"I heard you can never count on a woman loving you..."

            Mud is not an epic. It’s not a film about a major war, star-crossed lovers or the end of the world as we know it. It doesn’t have a star-studded cast, nor is it directed by someone of Steven Spielberg’s status. It’s one of the simplest movies I have ever seen, yet one of the best.

            Jeff Nichols wrote and directed Mud, a story about the birth of an unlikely camaraderie between two young boys and a fugitive on the run.

            Nichols is a young director whose résumé consists of only three films (Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter and Mud). The first two were well received at film festivals and by viewers. If my opinion is any type of consensus among audiences, Nichols will be three for three with his latest film, Mud. 

            Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) play two best friends. The film starts with them on a boat in the river. They reach land and are looking for something. Their relationship is effortless and you can tell they’ve been friends for a long time. They come across a boat in a tree and you know this is what they have been looking for, a place to call their own where they can escape. The elation is short lived when Ellis sees evidence that someone is already living in the boat. The head back to their boat but see footsteps along the way. When they get to their boat, they see an unkempt man. He tells them the boat in the tree is his boat but he’ll be out of their way soon enough and if they could bring him food in the mean time, he’d much appreciate it.

            Neckbone is unconvinced but Ellis sees something in the man that he cannot abandon. He takes food back to him later that night. The man is thankful and introduces himself as Mud. The bonding begins.

            The casting director deserves some type award for finding the Sheridan and Lofland to play the roles of the best friends. Although the name of the film is Mud, they play a slightly larger role. I respect Nichols for not relying on the celebrity of McConaughey or Witherspoon. He really allows the children a chance to shine in the film and they rise to the occasion to beautifully. Their performances are well beyond what I would expect from child actors.

            Ellis goes into town with his mother when there is a roadblock. They stop and the patrol asks them if they’ve seen this man and shows them a picture of Mud. The boy denies seeing him and when he gets home he retrieves Neckbone and they proceed to warn Mud people are looking for him.

            Mud is not surprised to hear this. He says a lot of people are looking for him but still appreciates their concern. He regrets to tell them he needs the boat to get out. He’s really only there to find his girl, his love Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). They, of course, ask him why people are looking for him. He declines to tell them at first but then admits Juniper got in with a bad guy a while ago and he continuously beat up on her. The last time Mud got fed up and killed the man.

            This is when I realized what an amazing screenplay the film comes from. Throughout the film, there has been a theme of love and what it means to love someone. Ellis is young. He is experiencing his first taste of love through a crush on an older girl. His parents have also just informed him they’re getting a divorce.

            When we hear Mud say he’s doing all of this for a girl, we already know Ellis is going to be moved to assist. Mud mentions he could use some help gathering supplies needed to get the boat running.

            A couple well-used montages later, the boys have gathered most of the things Mud asked for.

            Filmed in Arkansas, Nichols takes advantage of the beautiful scenery which makes for an aesthetically pleasing film. You can tell Nichols is a native of the state, as his directing techniques show he knows how to truly capture its splendor.

            This is how it should be. I love being able to see something about a director/writer in their work and Nichols’ work is very telling.

            At a plot twist, Ellis realizes Mud has been lying about something crucial and we question Mud’s motives and being. However, he immediately proves himself when Ellis is in a precarious situation and Mud risks everything he’s been working toward the entire movie to save him.

            Ellis survives this accident and Mud makes it out of the city with an old friend, alive and undercover in the boat. The boys are alive and well and are although they will probably never meet Mud again, they are all better for knowing each other.

            This is the simplicity I enjoy. This film is just a small part of the characters’ lives. Mud obviously had a long history before and has an adventurous future; the boys have their whole lives ahead of them. We get to watch this one moment in each of their lives when these characters paths cross and we get to see a beautiful story.

            I’ve never understood people that have problems with happy endings, anyway.

Everest Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment presents a film written and directed by Jeff Nichols, produced by Sarah Greene. Running time: 135 minutes. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Laflane.