The River

The River

1984 · 122 min · EN · PG · 6.4 (142 votes)
Dir. Mark Rydell · Starring Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, Scott Glenn, Billy Green Bush, Shane Bailey, Becky Jo Lynch · Music John Williams

“He might be able to hold back the river. But could he hold back the greed of man?”

Drama

Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to stop a selfish land developer and a local corporation from foreclosing on their farm. While Mae stays at home to care for their children and tend to the crops, Tom finds work as a scab at a steel mill to preserve his family's property.

VIBE

A raw and unflinching look at a family's struggle against overwhelming odds. It feels like a testament to human endurance, with the unforgiving landscape mirroring the harsh realities they face. A quiet, yet powerful, depiction of resilience.

grittyheartbreakingresilientsombersteadynaturalistic dramaperiod piececharacter-drivenfamilyhardshipperseverancenature
river