| The River | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Riverposter.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Rydell |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Vilmos Zsigmond |
| Edited by | Sidney Levin |
| Music by | John Williams |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 123 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million[1] |
| Box office | $11.5 million (North America)[2] |
The River is a 1984 American drama film directed by Mark Rydell, written by Robert Dillon and Julian Barry, and starring Sissy Spacek, Mel Gibson, and Scott Glenn. The film tells the story of a struggling farm family in a Tennessee river valley trying to keep its farm from going under in the face of bank foreclosures and floods. The father faces the dilemma of having to work as a strikebreaker in a steel mill to keep his family farm from foreclosure. It was based on the true story of farmers who unknowingly took jobs as strikebreakers at a steel mill after their crops had been destroyed by rain.
The River was theatrically released on December 19, 1984, by Universal Pictures. It received mixed reviews, with critics praising Spacek's performance and the cinematography, but criticizing the screenplay, execution, and Gibson's performance, whom many considered to have been miscast[citation needed]. It was a box office failure, grossing only $11.5 million against an $18 million budget. Despite that, it received four nominations at the 57th Academy Awards; Best Actress (for Spacek), Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, and won the Special Achievement Award.
- ^ Rydell hopes 'The River' will be another hit farmland saga: Director Rydell is proud of 'The River' Thomas, Bob. Chicago Tribune 4 Jan 1985: f15c.
- ^ The River at Box Office Mojo