History Film / MeanCreek

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: There really isn't any indication that the movie takes place in the 2000s. Especially when Rocky and Sam play would you rather, they talk about Creator/ShannenDoherty and Creator/HeatherLocklear who were popular in the early to mid nineties. They also use pagers and landlines instead of cell phones[[note]]Granted, they were still used even in 2004, but cellphones are just becoming more popular, so it still somewhat counts[[/note]], and George gets Sam a Super Soaker as a present.

** It's stated that George has dyslexia, and he also has an AmbiguousDisorder which makes socializing hard for him.

* NotEvilJustMisunderstood: George. He's actually a very lonely kid with an AmbiguousDisorder which makes him very defensive of his camera.

* ShipTease: In universe, Rocky dares [[ToyShip Sam and Millie to kiss,]] and Marty forces them to.

* ThreeAmigos: Marty, Rocky, and Clyde are always seen conversing as a trio [[spoiler:until George's death, after which Marty ends up splitting out of fear of being sent to prison]].

* PrecisionFStrike: Innocent little Millie lets loose two f-bombs, [[spoiler: when she can't revive George.]]

* {{Determinator}}: Deconstructed. [[spoiler:By the halfway point, Marty is the only one in the group that is willing to go along with the plan. Too bad George dies because of it.]]

%% ** George, for obvious reasons.

%% * GoneHorriblyWrong: Saying that is quite the understatement.

%% * LIsForDyslexia: George.

%% * PayEvilUntoEvil: Marty's rationalisation of the plan.

%% * ThreeAmigos: Marty, Rocky, and Clyde.

* HasTwoMommies: Clyde has two dads, which is something he's mocked mercilessly for.

* ThisIndexTouchesItself: Rocky goes into detail on what he thinks about while jerking off during Truth or Dare.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Rocky goes into detail on what he thinks about while jerking off during Truth or Dare.

* TotallyRadical: Averted to a degree. There's no eighties slang from the kids (the creator is an '80s kid), but for some reason they act as if Super Soakers are the best thing ever, and reference fantasizing about Creator/HeatherLocklear and Creator/ShannenDoherty, who would have been in their [=40s=] when the film came out.

* AmbiguousDisorder: George says he has a learning disability. He says he can't read words right which hints at dyslexia while also displaying some characteristics of autism.

* GenreDeconstruction: As Creator/RogerEbert put it, "'Mean Creek' joins a small group of films including [[spoiler:'[[Film/RiversEdge The River's Edge]]' and 'Film/{{Bully}},']] which deal accurately and painfully with the consequences of peer driven behavior."

* AdultFear: The film doesn't really address this until they go to see George's mother but think about it. George is convinced into not telling his mother where he's going. The audience knows that the kids are planning on pushing George in the lake and forcing him to walk home naked. Imagine being a parent and your child arrives home from the trip in ''that'' condition. [[spoiler: What actually happens is much worse]] - when the kids show up on her doorstep she has clearly been worried sick [[spoiler: and rightfully assumes the worst when she sees the expressions on their faces]].

->''[[{{Tagline}} Beneath the surface, everyone has a secret.]]''

* BigBrotherBully: Subverted. Sam's older brother Rocky is good and kind while Marty fits the stereotype perfectly, despite not actually being related to Sam.

* BitchAlert: Male example - Marty.

* CountryMatters: [[spoiler:During his tirade, George calls Millie "a JAP[[note]] [[JewishAmericanPrincess Jewish American Princess]], meaning a Jewish Woman who is incredibly selfish and materialistic. It's been mostly overshadowed for its other meaning as an Anti-Japanese Slur. [[/note]] Cunt. What makes his use of the word particularly shocking is that Millie is arguably the most sensible and innocent one here.]]

* EveryoneHasStandards: Everyone except Marty wants to call off the original plan once they find George to be a relatively nice guy who obviously doesn't have social skills.

* FreudianExcuse: It's stated that George has Dyslexia, and he also has an AmbiguousDisorder which makes socializing hard for him.

* TheFriendNobodyLikes: George, for obvious reasons.

* GoneHorriblyWrong: Saying that is quite the understatement.

* LIsForDyslexia: George.
* MoodWhiplash: The trailer caught a ''really'' bad wind of it halfway through. The first half makes the movie seem like an innocent, light-hearted comedy of sorts. [[spoiler:Then we see the scenes depicting George's death]], and everything converts to extremely depressing.

* OnlySaneWoman: Millie and Clyde fill these roles.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Marty's rationalisation of the plan.

* SceneryPorn: Especially when they go out on the lake.

* ShrinkingViolet: Sam.

* ThreeAmigos: Marty, Rocky, and Clyde.

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: There really isn't any indication that the movie takes place in the 2000s. Especially when Rocky and Sam play would you rather, they talk about Creator/ShannenDoherty and Creator/HeatherLocklear who were popular in the early to mid nineties. They also use pagers and landlines instead of cell phones, and George gets Sam a Super Soaker as a present.

* CountryMatters: [[spoiler:During his tirade, George calls Millie the c-word and prefaces it with an anti-Asian slur (which doesn't make sense because Millie is white). What makes his use of the word particularly shocking is that Millie is arguably the most sensible and innocent one here.]]

* TheBully: George and Marty. The film explores the reasoning behind both cases:

* CountryMatters: [[spoiler:During his tirade, George calls Millie the c-word and prefaces it with an antisemitic slur. What makes his use of the word particularly shocking is that Millie is arguably the most sensible and innocent one here.]]

* TresAmigos: Marty, Rocky, and Clyde.