Have you seen 'Mud'? If not, you should

I had such great intentions this weekend. I was going out, I was going to have a nice dinner somewhere and then go see Elysium or possibly even We're the Millers. After spending last weekend away from my beloved movie theater, I was eager to get back to my comfy seat and kick back. Somehow, my great plan got completely derailed. I blame a summer cold. But guess what? All was definitely not lost, because I did decide to rent some movies and I saw what might be my favorite movie of 2013 so far: Jeff Nichols' brilliant drama Mud.

I actually watched Mud twice, just to be sure before I started spouting off about how much I loved the movie to all of you. It was even better the second time around, because I was able to fully immerse myself in this incredible world inhabited by such rich characters. People, let me tell you: As a Southerner, I value a great story. It is critical that I love a story to love a film. I can't be dazzled by special effects unless I feel deeply connected to a film on some level. I connected with Mud more than any movie I've seen this year.

Maybe it's my Southern roots that made me love Mud so much. If so, I'm not alone, as evidenced in this wonderful piece by Godfrey Cheshire over at Indiewire. He argues that Mud is, in fact, the best Southern film in many years, and I agree wholeheartedly. Mud has such a wonderful sense of time and place that it's almost uncanny. I saw fragments of my own childhood in the story, though I've never had the kind of adventure that young Ellis and his best friend, Neckbone, have. When the boys, who live in the Arkansas delta, run across a fugitive living in an abandoned boat high in the trees (washed there, presumably, by a mighty storm), they are immediately drawn to him.

In case you are interested in seeing Mud soon, I'll spare you a recap of the entire film, but know this: Mud (Matthew McConaughey) is a charming, dangerous kind of guy. He loves a girl. The girl, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) may or may not love him. Things don't always go as planned, and now Mud needs Ellis and Neckbone to help him. Somehow, they've got to get that boat out of that tree and then, hopefully, Mud and Juniper will sail away into the sunset. As all of this is happening, 14-year-old Ellis is coming into his own: He's in the throes of first love, and at the same time, he's witnessing the bitter breakup of his parents. Trust me when I tell you there's much more to the story. This is a coming-of-age movie at its best, and comparisons to Stand By Me aren't unwarranted.

Now, let me go ahead and make a pretty bold prediction: Matthew McConaughey is going to get an Oscar nomination. He'll either get it for Mud or, more likely, he'll get it for the upcoming drama Dallas Buyers Club, in which he portrays a homophobic man who is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. I certainly can't speak to McConaughey's performance in the latter, but in Mud, he's at the top of his acting game. The man is so on point it's scary. I hope if nothing else, that everyone will see Mud and marvel at McConaughey's talents before Dallas Buyers Club comes out. I don't want this film to be forgotten once the end-of-the-year Oscar films come out.

The acting in Mud overall is stellar. Tye Sheridan gives a strong performance as Ellis. I suspect we'll see much more of Sheridan in the years to come. Other standouts in Mud include Sam Shepard (isn't he always a standout in everything?), Jacob Lofland, Sarah Paulson and Michael Shannon. Shannon also stars in another Jeff Nichols drama, Take Shelter. I haven't seen it, but you can bet I've got it in the Netflix queue right now.

Interestingly enough, when Mud premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012, things looked rocky for the movie. Jeff Nichols says that some of Hollywood's biggest buyers, including Harvey Weinstein, actually "walked out" of the screening. Fortunately for Nichols, the audience loved it, and Mud was one of the movies in the running for Cannes' coveted Palme d'Or. From there, it was nothing but up: Mud was a hit at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and now, thankfully, it's a hit with audiences and certainly critics. At last check, Mud had a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.

As we wind down a summer of blockbuster movies that, to me, weren't as awesome as they could've been, it's wonderful to find a gem like Mud. It's out on DVD and Blu-ray right now, so, if you're like me and love a rich story told with a strong sense of place and time, I strongly recommend checking this movie out. Now, I'm going to make some chicken soup, grab my Kleenex box and watch Mud again. I've never been so grateful to be sick in my life.

Photos courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com and EW.com