This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Y'know, I have found this film extremely sad. You feel so sorry for young Duncan because his old man didn't give him enough love after his mother suddenly passed. I honestly felt like hugging the pair of them because of both their loss. It's not easy being a teen nor minding one haha! Grief really messed up the father badly, including the fact, he just had to burn his late wife's clothes to forget about her loss and move on. He should've realised, it doesn't work out like that! He should've spent more time with his son and just sort out things to make sure their relationship is stable! I honestly didn't think Perry was the right guy for Duncan. The rape scene just gives you an uneasy feeling. If I was Duncan, I would call the police and arrest him! Also when those crowd of you know whats were killing that Chicken broke my heart, why on earth did they show this? They should've at least give respect to animal lovers, it was just wrong! I can't blab on anymore, the movie was good but my heart honestly aches after watching this!

This is Michael Burke's second filmed version of a story that was originally released in 1998 in short form as "Fishbelly White." The short film can be viewed on the compilation DVD BOYS LIFE 5. Both versions have merit, however "The Mudge Boy," being feature length, allows for better character development, particularly of characters that are merely hinted at in "Fishbelly White," which Burke wrote, produced and directed as a film student at New York University, financed by grants. Although I found "The Mudge Boy" to be a more in-depth character study with more room for details, its predecessor is to be admired for its brevity in telling the same tale effectively. In short, I cannot effectively say I enjoy one version over the other!

This is a remake of the short film Fishbelly White by Michael Burke (1998). The plot line and characters are all the same, but the story is fleshed out in The Mudge Boy.In Fishbelly White, Duncan's character is more homo-erotic; the under-the-track-scene is more deliberate and graphic and explains much of what is left out of The Mudge Boy. In Fishbelly White, Duncan bites the head off his favorite chicken during the pick-up scene with the drunken youths and the rape scene never occurs.The two films make for an interesting comparison of the two director's visions.

The start of the movie you meet Duncan who is a very strange boy. He sticks Chickens heads in his mouth to calm them down, and it looks very strange. Duncan is someone you would think does not have many friends, and as the movie develops you realize that he doesn't. He is "friends" with a boy who is about 5 years older than he is. Ducan is strange very strange, and Perry understands that and tries to bring Duncan from the "edge". The movie culminates with Perry,who is very confused,raping Duncan, and Duncan's father walking in after Perry finishes. A couple of days after the incident Duncan goes to meet Perry late at night to talk. The watcher does not know if he wants to talk about what happened or if Duncan is truly attracted to Perry. The climb into a beat up old truck where after Perry naturally tells Duncan that they cannot be friends anymore, because what they did was Queer, and he ain't no queer. Duncan says that he hasn't told anyone, why couldn't they be friends. Perry tells him that it is queer, and then kisses him, screaming is that what you want? Duncan says no, and then kisses him a lot more tenderly than Perry did to him, and Perry lets it go, but then pushes him off him, and leaves. The next day, Duncan is at the local shop buying a soda, and he walks outside to find "chicken" which is his pet rooster. He finds out that Perry and his friends have taken it. They start to play keep away and Perry grabs it and acts like he is going to break the neck,but he gives it back to Duncan and tells him to go, show them how is mom, who is dead, taught him how to suck dick. So he "calms" the chicken, but instead of letting him out of his mouth bites his head off. Then the movie cuts to Duncan walking home and his father seeing the chicken and knowing that something is wrong. He grabs Duncan as he is crying and just hugs him and won't let go.This movie was really good, but the story that developed was over too quickly. It leaves the viewer feeling like nothing was resolved. Duncan is still weird, and friendless, and Perry who raped him never got anything that he possibly deserved. It just kinda ended. This was the only downside of the movie. I would watch it again, definitely.