Mud can be described as a coming of age story, and that is accurate, but it is so much more. Writer/director Jeff Nichols has crafted a masterpiece that pays attention to detail, fully fleshes out the principal characters, and features an amazing cast of veteran actors and relative newcomers. The story is set in the southern United States along the Mississippi River, where two young teenage boys, Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), frequent a local, uninhabited island whose main attraction is a riverboat that is stuck in a number of trees. The boat serves as a tree house, of sorts, for the youngsters until they discover that someone else has been using it. Shortly thereafter, they encounter a drifter who goes by the name of Mud (Matthew McConaughey). Their initial meeting is tense as the surprisingly worldly young men size up Mud, who is actually running from the law, as well as the family of a man he killed.
The friendship between Neckbone and Ellis, along with their relationship with Mud serve as the two central storylines. Neckbone clearly looks up to Ellis and basically follows his lead as they decide to do what they can to help Mud, including reaching out to his old friend/father figure Tom Blankenship (Sam Shepard), contacting his love interest, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon), and stealing old parts so that he can rebuild the motorboat and escape to a new life. Of course, helping Mud and not telling his parents about it comes back to haunt Ellis, but he remains steadfast in his decision to do what he can for the drifter. Despite dealing with problems at home, both young men appear to have been raised well, but are caught in that difficult place between childhood and adulthood when hearts are easily broken, friendships seemed like they would last forever and coming to the understanding that things seldom turn out the way you expect them to.
The interplay between all of the characters feels authentic. In fact, Mud never hits a false note, which is impressive considering the large cast and their various storylines, which all come full circle by the end of the film. Neckbone and Ellis are trying to forge their own paths with the help of Mud, who provides words of wisdom about life and love. Mud seems like a decent person, but has made a few serious mistakes and yet the youngsters somehow empathize with his plight and do whatever is in their power to help, even when they are bound to pay a price for their actions.
The cinematography by Adam Stone is remarkable. The images of wildlife, along with the seemingly desolate landscape bring the rural surroundings to life and add greatly to the overall effort. In addition, Jeff Nichols brings out the best in his cast, which includes a supporting turn by Joe Don Baker and a mostly understated, but completely effective turn by Ray McKinnon, as Ellis's father. The sublime Sarah Paulson and Michael Shannon round out the talented cast. As good as all of the veteran actors are, it may be the performances of Sheridan and Lofland that viewers remember and talk about long after Mud has come to an end. This is surely one of best films of 2013, so if you have a chance to see Mud, do not pass it up.
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