The River Wild [Region 2] |  | Director: Curtis Hanson
Actors: Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, Joseph Mazzello, John C. Reilly
Category: DVD
Buy New: $38.99
as of 3/21/2010 22:43 EDT details
New (1) Used (2) from $32.58
Seller: door2doordvds
Rating:  53 reviews
Format: PAL
Languages: Danish (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Finnish (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Swedish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Czech (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), German (Dubbed), Hungarian (Dubbed), Italian (Dubbed), Polish (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 2
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Running Time: 108 Minutes
EAN: 5035822001947
ASIN: B00004CXI8
Theatrical Release Date: September 30, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Meryl Streep tried her hand at action films with this Curtis Hanson film and proved herself quite credible, bringing emotion as well as the willingness to kick butt. She plays a suburban mom and former white-water rafting guide who is taking her family on a raft trip for summer vacation. But overworked Dad (David Strathairn) can't make the trip, so she and her son leave without him--and walk right into trouble. Killers on the run (Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly) abduct them and force Streep to take them down the most dangerous stretch of river to elude the cops. Hanson understands how to pace and construct this kind of action fodder, but it's strictly formula stuff, enlivened only by the depth of Streep's portrayal and the viciousness of Bacon's character. --Marshall Fine
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 53
 "Let Us Gather at The River" January 9, 2010
Strawgold (Wyoming)
A glorious movie that has it all - adventure, scenery, soundtrack, casting perfect for the roles and the underlying story set in the wild country of Montana.
It opens with fluid movement of a boat gliding through gold-touched, calm water that grabs the viewer the moment the sound track begins to play; a splendidly filmed intro of Streep rowing in the placid water of an Old Boston setting, complete with the big, gentle river overhung with foilage and it's Revolutionary background of stunning old stonework of building and bridge; she is obviously keeping in shape for her trip back to her homeland and it's wild river; but as it progresses, we glimpse into her psyche; it is not merely an exercise, it is an internal challenge with herself; she must row under the bridge before the train rumbles across it. You witness intimately the determination building in her expression as she makes her thrust into the final stretch. Beginning with this moment, it unfolds into the underlying theme, poignant in it's simplicity - and although it's been said before, "many times, many ways", it pulls it off splendidly as it begins to delve into the best and the worst of us, and of the undiscovered elements lying deep within the character of people we know or should know - best.
It is about Gail, a strong, adventurous Alpha female confident of her abilities, and of sound character played with anticipated magnificence by Meryl Streep; her little boy, Roarke, whom she desires to keep in close contact with her own family roots even though they are living half a continent and culture away, in Boston; her husband, Tom, (great job by David Straithairn) for whom she has lost respect and feels that he is not only struggling in his work as an architect, but has, in the process, sold his soul to it and can think of nothing else. As we discover, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Kevin Bacon as Wade, the modern day outlaw who has masterminded - if that is the right word - an armed robbery of a cattle auction, establishes his "real bad boy" role with talent, and his slow-witted but harmless companion, played by John C. Reilly, has found himself deep in a situation he is ill-equipped to play with. The unlikely combination of individual people and their problems meet fatefully at the wilderness river where they are all embarking down it for entirely different reasons; and from there it becomes a battle of wits, arrogance vs ingenuity and ability, Love against Lost; with the bonds between Gail, Tom and Roarke that have nearly been broken by circumstance brought together once again by need. I suspect that Tom will return to Boston with a new opinion of himself.
A beautiful movie, directed and cast impeccably, this is one for the home collection, in my view - and I highly recommend it as one to watch over and over again, never tiring in the scope of the message - and being transported from the serene, New England intro as it melds into wild white water and mountainous splendor.
 Good! Good! Good! October 16, 2009
Reviewer Mary (Boston, MA)
I saw this movie, and was in suspense the whole time! I don't think so many people should have been shot... But owell.
 A Water-Logged Yuppie Action Flick September 14, 2009
Graboidz (Westminster, Maryland)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you are looking for a non-stop action flick with top notch suspense, vile villains and heroic leads....keep looking. "The River Wild" packs about the same punch as a Lifetime Network movie, but with an A-List cast.
I normally love Meryl Streep in just about anything, and she does a fine job here, but the material is just so tepid there really isn't anything to work with. David Straithairn looking as though he just stepped out of a power-lunch with the CEO also does a decent job as the city-boy lost in the wild, but again outside of being given the "too-busy-to-enjoy-my-family" schtick, they don't really give him anything to do here. His decent into "survivalist" mode consists of his clothes getting wet and his hair getting messy. The best role in the film is reserved for Kevin Bacon as the heel. Playing the smarmy, backwoodsy killer who takes Streep and family hostage, Bacon does a great job in the film, and is the only reason I recommend giving this movie a spin in the DVD player. But surrounding him with a whiny kid, a dorky co-bad-guy, inept river police etc. and any edge of danger is sucked right out of the character.
The ham-handed direction even sucks the beauty out of the landscape, and the menace out of the rapids. The musical score gets pumped up to ten and...blah. There is nothing surprising or inventive with the film. Take the dullest parts of "Deliverance", and expand them for an hour and half, and you have "The River Wild".
Family Counseling- The Hard Way... August 17, 2009
Bindy Sue Frønkünschtein (under the rubble)
Meryl Streep plays a wife and mother who arranges a family white-water rafting trip. She is near to divorce, and her husband (David Strathairn from Dolores Claiborn) and son (Joseph Mazzello from Jurassic Park) are barely speaking. Enter a trio of ne'er-do-wells, led by the seemingly nice, Wade (Kevin Bacon from Stir Of Echoes, Tremors, Death Sentence, Hollow Man, etc.), and things start to get interesting. The family is forced to fight for their own survival, while seeing each other in whole new ways. Even the whimpy dad has his chance for redemption through heroic acts of bravery. Streep is magnificent as the former rafting guide mum, out to turn the tables on her nemesis and his remaining henchman (John C. Reilly). I love seeing actors do "out of character" material, especially stuff that no one would expect! If you love action / suspense / thrillers with adventure and kick, then THE RIVER WILD should hit you full-force... P.S.- Watch for Benjamin Bratt in a decent cameo as a ranger...
Wild River - NOT River Wild July 29, 2009
M. Lawson (NYC)
This download page is for the 1960 Elia Kazan film WILD RIVER starring Montgomery Clift and Lee Remick. Beautiful film about the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the changes it brought to the region - both economically and socially. Love Meryl Streep but this is not that movie.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 53
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