Filmmaker Jacob Aaron Estes has crafted a realistic and rich portrait of the moral dilemmas that adolescents experience. In this smart encapsulation, Rory Culkin stars as Sammy, a slight but sensitive preteen who is continually tormented by the school bully. Superbly scripted with no pat solutions or contrivances, "Mean Creek" is a thought-provoking film, when doing the right thing after having done the most wrong thing is the ultimate test for these youngsters.

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