The Mudge Boy

"Duncan Mudge has a secret…"

2003 1h 33m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 104

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Chronicling the troubled existence of Duncan Mudge, a 14-year-old misfit who—while vying for the attention of his vacant father—struggles to fill the void brought on by his mother's sudden death.

“Duncan Mudge has a secret…”

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Cast

Emile Hirsch
Duncan Mudge
Tom Guiry
Perry Foley
Richard Jenkins
Edgar Mudge
Pablo Schreiber
Brent
Zachary Knighton
Travis
Ryan Donowho
Scotty
Beckie King
April
Meredith Handerhan
Tonya

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Burke
Writers: Michael Burke
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 8% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 23 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Burke, shot by Vanja Černjul. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Marcelo Zarvos. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Affonso Gonçalves shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Emile Hirsch and Tom Guiry and Richard Jenkins carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Duncan Mudge has a secret…".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Burke directs. Vanja Černjul behind the camera. Marcelo Zarvos scores. Affonso Gonçalves cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.8M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 8% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 23 years ago.
4Directed by Michael Burke, shot by Vanja Černjul. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Marcelo Zarvos. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Affonso Gonçalves shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Emile Hirsch and Tom Guiry and Richard Jenkins carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Duncan Mudge has a secret…".
9IMDB entry: tt0339419 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "loss of loved one", "chicken", "bullying", "coming of age".

The technical file

Cinematography: Vanja Černjul
Original score: Marcelo Zarvos
Editing: Affonso Gonçalves
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $800,000
Box office: $62,852
Return: 8% of budget
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Mudge Boy (2003)

Also by

Michael Burke

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Community reviews

What people are saying

kinrich302026-09-08
★ 8/10
This was difficult to watch in spots, it was a good movie and well acted, but clearly the main character needed some serious help after the death of his mother, complicated by his uncertain orientation, abrasive father and his crush on the local bully.

Production companies