Story
Themes
Murder; domestic violence; family breakdown; alcohol abuse
Violence
There is a lot of violence in this movie, including the following examples:
Sexual references
This movie has some sexual references. For example:
- The two boys talk about sex and a girl’s breasts.
- The boys look at Penthouse magazines, but the scene doesn’t show the magazine’s pictures. The boys say things like, ‘Check these out’.
- There’s talk about how a man always has sex to a certain song.
- An older man tells the two boys to ‘get their tips wet’ when they get their hearts broken.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows a lot of substance use. For example:
- Adults drink wine and spirits in many scenes. This includes main characters who drink in bars and alone at various points.
- One of the main adult characters chain smokes.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- One of the boys flirts with and dates a girl three years older than he is. During their date they kiss.
- A woman flirts with a man. They hug and kiss.
- A girl runs out of a room where she has been having sex with a man (not seen). She is in a revealing singlet top that shows her cleavage.
Product placement
There is some product placement in this movie, but it’s mostly American brands such as Ford and Pontiac cars.
Coarse language
There is some coarse language in this movie.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Mud is a coming-of-age drama about two boys who make an unexpected discovery and forge an unlikely friendship that is destined to alter their lives forever.
The main messages from this movie are about the complexities of right and wrong, the impact of the choices that people make and the possibility of redemption. The presence of young teenage boys in the cast might attract children of a similar age, but the movie is not suitable for children under 15 years because of its themes, violence and sexual references.
Issues raised by this movie that you could talk about with older children include the following:
- Mud’s redeeming qualities and his mistakes: is he a worthy role model? Why aren’t the boys frightened by him? Should they have been?
- Relationships: what does this movie say about relationships? What things do you think are important in a successful relationship? What mistakes do people in the movie make that affect their relationships?