MUD-thew McConaughey

Alright, Alright, Alright...

Mud is a modern day Huck Finn that feels as if it were brined in a heavy dose of Tracy Letts. It turns out, that recipe's a one way ticket to a succulent meal. Two boys who live on the river -- one with a beneficent guardian, the other with tumultuous parents find a fugitive living in a boat in a tree. They strike a bargain with the fugitive, helping him in the name of love.

It's Harper Lee-ville. Mississippi Burning. The War  -- only tougher.

But let's just cut to the chase -- what everyone's going to be talking about is the fact that McConaughey plays the fugitive. When George had Reese on GMA as part of her "I should have stayed in the car" apology tour, they both gushed about the rebirth of Matt Damon's favorite target -- the McConz.

I'm here to report that he's still riding the wave.

Somewhere around the time McConaughey was signing the deal to make Lincoln Lawyer, he either had hit rock bottom and was rolling the dice -- or he was making a remarkably calculated come back. There are those who will point out his role in Tropic Thunder, claiming that marked his resurrection -- could be - I consider a blip between rather awful romantic comedies - it's no "Ally McBeal" or Wonder Boys. But since the days of Lincoln Lawyer McC has carved out a place for his tripped out mystical Texan with a heart and a faulty line of logic. He has cornered the market on ... well...  himself -- a character type that happens to align perfectly with the shady side of the current wave of thinker indies. These heady blue collar films have been some of the strongest works we've seen on the festival circuit and spilling out of the mini majors: Hesher, Winter's Bone, Blue Valentine, Killer Joe.  We've had a spate of intellectual rural indies whose writers and directors have tapped back into cinema and literary history.

This Huck Finn shiz suits Matt McC perfectly. As did Killer Joe. As did The Paperboy. As did Magic Mike. This man is back in a major way. If we're going to dole out Oscar nominations to Alec Badlwin for The Cooler and Robert Downey, Jr. for Tropic Thunder  -- then McConaughey can't be frar behind. This could well be the flick.

All of that will depend on how the audience connects with the lead of this film, the incredible Tye Sheridan -- who's all but sixteen now and looks far younger on screen. This is a master turn. It's the kind of work we're loving from guys like John Hawkes and Sheridan's Mud co-star Michael Shannon: a genuine young man from a down-on-their-luck part of the country, who's trying to be a better man, and gets disappointed by the system. Well, there's a lot of that going around lately. Turns out it works just as well on the river as it did in Hesher's suburbs. But as was the case with Hesher where all the JGL in the world didn't mean a thing without the spine that was the young Devin Brochu -- Tye Sheridan walks an elegant tightrope -- frightening us when we think he'll fall -- shocking us when he actually does -- and all in the name of perfectly executed drama. This kid's fantastic. As is the pre-teen John C. Reilly-esque best friend "Neckbone," played by Jacob Lofland. If these two weren't Huck and Tom-ing it, none of the adult actors -- all of whom are quite good -- would have the chance to enjoy their characters.

It ain't easy to steer a motorboat when you're headed up stream.

When a newcomer teenager does so adeptly, one has to take his hat off to the director, Jeff Nichols.

After Take Shelter and now Mud, Mr. Lofland is showing himself as a force to be reckoned with. This sophomore effort is solid. Crystal clear, emotionally solid, and as much an allegory as it is believable -- Mud is the work of a director who knows his craft. I understand that Mr. Lofland's success is giving him the chance to track down any actors he pleases --  it seems he should stick with the character types that make his films indelible. For some reason the known quantities -- save McConaughey - aren't playing the way they might for Paul Thomas Anderson.

Let's hope Mud's a film that we're still talking about next February -- and not just saying, "Oh, yeah. That was good -- what happened?" This is the new indie that could gun right up the middle in the age of 10.