’ experiences with Mud lead him into trouble with
his family and the law, but they also give him the courage to fight for a girl
and provide insight into his parents’ failing marriage. Sheridan does a
wonderful job of communicating his characters' exuberance and inner struggle.
Seeing Matthew McConaughey’s return to critical favor over the past few
years has been nothing if not a surprise. While he appeared in several well-appreciated
films at the beginning of his career, including Dazed and Confused and Steven Spielberg’s Amistad, he spent much of the early 2000s mired in romantic-comedy
dreck. Over the past couple years, however, he has evidently grown more
selective in his roles, and his efforts pay off here. Though the character of
Mud is enigmatic by nature, McConaughey mesmerizingly suggests the hidden
layers Mud has gained through a life of hardship. Ellis is the film’s
protagonist, but Mud without question earns his title role.
Mud loses a bit of steam as it moves through its second act, when Ellis
and Neckbone’s Twain-inspired river adventures transition into the exploration
of Mud’s complicated romance with Juniper and Ellis’ troubled home life. While
the story never loses its rich atmosphere during this time, the various moving parts
added throughout the story do cause it to occasionally lose focus. Mud ably makes up for any of this
narrative slack, however, with an exciting and artistically-satisfying
conclusion.
Jeff Nichols first came to my attention with the 2011 film Take Shelter. While that film’s
undercooked narrative left me a bit cold at the time, it showed that Nichols
was a promising director, and that promise can be seen again here. Mud showcases Nichols’ ability to weave
personal, emotional storytelling into a story that could very easily have been
overwhelmed by the action which surrounds it. I left Mud thinking that this director is definitely capable of greatness.
