A farming family battles severe storms, while taking a valiant stand against a bank foreclosure and a powerful land grabber.A farming family battles severe storms, while taking a valiant stand against a bank foreclosure and a powerful land grabber.A farming family battles severe storms, while taking a valiant stand against a bank foreclosure and a powerful land grabber.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 2 wins & 6 nominations total
Frank Hoyt Taylor
- Zemke
- (as Frank Taylor)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMark Rydell has said of this film: "The River (1984) is a tribute to a vanishing America - - the America of the independent farm family. The Garvey family represents the lifestyle that made America work: continuity of generations, the passing on of traditions, and of knowledge and skills, from fathers to sons, from mothers to daughters - a way of life in which every member of the family is unique and necessary for the survival of all."
- GoofsThroughout the movie, the weather seems to go from hot to very cold. In the beginning scenes you see the Garveys out trying to shore up the levee on there land and you can see their breath. In another seen, Lewis is walking behind his fathers tractor (planting seeds and the tractor over heats scene) in what looks like a hot summer afternoon. Same with the scenes wear Tom goes to the steel mill for work and it's very cold out while back at the farm, Mrs Garvey is sweating on the tractor while spraying the corn.
- Alternate versionsThe BBFC cut the original UK cinema release by 10 seconds. Later home video releases were upgraded to 15 and passed with the cuts restored.
- SoundtracksThe Fireman
Written by Mack Vickery and Wayne Kemp
Performed by George Strait
Courtesy of MCA Recordings, Inc.
Featured review
I recently rented this movie because I'm a Mel Gibson fan, but before I did, I read over the review by Leonard Maltin on these pages and found that his comment "but Gibson's character is so coldly stubborn that it's hard to empathize" regarding the character Tom Garvey was pretty harsh.
This is not a man so stubborn you cannot empathize with him in the least. Harrison Ford's character in Mosquito Coast was such a man, but this guy is a good man trying to do what's right for himself and for his family and I didn't see him as cold either. Again, look to Mosquito Coast if you're looking for a father who's cold, TOO stubborn and unloving.
If you want to see a good movie about farmers facing adversity from the weather and from their "neighbors" this is a good one to rent. Justly nominated for cinematography, it's a very pretty movie, although I'd have liked to see it on the big screen to get the full effects of the river shots. Sissy Spacek was of course excellent as well.
This is not a man so stubborn you cannot empathize with him in the least. Harrison Ford's character in Mosquito Coast was such a man, but this guy is a good man trying to do what's right for himself and for his family and I didn't see him as cold either. Again, look to Mosquito Coast if you're looking for a father who's cold, TOO stubborn and unloving.
If you want to see a good movie about farmers facing adversity from the weather and from their "neighbors" this is a good one to rent. Justly nominated for cinematography, it's a very pretty movie, although I'd have liked to see it on the big screen to get the full effects of the river shots. Sissy Spacek was of course excellent as well.
- MovieFan-48
- Jul 23, 1999
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $18,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $11,489,982
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $30,027
- Dec 25, 1984
- Gross worldwide
- $11,489,982
- Runtime2 hours 4 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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