The River Wild
Tags: suspenseful, comedy, murder

Plot synopsis:
A Boston couple, Gail (Meryl Streep) and Tom (David Strathairn), are having marital problems, due to his inability to spend time with his family because of his work as an architect. She, a water rafting expert, decides to take their son, Roarke (Joseph Mazzello), on a holiday rafting trip down the Salmon River in Idaho, along with their dog, Maggie. Their daughter, Willa (Stephanie Sawyer), accompanies them to Gail's parents' house in Idaho. At the last minute, just when they are about to leave for the almost week-long trip, Tom joins them. As they are setting off, they meet a couple of other rafters, Wade (Kevin Bacon) and Terry (John C. Reilly), who appear to be friendly. Thus they leave for the trip, leaving Willa behind to be taken care of by her grandparents.
After a day's rafting, they make camp for the night, but Tom continues to work on his renderings rather than entering fully into the experience, which agitates Roarke. They are joined by Wade and Terry, who help to celebrate Roarke's birthday that night. Gail becomes friendly with Wade. However, after a while he begins acting suspiciously, and she decides it would be best to part ways. During the morning's rafting, he reveals to Roarke that they have a gun with them. As they raft down the river, Gail and Tom discuss a strategy that will allow them to leave the two men behind, and at lunch they attempt to leave on their raft and get away before Wade and Terry realize what is going on.
Their attempt fails, and Wade pulls the gun on them and assaults Tom. Maggie runs off during the melee, avoiding a shot by Wade. Gail then realizes that an armed robbery she had heard about was actually carried out by Wade and Terry, and their rafting trip is actually a way for them to get away. Having found out that they are criminals, the family is forced to raft at gunpoint down the rest of the river before they all set up camp for the night.
During the night, Tom attempts to steal the gun from the sleeping Terry but is heard and has to run into the bushes and to the river. Wade gives chase and believes he has shot Tom when he hears a loud splash into the water.
A park ranger named Johnny (Benjamin Bratt), who knows Gail, is whitewater canoeing down the river. He bumps into them. Wade holds the gun to Gail's back, and they pretend everything is okay. Later, Johnny reappears. Wade shoots him and throws him into the rapids.
Wade and Terry plan to escape by rafting a set of rapids named the Gauntlet, where rafting is no longer allowed because in recent years one person was killed and another was left paralyzed. Aware that Gail is one of only three people to have ever survived the deadly waters, they force Gail to raft down through those rapids despite her repeated declarations that she can no longer navigate such big water, especially not with novices and her son.
Unbeknownst to anyone Tom has been racing to try to get ahead of the raft, in a desperate attempt to save his family. After a harrowing ride in which Terry is nearly drowned, the group manage to make it through the Gauntlet. Tom reappears, and manages to flip the raft. As he struggles with Terry, Gail is able to get the gun.
Wade tells Gail there is no need to kill him, and that if she does, it will haunt her because she will never have a way to know if she truly had to. Gail, knowing Wade believes the gun has only one round, points the gun into the air to fire it, but it only clicks on an empty chamber, after which Wade orders Terry to kill Tom and Roarke and goes after Gail. Gail opens the revolver, sees the remaining cartridge, chambers the last round, and kills Wade. The film ends with the family and Terry, who has been arrested, being helicoptered out.

Review: River Wild is not really great or thrilling, but it's very entertaining due to the good acting by the entire cast and the beautiful nature scenery.
How Kevin Bacon's character first strikes a bonding with the son, in order to win Meryl Streep's trust, and how this friendly atmosphere slowly glides to threat was very realistic.
Meryl Streep plays a part out of her normal range in Curtis Hanson's 1994 actioner, as an expert whitewater rafter, who has to save herself and her son - eventually with the aid of hubby - from a couple of desperados, who insist on being taken through some awesome rapids.
Kevin Bacon is very effective as a regular guy, who just happens to be a psychotic criminal in his off moments; John C Reilly plays his weak, shifty sidekick; and Joseph Mazzello is the son, who initially finds Bacon more fun than his dad.
The teacher Gail Hartman (Meryl Streep) is facing problems with her marriage with her husband, the workaholic architect Tom Hartman (David Strathairn).
On the birthday of their son Roarke (Joseph Mazzello), Gail decides to leave her daughter with her parents and take her family to raft down a wild river where she was a guide.
Curtis Hanson's box office hit 'The River Wild' is well-shot and even gripping in parts, but what really stands tall in this thriller and balances the film even when it dips, are the performances by it's talented star-cast.
Because of that, Kevin was one of the most terrifying movie characters that I have ever experienced.Seriously, in real life, Kevin Bacon may be a nice guy, may be a sweetheart, may do volunteer work, may go to church regularly, may be a good dad, may be a coach for his daughter's soccer team.
The human plot, involving a couple of hostage-takers, is less spectacular, but the film still gets by thanks to the calibre of the cast.Meryl Streep, although a little too earnest in some places for my liking, takes plaudits as the outdoors expert who has to use her wits to survive both nature and the evils of mankind.
This at first calm and beautiful journey gets unexpectedly dangerous when the family meet on their way two strangers (played by Kevin Bacon and John C.Reilly), who also for their own reasons go to a journey with the same route.
Finally, it is worth to mention nice score, written by Jerry Goldmith, with excellent main theme.In the conclusion The River Wild is not great but quite a good movie, with good casts, acting and one of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen.
To celebrate her son Roarke's birthday and help build his relationship with his father (and her), Gail takes the family unit up to where she used to work as a river guide for a bit of white water rafting.
"The River Wild" isn't among the best or most exciting thriller/action movies ever made but it's a very well made one by acclaimed director Curtis Hanson and with a great cast.A movie set entirely on a river, with as the central piece of the movie a family, complete with kids and a dog.
It's perhaps not as good and prominently executed as it could had but nevertheless the movie gets points for the attempt, that also I must say mostly works out due to Kevin Bacon's fine role.Watching this movie sort of makes you think what a shame it is that Bacon doesn't really play villainous roles anymore.
But also credits have to go to Meryl Streep, who plays a fine strong female lead and other great actors such as David Strathairn, Joseph Mazzello and John C.
THE RIVER WILD is not the most original thriller ever made , it's premise is " a clean cut family bump into a couple of desperate criminals in the sticks and their lives are now in serious danger " but it deserves some credit in not trying to paper over its flaws with ridiculous action sequences or other type of melodramatic plot twists .
Meryl Streep,(Gail Hartman), earned her salary in this film, not just acting but having to take part in some of the water scenes.
Kevin Bacon,(Wade) meets up with Gail and takes a great liking to her, as well as, her son and it looks like things are going to work out for a great vacation.
Kevin Bacon is great as a creepy bad guy, it's a natural role for him.Sure, the plausibility gets a little thin in spots, but hey, it's a movie!
With all due respect to Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, the one who really steals the show is young (at that time anyway) Joseph Mazzello as Roarke.
This is a pretty good action adventure which is enhanced by the against-type casting of Meryl Streep as the woman who finds herself held hostage by a couple of robbers on the run while on a rafting family with her near-estranged husband and difficult son.Although Streep is good she is matched by David Strathairn as her city-type husband who initially looks so at odds with the outdoor setting simply by the way he moves - and even sits.
One of those films that makes you wonder "why?"Why, if Streep's husband could *run* past the dreaded Gauntlet rapids, couldn't the bad guys just *walk*??
Meryl Streep gets a totally different kind of role in "The River Wild".
She and her husband (David Strathairn) and son (Joseph Mazzello, of "Jurassic Park") go on a rafting trip and encounter some guys (Kevin Bacon and John C.
The River wild is a fantastic movie which shows Kevin Bacon at his best as a psycho.
The River Wild (1994) Streep plays a family woman on holiday enjoying some white water rafting when who should appear, but nasty old escaped convict Kevin Bacon.
The irritating kid, and a husband (David Strathairn) who unfairly was the object of scorn for much of the film, made me lose the enjoyment of watching this on subsequent viewings.If you haven't seen it, it's definitely as good adventure story of a woman (Meryl Streep) and her family terrorized by a wacko (Kevin Bacon) out in the wilds.
In the end the movie turns out to be pretty formulaic, with movements and plot points that we've definitely seen before - many times, in fact.Meryl Streep was an interesting choice as Gail - mother and white water guide - and while she was interesting (basically because this isn't what you'd think of as a normal Meryl Streep role) I didn't find her convincing in the part, either (which is probably why it's not a normal Meryl Streep role!) Kevin Bacon was somewhat more credible as Wade, the guy apparently in charge of the robbery, who decides to take the family hostage in order to use Gail's rafting expertise to run a particularly deadly river in the hopes of escaping the law.
All is well at first, but the good times turn bad rather quickly, as the two buddies are revealed as criminal types who have committed a robbery and are on the run, and need Streep's expertise to make it through a treacherous pass on the river.
I was unexpectedly disappointed in the normally reliable Jerry Goldsmith's score, succumbing to the turgid grandiosity of too many film composers these days...trying to take advantage of digital THX sound systems, perhaps?Anyway I watched it through to the bitter end in order for that final gratifying moment when Meryl shoots Kevin Bacon, loathsomely and all-too-convincingly playing a murderous villain.
Gail (Meryl Streep), brings her workaholic husband Tom (David Strathairn) and son Roarke along on a white river rafting trip for a bit of family bonding and partially to salvage what's left of her declining marriage.The family vacation turns awry however, when they stumble across two mysterious strangers (Kevin Bacon & John C Reilly) who are in need of help as, so they claim, they are stuck in the middle of nowhere and need Gail to help them get out.
The River Wild does what it says on the tin, all the while refraining from hiding behind any CGI effects, instead just using good old fashioned stunt work and great acting.Directed by Curtis Hanson who had previously directed 'The Hand That Rocked The Cradle', he uses his previous skill in pumping up the tension successfully and there are some great moments that make you wonder what is going to happen next.Meryl Streep is great as usual and plays the strong, level-headed female lead well, yet still with an air of vulnerability at the same time.
Wade (Kevin Bacon) as the bad guy scared me because you would never know what he would do next, even though he mostly focused on getting out and being cleared of trouble then killing a lot of people, like some guy on a rampage and his sidekick Terry (John C.
Reilly) really was a ignoring sidekick, not much dialouge with his character but he was really a klutz in standing guard and how to control the family.The family played by Gail (Meryl Streep) the mom, Tom (David Strathairn) the dad and Roarke (Joseph Mazzello) the son showed a very good performance in this movie and had the brightest concepts of escaping danger, things from sign language to swiss army knife and to smoke signals really kept the movie alive and it was spectacular.I do recommend this movie to anyone who is a Kevin Bacon fan, I have been for a while and I love his movies, this movie is very suspenseful and will keep your heart beating to the end, It was worth renting a good adventurous thriller set in the Rockies, Just a very good 112 minutes of sitting on the edge of your seat..
There are times when I agree with the people who bash this film, and then there are times when I agree with the people who think this movie is one of the best action films ever (which it isn't by the way).Meryl Streep acts decently here, but there are a lot of things that just don't flow right.
Curtis Hanson directed this exciting thriller that stars Meryl Streep and David Strathairn as Gail and Tom Hartman, who are taking their son with them on a white water river rafting trip in the mountains while on vacation.
Gail is the real expert rafter, which will come in handy as they are intercepted by two men named Wade and Terry(played by Kevin Bacon and John C.
Good film with solid direction and performances, especially Streep and Bacon.
This is a good drama, set to nice scenery and enough action to keep it afloat on a "river Wild" of course.Three bandidos (sounds cooler than bandits, so I'll say it) are on this "river wild", as are a man, his wife, and their son.Issues arise between the couple, and when the two groups meet, one of the bandidos is dead, and the husband becomes weakened, which of course you know, because Meryl Streep has to be the star.This is all leading up to a final confrontation with the psychopath played by Kevin Bacon.So what makes this interesting is the wild card.
Not even the estimable Meryl Streep can save this waterlogged "thriller," sort of a cross between "Deliverance" and..oh..I don't know.."Up the Creek." Kevin Bacon is not exactly threatening as Ms. Streep's number one nemesis, and David Strathairn makes no impression at all..
Curtis Hanson made the excellent 'L.A. Confidential', and Meryl Streep has a fine reputation as an actress, but 'The River Wild' is generic adventure fare.
Streep plays the ex-rafting guide kidnapped by two criminals on the run, one stupid and one psychopathic (the latter resembling Beavis off MTV, but actually Kevin Bacon), who plan to use her to escape down the rapids: her cute child, neglectful husband and Lassie-style heroic dog are also part of the package.
As usual Meryl Streep plays a very convincing role and her efforts should be commended, however, the plot is very predictable; and I don't know about you but I'm getting fed up with the good old American hero saves the day film.
Plus, the ending (to be more precise, the last 20 minutes or so) is a roller-coaster of intensity, thanks to the breathtaking (and very dangerous!) rafting scenes in the most fierce part of the river.Overall, this is a decent Summer movie - good to be watched anytime of the year, but particularly in hot weather.True, the plot has a certain lack of strength but it's still okay.
Gail goes takes her son and the family dog to a white water rafting trip, something she excelled in when she was younger where she was a river guide and would take on the wild rapids.On the trip she meets Wade (Kevin Bacon) and Terry (John C.
Curtis Hanson's "The River Wild" lives up to the challenge, even for someone who knows a thing or two about going down rivers like these (albeit not as violent).Storywise, it's pretty much your stock story from the genre: A family with a crumbling marriage goes on a trip where they meet up with some seemingly nice people who turn out to be criminals of some sort.
And it helps that Curtis Hanson's direction compliments the script nicely.Meryl Streep may have top billing, but while she is excellent in the quiet scenes, she's less impressive as when she turns into the action heroine.
Reilly would have been miscast, but this role just shows his range and versatility."The River Wild" isn't perfect, but when it comes to an adventure movie, this is a great trip..
Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential) directs this little thriller with style and Meryl Streep keeps the audience riveted with her excellent portrayal of a woman whose family rafting trip has turned into a nightmare.
The music and lush scenery is another reason to rent this sleeper hit.+ (GOOD THINGS) 1.) Performances from Streep and Bacon 2.) Curtis Hanson's direction 3.) The nice scenery 4.) Performances from Mazzello, Reilly and David Strathairn 5.) The suspense 6.) The music(BAD THINGS) 1.) Benjamin Bratt's character 2.) The slow beginning
Meryl Streep does an action heroine turn as Gail, a river guide in an unhappy marriage to David Sraithairn.
Basically, this is about a family that goes on a rafting vacation...They meet these bad guys that end up kidnapping them so that Meryl Streep's character can take them down this very dangerous river as their guide so they can escape far away.
The River Wild (1994): Starring Meryl Streep, David Strathairn, Joseph Mazzello, Kevin Bacon, John C.
David Strathairn, more often seen in supporting roles, here achieves leading man status as Tom. There is also a good performance from Kevin Bacon, generally a reliable villain, as Wade, at first friendly and plausible, later a raging psychopath.
He just has the extraordinary ability to hold his breath underwater for 5 minutes!) The rest of the cast continues down the river until later on, when the father makes a surprise appearance, saves his family, the main bad guy gets shot (conveniently by the mother, who earlier in the movie swore to kill him, and after doing so shows absolutely no emotion of any sort.
The family now lives happily ever after, with both parents now getting along marvelously (with lots of kissing, too!) and the young, impressionable son agrees to not talk to strangers anymore.The plot is fiendishly predictable and boring, and the characters are ones that are often used as well: the athletic, courageous, intelligent, protective, and pretty much flawless mother (Meryl Streep), her loser husband (David Strathairn) who later on in the film gets to show that he does have some good qualities as well!
Reilly) who tries to make friends with the kid, says that he 'don't wanna go back to jail,' and that he 'never knew anybody was gonna get hurt!' Yawn.This movie is riddled with thoroughly average acting, with the exceptions of Kevin Bacon as Wade (he's so good at being villainous!) and, despite his age, Joseph Mazello as Roarke, giving a similar role, but much better performance than in Jurassic Park.
Personally, I would have expected Meryl Streep to have done a better job; she's renowned for being an excellent actress, but I wasn't particularly swept away by her performance.The setting was perfect, and the scenery was beautiful - it really complimented the movie, and the camera work showed it off perfectly, with lots of zooming out to demonstrate the whole scene, then zooming back in to focus on the actors again.
The River Wild (1994): Dir: Curtis Hanson / Cast: Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, John C.
In THE RIVER WILD, he white-waters into mediocrity as the Bad Bacon, holding a family hostage to help him navigate Montana rapids after a heist.
"The River Wild" stars Meryl Streep as Gail, a young woman whose holiday rafting trip is hijacked by small-time criminals.
Basically white water rafting expert Gail Hartman (Golden Globe nominated Meryl Streep) takes her family, son Roarke Hartman (Jurassic Park's Joseph Mazzello) and father/husband Tom Hartman (David Strathairn) on a trip down the river to go to their house.
Gail (Meryl Streep) is a white water rafting guide.
She, husband Tom (David Strathairn) and son Roarke (Joseph Mazello) are kidnapped by robbers Wade (Kevin Bacon) and Terry (John C Reilly), who see rafting down the river as an effective escape route.It's pretty easy to understand the casting decisions for Bacon, Reilly and Strathairn, but Streep isn't the most obvious choice for action Mom Gail.
And so it is here.Gail (Meryl Streep) is a teacher for the deaf who takes her family on a white water rafting trip for her son's birthday.
And Roarke is just the obnoxious brat who gets them into trouble.The River Wild is Curtis Hanson's first attempt at an action film.