On R List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)

---

A River Runs Through It (1992)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 3/04, 7/13, 8/20

7/13: The first of two Montana Brad Pitt pictures, A River Runs Through It is mythically sublime.

I've come to the realization it's a moral story about how somebody who seems to need the most help can't be helped because, like the title says, a river runs through it.

Of course, it's nice to see the three topics of religion, Montana, and fly fishing interweave together as a tale to be told. The Oscar-winning cinematography is a lovely touch, and of course, who can't up there? Superb performances come from Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, Emily Lloyd, and Brenda Blethyn. They're all perfectly cast.

All in all, A River Runs Through It is a well-crafted masterpiece with a lot of hidden meanings.

8/20: A River Runs Through It is a pretty, well-directed picture by Robert Redford.

The story is simplistic; it's the summer, making for the last time two brothers are together, and one of them dies. As they say, a river runs through it because people are difficult to understand or control. Of course, Brad Pitt is the glue; he's a darling, and this is the film that saw his career take off. But Craig Sheffer and Tom Skerritt can't be counted out as they're also a big part of it.

I love the cinematography by Philippe Rousselot, especially the fly fishing scenes; in fact, it won the Oscar. A nomination went for Best Adapted Screenplay, coming from Norman Maclean's novella, which is well-deserved with the last lines being exactly as written. The author died two years prior to the film's release, and thus, he never got to see it.

All in all, A River Runs Through It may be the best representation of Montana.

---