The closing scenes of the film
Mean Creek directed by Jacob Aaron Estes were particularly memorable. They really made a lasting impression, with the viewer seeing a whole new side of George’s personality, being moved by his mother’s overwhelming grief, and realising how strong the loyalty is between Sam and Rocky. The closing section first shows Sam in an interrogation room, through the police camera set on a tripod. At this point the group, excluding Marty, have confessed to being responsible for George’s death. A police officer is questioning Sam but has to leave the room and leaves the camera rolling. Sam speaks directly to the camera, defending his brother. The officer had to leave to view new evidence, which happens to be George’s personal tapes, all filmed on his own handheld camera with a voice over of his inner thoughts. During George’s speech you see his mother and Sam on a speedboat on the river, heading towards where his body was buried. Sam appears closed off and unemotional, but in contrast, you see a midshot of George’s mother sobbing, her body crumpling in grief. George finishes his monologue, and the film comes to a close. The part of this closing section that made the most lasting impression on me was the other side of George’s personality that was not revealed until the end. The personal film shows his house and its location, then he puts the camera down and sits in front of it, framing a mediumlong shot where you can see his whole body and some of the bedroom. He does this because he feels that no one understands the way he thinks and feels. It is undebatable that George is shown as an isolated person. Throughout the film, there are often shots of the whole group, which then cut to show George by himself. This technique is used by Estes frequently in the boat scene, showing the other children united against George’s anger. While he is filming, George has a voice over that describes his master plan: “To film it all. To document every aspect of the life that is me...so that one day some alien or some highly evolved species will find it and understand.” George was always portrayed to the audience as isolated, but this scene shows the true depths of his loneliness. His voice sounds more shaky and fragile, and he sits in an inflatable chair straight on to the camera. Both of these aspects show vulnerability, which George wouldn’t normally let anyone see. He usually has a mask of
‘tough’ and ‘cool’ when he presents himself to the outside world. I think that most people can relate to feeling weak, but wanting everyone else to see you as strong and put together, which is why this scene is so memorable. Another aspect of this section that made an impression on me was the emotional response of George’s mother. In George’s film, he opens the door to a room where his mother
is
