We have a movie theater in the basement. The Scotsman Theater. It’s a very nice thing to have a theater in your basement.

For the most part, we don’t see movies at conventional theaters any more. We live and die by the DVD release schedule. Remember how there were no good movies released between February and May? That’s our summer. Quality movie drought.

Last night we watched Mud, with Matthew McConaughey. Didn’t know much about it beyond what we saw in the trailer. 98% on the rotten tomatometer, and we hadn’t seen it, so boom. We were in. My Beautiful Wife was sold on Matty Mac. I was sold on a YA coming-of-age story.

I got the better end of that deal. It was one of those movies where EVERY CHARACTER WAS PERPETUALLY FILTHY. You could smell the movie. Mud is about Arkansas river people who live and die by selling fish from the river. Crushing poverty. The character of Mud is hiding out on an island. Yes, Matty Mac does his ubiquitous shirtless scene. He’s also sporting a crooked dental appliance, so his trademark smile never fails to shock like wool socks on a winter carpet. But gah! It’s one of those movies where you ache to line the entire cast up in the bay of a car wash and just blast them with the soap gun.

Sweet, simple story. The trailer hints at a third act turn, but that’s a red herring. Adorable little Ellis (Tye Sheridan) is a sap for love in act one and the same sap in act three. Reese Witherspoon is self-destructive trainwreck trash in act one and the same character in act three.

Nice little flick. Deceptively sweet. No false notes. The conflagration shootout finale is more Unforgiven than Die Hard. If you haven’t seen Winter’s Bone, then, for the love of God, see that gem first; one of the best movies you can watch on Netflix streaming. But if you are debating between Place Beyond the Pines and Mud, go with Mud. Or go with Place Beyond the Pines and turn it off after the first act.