Sorry Van Der Beek; you couldn’t quite cut it with the kids of “Mean Creek.”

“Mean Creek,” whose tag line reads, “Beneath the surface, everyone has a secret,” follows a group of six youths on day trip down a river. The plot is not complex, yet it touches and wrenches the heart at the same time.

The independent film, written and directed by Jacob Estes, stars an ensemble cast of today’s most talented young actors including Rory Culkin, Trevor Morgan, Scott Mechlowicz, Josh Peck, Carly Schroeder, and Ryan Kelley. These actors are able to grab the audience and take them along for an emotional ride down the river, forcing them to consistently love and hate the characters all at the same time.

The basic plot follows Sam (Culkin) who seeks revenge on schoolyard bully, George (Peck). Sam plans a prank to get back at George with the help of his older brother (Morgan) and his two friends; son of homosexual fathers, Clyde (Kelley) and rebel without a cause Marty (Mechlowicz). A fake birthday party is planned for Sam, where his close friends, including crush Millie (Schroeder), are invited to a day trip boating down a river. George, oblivious to the cruel joke, is more than eager to spend the day with his new “friends” and even brings Sam a birthday present. At the end of the river ride, the plan was to make George strip, jump in the water and to run home naked, but after several changes of heart the prank gets called off. Yet, something goes horribly awry and the kids are forced to live with the consequences of their joke forever.

Each character has such depth that as an audience member you are drawn directly into their hearts and minds. One of the most heartfelt performances comes from Ryan Kelley. To an amateur viewer, one would say his character is pointless as he has little dialogue, but he is the one who shows the most amount of pain. As the boy endures constant taunting for his gay fathers, his turmoil pours right out of the screen.

The film received rave reviews when it premiered at Sundance 2004. Along with the “Two Thumbs Up” from Ebert and Roeper, to date it has acquired an arsenal of awards including Official Selection of Cannes Film Festival, Official Selection of Sundance Film Festival, and a Special Distinction Award from the Independent Spirit Awards for the cast of young actors.

“Mean Creek” has recently been released to DVD and is available at finer movie stores. The DVD includes commentary from the Cast and Director as well as storyboards. For more information on this haunting tale, check www.meancreekmovie.com.