The Mudge Boy
2003 · 93 min · Director: Michael Burke
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
The film follows the story of Duncan, a fourteen-year-old misfit farm boy trying to fill the void and alleviate the numbness left by his mother's passing. Unable to let her go quite yet, Duncan mimics his dead mother. He talks in her voice at the dinner table and wears her fur coat to bed. Edgar, Duncan's distant sixty-year-old father, doesn't understand the strange manifestations of his son's mourning. Why can't Duncan grieve like a normal person? Macho mate Perry Foley, who has it physically even harder on his dad's farm, usually comforts Duncan and defends his 'wimpiness' to their cocky ruffian mates Travis, Scotty and Brent. But although clearly attracted to gentle Duncan himself, the socially unacceptable suggestion of 'sissy' homosexuality makes Perry over-react and turn on his friend.
Emotional fingerprint
The Mudge Boy (2003) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Sadness 35%, Empathy 25%, Melancholy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Sadness35%
- Empathy25%
- Melancholy20%
- Love10%
- Anxiety10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Sadness, Empathy, Melancholy. Genres: Drama, Romance, Crime. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Sadness, Empathy and Melancholy. Its IMDb rating of 7.1/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 71/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Sadness
- Disturbing
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Sadness | Disturbing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Sadness | 60 % | 60 % | 53 % | 17 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Empathy | 50 % | 51 % | 38 % | 14 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 16′ | Empathy | 45 % | 45 % | 28 % | 15 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 21′ | Empathy | 50 % | 50 % | 31 % | 20 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Empathy | 57 % | 59 % | 38 % | 26 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 30′ | Empathy | 62 % | 64 % | 43 % | 38 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 35′ | Empathy | 63 % | 64 % | 49 % | 39 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Sadness | 60 % | 60 % | 50 % | 24 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 44′ | Empathy | 63 % | 61 % | 51 % | 16 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Sadness | 63 % | 63 % | 48 % | 16 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 53′ | Empathy | 61 % | 57 % | 34 % | 26 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 58′ | Tension | 69 % | 61 % | 39 % | 49 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 63′ | Empathy | 79 % | 74 % | 59 % | 68 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 67′ | Disturbing | 88 % | 85 % | 75 % | 80 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 72′ | Sadness | 91 % | 90 % | 84 % | 74 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 77′ | Sadness | 90 % | 89 % | 80 % | 65 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 81′ | Tension | 91 % | 88 % | 76 % | 75 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 86′ | Sadness | 94 % | 90 % | 82 % | 88 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 91′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about The Mudge Boy. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
April
Tonya
Lydia Mudge
Emily Foley
Irene Blodgett
Tracey Foley
Merrit Foley
Minister
Store Owner
Drunken Teen
Teen's Friend
Juster (uncredited)
Hay Bailer (uncredited)
Details
- Directed by
- Michael Burke
- Written by
- Michael Burke
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2003
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Sadness
- Data updated
Where to watch
Feels similar
More like this →Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.
