1) Narrator:
"But when I am alone in the half light of the canyon all existence
seems to fade to a being with my soul, and memories. And the sounds
of the Big Black Foot River, and a four count rhythm, and the hope that
a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river
runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs
over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless
raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are
theirs. I am haunted by waters."
2)Norman:
I've said I told you all I know. If you push me far enough, all I really
know is that he was a fine fisherman. Father:
You know more than that, he was beautiful.
3)Narrator:
It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us.
4)Paul:
Oh, I'll never leave Montana, brother.
5)Jesse:
Why is it the people who need the most help... won't take it?
Review:A
River Runs ThroughIt follows the lives of two brothers from boyhood
to adulthood. The Montana wilderness provides a breathtaking backdrop, and the
scenes of the fly-fishing are exceptional. Much of the film focuses on Norman's
(Craig Sheffer) efforts to understand Paul (Brad Pitt) as he attempts to derail
Pauls self-destructive tendencies. Robert Redford seems too have a talent for
capturing dysfunctional families on film (his Oscar-winning Ordinary
People also displayed his remarkable ability to convey such material).
I recommend reading the book as well. The following is an excerpt from the book
that I believe was included in the movie:
“Dear
Jesse, as the moon lingers a moment over the bitterroots, before its descent into
the invisible, my mind is filled with song. I find I am humming softly; not to
the music, but something else; some place else; a place remembered; a field of
grass where no one seemed to have been; except a deer; and the memory is strengthened
by the feeling of you, dancing in my awkward arms.”
