The River
by Mark Rydell
Our Price: $9.99
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 3 days
Buy Used: from $2.87 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Becky Jo Lynch, Mel Gibson, Scott Glenn, Shane Bailey, Sissy SpacekDirector: Mark Rydell
Brand: Universal
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 124 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-02-23
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of The River
Movie Review: "Sooner or later there's gonna be too much rain."
Summary: 2 Stars
Sissy Spacek received her fourth Oscar nomination for her role in 1984's "The River." She plays a farm wife, struggling to keep her family intact while her husband (Mel Gibson) tries to save their farm. The farm abuts a small river, which seems to flood every time it rains. The flooding ruins their crops and puts the family at constant peril of bankruptcy. Add to this mixture Scott Glenn, who plays a scheming developer; he wants to buy up all the land and have the government build a dam to flood the valley. Gibson and Spacek refuse to sell their land, and Gibson even takes work at a local mill to stave off creditors. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Gibson, he is replacing striking workers and gets branded a scab.
"The River" tackles a very worth topic - the farming crisis of the 1980s, when many small farmers lost their land for a variety of economic reasons. However, it also tries to address unions, scab workers, and several other social issues. By doing so, the message of the film ends up being a bit jumbled. There also are several unbelievable scenes; in particular, there are several scenes where a crowd reacts in unison, all set to swelling music.
Some viewers are likely to find Gibson's character overly stubborn and aloof. I didn't have a negative reaction to him; he's meant to represent, I think, the many quiet men who fight for their families. These kind of men, though, often are very emotionally expressive, which can make watching them onscreen rather frustrating. I found Scott Glenn's character more problematic. He is supposed to be the villain, but he starts off far too nice before taking a nasty (and abrupt) turn very late in the picture. Fortunately, Sissy Spacek's character is much more fully rounded, and she gives a very good performance. Her performance makes the movie (barely) worth a look.
Summary of The River
An independent farm family must fight against the local power authorities when they plan to flood the couples land to make way for a hydroelectric project. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 09/28/2004 Starring: Mel Gibson Sissy Spacek Run time: 124 minutes Rating: Pg13Drama DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in Academy awards nominees (actresses) (girls who lost) 1978 - 1988
The Turning PointRelease date: 2005-01-25; DVD
Best price: $299.95
JuliaTwentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2006-02-07; DVD
Best price: $4.39
Price in other shops:
The Goodbye GirlWarner Brothers; Release date: 2000-01-18; DVD
Best price: $10.42
Price in other shops:
An Unmarried WomanTwentieth Century Fox; Release date: 2006-01-10; DVD
Best price: $7.61
Price in other shops:
Same Time, Next YearUniversal; Release date: 2004-04-06; DVD
Best price: $6.93
Price in other shops:
InteriorsRelease date: 2000-07-05; DVD
Best price: $3.74
Price in other shops:
Autumn Sonata - Criterion CollectionImage Entertainment; Release date: 2000-01-18; DVD
Best price: $26.93
Price in other shops:
Starting OverParamount; Release date: 2005-06-21; DVD
Best price: $3.98
Price in other shops:
The RoseRelease date: 2003-08-19; DVD
Best price: $4.44
Price in other shops:
The China Syndrome (Special Edition)Sony; Release date: 2004-10-26; DVD
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Similar DVD Movies
What Dreams May ComeUniversal; Release date: 2003-03-04; DVD
Best price: $3.79
Price in other shops:
Meet Joe BlackUniversal; Release date: 2007-11-16; DVD
Best price: $3.29
Price in other shops:
BackdraftUniversal; Release date: 1997-12-10; DVD
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops:
Scent of a WomanPACINO,AL; Release date: 1998-04-29; DVD
Best price: $3.53
Price in other shops:
CountryRelease date: 2003-12-09; DVD
Best price: $4.78
Price in other shops:
Pride & PrejudiceUNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2006-02-28; DVD
Best price: $6.39
Price in other shops:
The PianistUniversal; Release date: 2003-05-27; DVD
Best price: $8.74
Price in other shops:
Cinderella Man (Widescreen Edition)Universal; Release date: 2005-12-06; DVD
Best price: $1.73
Price in other shops:
The WarUniversal; Release date: 1999-04-13; DVD
Best price: $3.25
Price in other shops:
The StingUniversal; Release date: 1998-03-31; DVD
Best price: $4.10
Price in other shops: