The River Wild (1994)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writer (WGA):

Denis O'Neill (written by)

Release Date:

30 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

The vacation is over

Plot:

Meryl Streep takes on a pair of armed killers while navigating a spectacularly violent river.

Plot Keywords:

River | Rafting | White Water Rafting | Knife | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 15	12:30 PM	HBO
Tue. July 21	9:00 AM	HBO
Mon. July 27	5:00 PM	HBO

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Gail Hartman
Stephanie Sawyer	...	Willa
Joseph Mazzello	...	Roarke
David Strathairn	...	Tom
Elizabeth Hoffman	...	Gail's Mother
Victor Galloway	...	Gail's Father
Kevin Bacon	...	Wade
John C. Reilly	...	Terry
William Lucking	...	Frank
Diane Delano	...	Ranger
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Ranger
Benjamin Bratt	...	Ranger Johnny
Paul Cantelon	...	Violinist
Glenn Morshower	...	Policeman

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence and threatening moments.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

American Sign Language | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Peru:14 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

David Foster Productions

Trivia:

The last of the three sign-language symbols written by the husband is the symbol for "I Love You."

Goofs:

Continuity: Raft goes through huge rapid, drops over the falls and should be full of water and have to be bailed. A minute later when the raft is lifted by the cable it is dry.

Quotes:

Wade: I'm in charge now. I could bury you and Roarke tonight. I could do anything I want with you.
Gail: Then go ahead. Don't keep telling me how tough you are, Wade, just show me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L.A. Confidential: Off the Record... (1998) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Water is Wide

There's much more beneath the surface of this story than you may expect

This movie is highly entertaining. Bacon is so mean that I sometimes also feel antipathy for the characters he plays in other films. And Meryl Streep is convincing in her first action role. The script didn't give Mazzello any great moments but he is good as ever. The only sad thing is that you always know the story will have a happy ending. But you can't blame the film for that for you would never expect that the killers win. That would be too depressing for a film made in Hollywood. And the story is depressing enough at some moments because there is a strong psychological tension and death is always threatening the family members. The duel between the mother and the killer is extremely well made. This movie is much more than you would expect from an action film. Add to that rafting scenes that are so full of action and movement that you almost get a heart attack! That is entertainment!