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THE RIVER (1984) |
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MORGAN'S RATING |
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| Mae and Tom Garvey are farmers at a time when bankers, real estate agents, and nature itself threaten to destroy their way of life in The River, a powerful film about the fragility of the American dream. When the local river floods and nearly destoys the farms around it, hardship hits the area. The Garveys are also at odds with the local power authority and one of its chief officers, Joe Wade, who has plans to build a damn and flood the land for a hydroelectric project. Though the family stoically attempts to continue working its farm, massive debts and a poor season finally force Tom to accept a low-paying factory job as a scab. As they struggle to keep up, Wade hovers vulturelike over the Garvey farm, waiting for its demise. |
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| Mel Gibson (Tom Garvey), Sissy Spacek (Mae Garvey), Shane Bailey (Lewis Garvey), Becky Jo Lynch (Beth Garvey), Scott Glenn (Joe Wade), Don Hood (Senator Neiswinder), Billy Green Bush (Harve Stanley), James Tolkan (Howard Simpson), Andy Stahl (Dave Birkin), Lisa Sloan (Judy Birkin), Larry D. Ferrell (Rod Tessley), Susie Toomey (Sally Tessley), Kelly Toomey (Lisa Tessley), Frank Hoyt Taylor (Zemke), Ivan Green (Smoot), Desmond Couch (Wilderfoot), Charles G. Riddle (Youngdall), Jim Antonio (Dan Gaumer), Samuel Scott Osborne (Billy Gaumer), Amy Rydell (Betty Gaumer), David Hart (Harley), Barry Primus (Roy), Mark Erickson (Baines), Jack Starrett (Swick), Charles Robinson (Truck), Dean Whitworth (Doctor), Charles S. Hanson (Fat Man), Ira M. Quillen II (Weatherman), Matt Bearson (First Employee), Timothy Shadden (Second Employee), Elizabeth Lane (Secretary), Gary Gershaw (Drifter). |
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IT WILL BRING THEM TOGETHER. IT WILL TEAR THEM APART. IT'S WHERE THEY'LL MAKE THEIR STAND. |
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FACTS |
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PRODUCTION INFORMATION |
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RELEASE DATE: December 21st, 1984 (USA)
BOX OFFICE OPENING: $30,027 (USA)
BOX OFFICE RESULT: $11.4 million (USA)
- Filmed in Birmingham, Alabama, and Eastern Tennessee. Much of the movie was filmed on 440 acres of land purchased by Universal Studios by the Holston River in Tennessee. It was cleared and turned into working farms in four weeks. The production used a real river regulated for flood scenes with a dam that was slated for repair. The dam was fixed and altered with the help of the US Army of Engineers.
- Winner of a Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing. Nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score and Best Sound. |
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DIRECTOR: Mark Rydell.
WRITERS: Robert Dillon and Julian Barry.
PRODUCERS: Robert Cortes and Edward Lewis.
ORIGINAL MUSIC: John Williams.
DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures. |
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CRITICAL COMMENTS |
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"Intense, emotionally involving drama...Mel Gibson turns in a powerful performance as the head of the family." -- At-A-Glance Film Reviews |
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