The River

– Farming family battles severe storms, a bank threatening to reposses their farm, and other hard time..

Type:
Movie
Rating:
6.30 / 10
Duration:
2 Hours and 4 Minutes
Release Year:
1984
The River (1984)

Farming family battles severe storms, a bank threatening to reposses their farm, and other hard times in a battle to save and hold on to their farm.

Story Timeline:
Producing Country:
USA
Filming Locations:
Genre:

The River (1984) - Trailer

Release Date:

11 Jan 1985

Language:

English

MPAA Content-Rating:
PG-13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writer:

Robert Dillon (story), Robert Dillon (screenplay), Julian Barry (screenplay)

Main Actors:

Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, Shane Bailey, Becky Jo Lynch

Plot:

Tom and Mae Garvey are a hard working farming couple living with their two children on the east Tennessee farm owned by Tom's family for generations. They and many of their neighbors have hit hard times of late. A downturn in the economy has led to dwindling land prices. But the biggest problem of late has been that their crop land has been prone to flooding as the property is adjacent to a river. Manipulating the powers that be including a local senator and the local bank, Joe Wade, who also grew up in the area and now runs the local milling company that sets the local grain prices, is working behind the scenes to buy up the properties along the river for a song as he wants to build a dam which would flood the Garvey's and others riverfront properties. The dam would generate electricity, but more importantly for Joe it would provide irrigation opportunities for farm properties away from the river, such as his own. Tom already intensely dislikes Joe as he and Mae used to go together. Joe's behind-the-scenes manoeuvrings coupled with the continuation of these and many other farming problems makes it increasingly difficult for the Garveys to hold onto their farm, Tom who seems determined at any cost to stay on the land of his ancestors.

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Production:

MCA Universal Home Video

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
6.3/10