The River

"He might be able to hold back the river. But could he hold back the greed of man?"

1984 2h 2m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 142

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to stop a selfish land developer and a local corporation from foreclosing on their farm. While Mae stays at home to care for their children and tend to the crops, Tom finds work as a scab at a steel mill to preserve his family's property.

“He might be able to hold back the river. But could he hold back the greed of man?”

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Cast

Mel Gibson
Tom Garvey
Sissy Spacek
Mae Garvey
Scott Glenn
Joe Wade
Billy Green Bush
Harve Stanley
Shane Bailey
Lewis Garvey
Becky Jo Lynch
Beth Garvey
Don Hood
Senator Neiswinder
James Tolkan
Howard Simpson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mark Rydell
Writers: Robert Dillon, Robert Dillon, Julian Barry
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 64% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

42 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mark Rydell, shot by Vilmos Zsigmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sidney Levin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek and Scott Glenn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He might be able to hold back the river. But could he hold back the greed of man?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0088007 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mark Rydell directs. Vilmos Zsigmond behind the camera. John Williams scores. Sidney Levin cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 64% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
242 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Mark Rydell, shot by Vilmos Zsigmond. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by John Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Sidney Levin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek and Scott Glenn carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "He might be able to hold back the river. But could he hold back the greed of man?".
8IMDB entry: tt0088007 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.