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
Slow building, exhausting & beautiful struggle of an American farm couple
I enjoyed this movie for the most part, it wasn't fantastic, it was interesting though and somewhat exhausting, watching how hard this family works to keep afloat.
Its a slow building movie following Tom and Mae Garvey (Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek) a hardy Tennessee farming couple who must defend their farm against man and nature, constantly one step away from foreclosing or flooding. This is from the early 80's so Mel Gibson is very good looking here as well as doing a decent southern accent. Sissy looks good too.
There are also some interesting scenes in this, one in particular stands out when Tom takes a job at a foundry and a deer enters which then has all the workers surrounding it, planning on killing it and then they just release it. I'm not entirely sure what it was meant to signify?
The ending felt a bit abrupt with yet another flood and a somewhat cheesy conclusion to everything with the outcome of the bad guy land developer (Scott Glen). I was left wondering and then what happens? Probably the same exact circle of events next season. 10/24/15
Its a slow building movie following Tom and Mae Garvey (Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek) a hardy Tennessee farming couple who must defend their farm against man and nature, constantly one step away from foreclosing or flooding. This is from the early 80's so Mel Gibson is very good looking here as well as doing a decent southern accent. Sissy looks good too.
There are also some interesting scenes in this, one in particular stands out when Tom takes a job at a foundry and a deer enters which then has all the workers surrounding it, planning on killing it and then they just release it. I'm not entirely sure what it was meant to signify?
The ending felt a bit abrupt with yet another flood and a somewhat cheesy conclusion to everything with the outcome of the bad guy land developer (Scott Glen). I was left wondering and then what happens? Probably the same exact circle of events next season. 10/24/15
- juneebuggy
- Nov 2, 2015
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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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