I went in expecting a mystery/suspense film, so I was surprised how much of the movie was about puppy love and the idealization of boy/girl relationships (which afflicts both Mud and the main kid.)  I'd taught Tom Sawyer at Davis just before the film came out, so the spectres of Tom and Becky loomed large for me. 

Seems like either the film holds up Tom Sawyer as an example of idealized childhood romance that the movie subverts, OR it simply situates the movie in an existing tradition of realistic adolescent lit by evoking Twain. It depends on how one reads TS, of course.

I'd encourage folks to see it.  Any film that features Michael Shannon singing "Help Me, Rhonda" can't be all bad.