5 comments about White Mile.

1. This movie was really good and I'm glad to hear that someone who actually was involved in the case liked it too. I saw this during my business class and I found that it really related well to the whole "win at all costs" idea as well as a business's ethics. Peter Gallagher and Alan Alda did wonderful jobs and are both very convincing. I also liked how they showed in the beginning the making of a commercial and the brainstorming process of making a commericial. Overall, this movie was great. You might be asking me WHY I fell asleep during it. It was because I literally had a sleepless night!



2. Boasting one of Alan Alda's best performances, this HBO made-for-cable film has an intelligent script, strong dialogue, and excellent acting by all cast members. Based on a true incident, the horrific drowning of several members of a corporate sortie to the treacherous Chilko River for white water rafting, the pacing here is flawless. The writer, Michael Butler, and the director, Robert Butler (related?) have fashioned a seamlessly powerful work that hits the viewer right between the eyes.
   
   Alda's character, Dan Cutler, is a callous, ruthless corporate type who, without question, still exists. One of the top honchos at a prestigious ad agency, he is constantly egging on his subordinates to push themselves, to feel life in their gut and their private parts. He organizes the sortie and in essence bullies both ad agency execs and VIPs from two clients into doing the white water rafting which starts off well, then escalates into a terrible set of events.
   
   The rafting footage is absolutely spectacular; tremendous credit should go to the cinematographer here. This makes the story truly believable; you really feel it when things go horribly wrong.
   
   The endpiece, a courtroom trial, is, in a way, tacked on, but still delivers the goods. See this for Alda's amazing performance. One would think after watching this film that Alda actually IS like this in person; his performance is that believable. Peter Gallagher is also excellent, but this is really Alda's show and what a show it is. He is astoundingly good.
   
   Highly recommended.



3. This work relates, speaking in broad terms, a narrative (based upon a true story) of a group of executives that is pressured into taking part in a whitewater raft trip, during which an unfortunate incident occurs. A subsequent lawsuit which addresses the incident completes a good portion of the film. The entire production wants nothing, as all involved perform at a high level. The scenario, by Michael Butler, is stripped neatly to its essence, and immediately engages the viewer with its combination of visceral excitement, suspense, and character development. The direction by the veteran Robert Butler is precise and enhanced by the splendidly balanced casting. Alan Alda gives his finest performance, softly creating a characterization which fascinates as it develops. Among other cast members, Peter Gallagher, Bruce Altman, and Robert Loggia offered nary a flaw in this seamless tale. The scenes immediately leading to, and including, the actual raft trip are enthralling as a test of strength between Alda's character and his companions, a test that reveals varying moral sensibilities. Editing, in a film reflecting issues of larger scope than are commonly seen, provides an important framework; here, a linear structure is created and moves smartly. The cinematography and lighting, under the aegis of Lloyd Ahern II, can be enthusiastically endorsed (with a wide range of scena) as a standard to be envied. The score by Pray For Rain, refreshingly non-DJ, implies applicable emotion neatly and nicely throughout this interesting and beautifully balanced motion picture. An obviously high level of preparation by all involved bring forth one of the finest films of the 90s.



4. Think Citizen Kane on the river. Solid acting but the whitewater stunts are not the run of the mill Hollywood. Those guys led by Bryan "River Dog" Koelzer, who sat in the middle of the raft without a paddle, really make this movie special. This movie was voted the top 5 whitewater films of all time by Paddler magazine. If you don't own a copy you are will never reach complete enlightenment.



5. The thing that is most striking about this movie (other than the white water sequences) is how Mr. Goodguy can so turn on a dime and be such a slimey, self-serving, non-sympathetic figure in this movie. While he is like this throughout the movie, bullying his workers to go on this dangerous trip even one who feared for his life but needed his job more, his personae truly comes alive when the widow of one of these men comes to see him and he offers her some amazingly good cheescake....I loved seeing him like this -what an an incredible job of acting. This has to be a universal concept that happens in job situations throughout the world - "You do this or it's your job".....The action scenes are well filmed and acted and an exciting movie all-around. Peter Gallagher is good as the person who tries to do the right thing, Robert Loggia (always good) as someone who should have known better but surprisingly goes along with the rafting trip.

2 comments about Let's Get Wet! The Essentials Of Whitewater Rafting.

1. "Lets Get Wet is an integral part of our training for new raft guides. Beth does a great job of using video to cover the fundamentals of both reading and running whitewater. If you're looking for a video that will lay a strong foundation for whitewater guiding, this is it!"
   
   Jon Hagedorn
   Professional Guide
   YD Adventures, WA.



2. As a swiftwater rescue instructor, I am always looking for fun, informative ways to get people more comfortable looking at whitewater. This production is GREAT. Lots of great footage and clear, concise instruction. Great on river footage for reading water on rivers from all over the world. This film is full of fun, information, and great instruction! A must for anyone interested in the intricacies of moving water!

5 comments about Good Luck.

1. This is a fabulous "feel good" movie. I've watched it a dozen times and it's still a favorite to pop in the VCR when company comes calling. This movie never got the publicity it deserved so it's pretty much a surprise when I play it for guests. Then, everyone wants a copy. I probably would never have heard of it myself if my mom hadn't been an extra in it. It was filmed in Winchester Bay, Oregon where my mom had a gift shop.



2. I bought this because when Gregory Hines recently died I wanted to see those movies he did that I had missed. Perhaps a poor reason, but better late than never. He was an accomplished actor and dancer. This DVD has a great price on it as well for the entertainment you will get out of it. I was pleasantly surprised. This is one of those feel good sleepers you run across now and then.

   When Hines, playing a paraplegic, decides to enlist the aid of a blinded football star, played by D' Onofrio, to win a white water race, anything can happen. The friendship that develops is earned through hard work and the realization that no matter what, we can move forward with our lives.

   Fans of movies like "Brian's Song", "Field of Dreams", "Cool Runnings", and "Amazing Grace" should enjoy it. Other than some ocassional bad language the movie is suitable for most the family.




3. I really enjoyed this movie! Good Luck or The Ox and the Eye (which is a better title) is about two men, who are disabled, entering a white water race. It was heartwarming (when Lem and Tony try to enter the race, they are rejected because of their disabilities) and hilarious!!! There is some vulgar language, so this movie is not for children! The best part is it's rewatchable!!!! D'Onofrio and Hines at their best!!!



4. I rented this movie because I really adore the two lead actors. However, although they do the best they can, there is no saving this banal, movie of the week-esque movie. There are a couple of nice moments, most notably when D'Onofrio's character talks about his father and about his love of football. Other than that, the story seems to be cobbled together from many other "uplifting" movies. At times, you can not only guess what will happen next, but can guess what the exact line will be.
   
   Football hero becomes self-pitying after an accident leaves him blind (and unable to satisfy his cheap girlfriend in the sack--which she exposes in a tell-all book). His tutor from school shows up, himself in a wheelchair, and pops this crazy idea to enter a whitewater rafting race. Even though he professes to have it all together and is all rah-rah, he still feels his own sadness that his dreams of being a dentist were dashed by a drunk driver. But first--you knew it!--they have to learn to trust each other. This involves whacky stunts. The two drive to the race, having adventures, learning about themselves and each other, suprising locals with can-do spirit. Each scene seems to end with the two sharing a warm laugh in the fuzzy sunset. Each person they run into is nutty. And even though I said I liked this, the lines from the scene where Olee talks about his dad seem to practically be directly from "The Breakfast Club" where the jock talks emotionally about his dad. Only the commitment of Hines and D'Onofrio keep this one from getting no stars at all.
   
   So to recap: Person who's cocky and beloved for his physical prowess loses it and feels sorry for himself? Check. That person has one last chance to hear the chanting of the crowd and relive the glory? Check. Another person who's been down that same road of self-pity and redemption comes along to save him? Check. Two men bond on the road and endure colorful locals? Yup. Student becomes teacher? Yes. Locals try to keep them down? Check. Other dreamers lend a hand? Drunk driving? Boy stunted emotionally by father? Bathroom humor? Improbable competition set up to prove worth of the outsiders, and won to stirring music and cheers? All those who've been touched by the quest and who we've met along the way show up at the end? Suprise ending that is supposed to warm your heart and teach you what's really important? Yes, yes, yes.



5. I think I can safely say this movie is one of the best purchases I have made all year. After waiting for over three months for Amazon to finally tell me they could not obtain stock, and thinking I had missed out (trying to get hold of Vincent D'Onofrio films in Australia is next to impossible), I found a seller in the Amazon Marketplace selling a used copy for $5. I snapped it up, and I wasn't disappointed.
   
   I won't go into the details of the film, as that has already been outlined. But this movie was immensely enjoyable. It wasn't a 'we will conquer all' film in the typical sense of the word (think any Hollywood sporting flick where the underdog makes a comeback and wins against all odds). It was, however, a feel-good flick in the sense that the two main characters attain achievements that no one else thought they could manage.
   
   There's plenty of humour through the movie, and it has its crude moments, but they can be overlooked in the grand scheme of the entire movie. The entire film was simple, but fantastic, and much less of a cliche than I expected it to be.

5 comments about The Same River Twice.

1. This is a good documentary of a group of river guides that contrasts footage of the unavailable movie "River Dogs" with their current lives. Some moved on, some stayed where they were and all split up. It would have been more valuable if the original documentary, River Dogs, had also been included because it would have served as a better bridge to the past (it would have also been nice to see more of the Grand Canyon Trip, a truely awe inspiring place). Having said that Robb Moss does a solid job putting everything together, and avoids any pendantic conclusions, but lets the work speak for itself. Definitely worth viewing, it's not just a movie, it's real life.



2. Just about what I had expected, a bunch of self-indulgent fools, playing Adam & Eve, then turning gray having learned nothing. I hoped perhaps one of them might just wise up, break with the hippie orthodoxy, maybe join the Marine Corps, open a gun shop in Kingman, Arizona. Anything! But no. They all grew up to be meddling busy-bodies, imposing their Utopian "think globally/ act locally" claptrap as small town mayors and such. It's significant that the guy they all viewed as their guru, is the most vapid and apparently brain-damaged of the bunch.
   
   Perhaps the most striking thing about the movie is how uniformly unlikable these people were, and are. It is a fitting tribute to the 'Woodstock generation'.



3. If you've ever spent any time on a river -- without a motor -- and were a young adult in the 70's...this film is like somebody opening a window in a stuffy room. The sights, sounds, and abundant nudity will wash over you like a icy jade wave....it's a joy to see brother & sisters of the "Royal Order of the Rocket Box" who went there too, fellow veterans of multi-day raft trips with all the attendant psuedo-philosophizing, coitus, group & individual angst, transactional dynamics and joyful dysfunction.
   
   Juxtaposing the archival footage with the "where are they today?" clips was brilliant filmmaking...kind of like Michael Apted's 48-up, but with better scenery and more dramatic hydraulics!
   
   If you've ever stuffed all your worldly possessions in a drybag, hoisted a 200 quart cooler and suffered 3rd degree Teva tan.....you'll love it!



4. I just watched this movie over the Thanksgiving weekend. I thought it was excellent, entertaining and interesting.
   
   I was first interested in this movie because I enjoy nude recreation myself...which I guess makes me a nudist.
   
   I really appreciated the positive view of social nudity, but this movie was much more then that. It follows the 5 main characters from their early "carefree, freedom loving, nudist" youth to their more complicated main stream modern life...safe one Jim, who continues live the same carefree life.
   
   And more importantly the choices that they made, and really that we all make that change our lives...kids, career, marriage....etc.
   
   As for me, I could really indentify with all the characters, from thier youthful days in the 70's and there 40 something lives in the present.
   
   I thought the 70's nudist footage was great and for those that are curious, this depicts the type of nudist's fun that can still be enjoyed now..today...at any age.....
   
   I recommend this movie to middle aged people, who grew up in the 70's.
   
   Enjoy!



5. I really loved this movie and the contrast of the innocence and freedom of these people in their youth with the reality of the "real world" 20 years later. Unlike another reviewer, I'm very happy none of them turned out to become who they once were rebelling against, that would have just made me sad. The implicit comparison between those who moved on and their "leader" who stayed behind was...well, I'm still deciding who I think is truly better off. But I notice those now living in the real world look so...tired. Then again, I'm not sure that he who stayed behind is quite in this world at all, at least not often. I thought about only giving this a 4 star rating, because I would have loved for the original "Riverdogs" movie to have been a dvd extra. But I think the movie itself deserves a 5 and so it will be.

5 comments about The River Wild - DTS.

1. Great suspense movie with great "stars". Kevin Bacon was outstanding as usual. Definately worth the purchase.



2. Meryl Streep takes the lead in this adventure gone action movie. Kevin Bacon always plays a great villain. This movie is beautifully shot. Great outdoor action movie.



3. Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon put the "wild" in Curtis Hanson's 'The River Wild".The plot is terribly formulaic,but it is the depth of the acting that takes this fodder and turns it into something exciting and nail-biting.Streep and Bacon go head to head down the river gorge locking wits and butting brains with enough action/adventure shots and a riveting Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack to keep one's attention and heart racing.This film is to be enjoyed for it's outstanding cinematography,smart editing, but not for some of the corny story lines that are presented.



4. The opening scenes of THE RIVER WILD show a very buff Meryl Streep rowing in Boston's Charles River accompanied by stirring theme music by Jerry Goldsmith. This promise of quality is fulfilled throughout the suspenseful albeit rather predictable movie after the setting switches to the western wilderness. Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon are among Hollywood's most talented and versatile actors and in this outing Streep believably plays a mom who meets extreme physical and emotional challenges (while piloting a white river raft no less) after she encounters Bacon a cunning criminal psychopath. The river scenes are beautiful and I've read that Streep actually did her own stunts for the most part. There are a couple of surprises along the way to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. A good movie for anyone but especially a family with older kids who want a little bit but not too much edge to their viewing experience.



5. I saw this movie a year or two ago and wanted to watch it again and again. I have only been able to find it on the internet. Meryl Streep (Gail) portrays a former river rafting guide. She decides to take her family on a white-water rafting trip for her son and to try and save her marriage with her husband that is hanging by a thread. They meet up with a couple of strangers that seem to be in trouble. Gail offers to help them down the river. But what she thought were two helpless men, turn out to be criminals and take over the family. They have to band together to outsmart the crooks. It is a very good movie worth watching! It has a little of everything: humor, excitement, suspense, thrilling, and a happy ending. Be careful having your kids watch this, though. As the movie progresses and tensions rise, there is some minor language that makes the movie realistic. According to kidsinmind.com, the "f" word is used only once. All the rest are common words you would expect to hear from a regular movie. I give it two thumbs up!!!

5 comments about Balseros.

1. An excellent account of how cubans escaped communist Cuba in 1994 building rafts and sailing across to their dream of America.
   It follows the lives for 5 people who made the crossing. The film follows their struggle on arriving in America and looks at their lives 6 years on.
   This is a True Story which is still happening today.
   The film is in Spanish but there are subtitles.
   Get the hankies ready!



2. "Balseros" is movie of deep commitment executed by a team of heavily talented reporters and film professionals. The work effort covers a period of almost eight years, starting with the so-called "Balseros" crisis of 1994, when - in shades of the Mariel Boatlift in 1980 - a policy shift by Fidel's government sends thousands of industrious Cubans streaming towards the shores of Florida.
   
   The access the film team has to the island is unprecedented. You see the rafts being crafted and carried through the streets. When protagonist Guillermo Armas rides to the shore with this raft, he's cordoned by a wave of joyous bicyclists. What an amazing scene. In the meantime, the camera captures the seedy and rundown nature of present-day Havana.
   
   Where "Balseros" stands apart is in carrying the film through to 2001, when we see what has become of the seven protagonists. You have to give immense credit to co-directors and writers Carles Bosch & Josep Domènech for the effort and skill in putting together this tale.
   
   And, in a film with standout moments, here's mine: the team takes to the waters to document the journeys. At times, it encounters hauntingly empty rafts. The voice over gently tells you about the implications of an empty raft. All you have to do is juxtapose the flimsiness of some of these vessels vs. the raging currents in the straits and it's not difficult to imagine how these journeys came to a ghostly end.
   
   Good complements to "Balseros" are "Finding Mañana" Mirta Ojito's outstanding 2005 memoir of the the Mariel Boatlift, Reinaldo Arenas' "Before Night Falls" (acclaimed author Arenas also came over in Mariel) and "Azucar Amarga," another great film with outstanding live footage (spliced into a compelling fictional story).
   
   The movie follows seven specific protagonists. I found it hard to distinguish the threads at times, but Spanish producer Bausan Films has an outstanding press package on its web site and it contains a little cheat sheet of the seven, which I'm pasting in here because I think it'll really help your watching of the film:
   
   MÉRICYS GONZALEZ
   HER JOURNEY
   AUGUST 1994
   Builds a raft in Havana
   SEPTEMBER 1994
   She sets off to sea. The raft is wrecked and she returns to Cuba
   FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
   She obtains a legal visa and goes to Albuquerque, New Mexico to join her sister
   
   OSCAR DEL VALLE
   HIS JOURNEY
   AUGUST 1994
   Builds a raft in Havana
   SEPTEMBER 1994
   Goes to sea and in U.S. waters is picked up and sent to the naval base at Guantanamo
   OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
   Accepted in the U.S.A. he is sent to the Bronx
   FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
   He has moved to York (Pennsylvania)
   
   RAFAEL CANO
   HIS JOURNEY
   AUGUST 1994
   Builds a raft and is thrown out of it
   SEPTEMBER 1994
   In a "new" raft he sets out to sea and is detained in U.S. waters. He is taken to Guantanamo
   OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
   Accepted into the U.S. he is sent to Miami
   JUNE 1996
   He goes to Nebraska
   FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
   The TV program broadcast nationally from Miami, Gran Impacto, sets out to find him
   
   MÍRIAM HERNÁNDEZ
   HER JOURNEY
   AUGUST 1994
   Builds a raft in Batabanó (in southern Cuba)
   SEPTEMBER 1994
   She sets out to sea and is detained in U.S. waters and sent to the naval base in Guantanamo
   OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
   Accepted in the U.S. she is sent to Miami
   FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
   She is still waiting for her daughter, who is now eight years old, and who Miriam still has not been able to bring from Cuba
   
   GUILLERMO ARMAS
   HIS JOURNEY
   AUGUST 1994
   Builds a raft in Havana
   SEPTEMBER 1994
   Sets out to sea and is detained in U.S. waters and sent to the naval base at Guantanamo
   MAY 1995
   Accepted in the U.S. he is sent to Miami
   FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
   He lives with his wife and daughter in Miami
   
   JUAN CARLOS AND MISCLAIDA
   THEIR JOURNEYS
   AUGUST 1994
   They build a raft in Havana
   SEPTEMBER 1994
   They set out to sea and are detained in U.S. waters and sent to the naval base at Guantanamo
   OCTOBER/DECEMBER 1995
   Accepted in the U.S. they are sent to Granby, Connecticut
   FIVE YEARS LATER 2001
   They have separated. He lives in Granby. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.



3. The documentary is one of the few that Fidel Castro will allow to show on the communist Cuban television. It shows the negative side of the balseros immigrants. Completely pessimist and intentional depressing and some times it make fun about Cubans. No a good example. The director picked a very poor town were everybody is black and unlettered. The other ninety percent of the rafter or Balseros, not showed on this documentary of course, are mostly white, blue collar worker, professionals, and artists. I see then all the time. Why this documentary doesn't show to the world that Cuban is the minority more represented on the highest levels of the united stated government. Balseros that came here to work hard, learn the language, make money without selling drugs. It is the type of material that makes happy those that use to ware Che Gevara tee-shirt. I am sorry about my English, I am just a Balsero that came here eight years ago and now I am American citizen, own a hause, have my own insurance business and most at all, I am free and proud to be a cuban balsero.



4. The movie documents the lives of half a dozen Cubans as they struggle to escape their wretched lives to reach the land of dreams. Seen in a braoder context, I could immediately relate to the hopes and aspirations of people in various corners of the third world as they seek to make a home in the West.
   Most interesting was to note how fragile human relationships are - majority of these 6 Cubans who finally make it to America find loving and living with people against all promises made to loved ones when departing. Since this documentary tracks the lives of these people across several years, it provides a rich historical context to measure the reality against the dreams that these immigrants had when departing for America.
   Thankfully, the movie stays away from any political overtones (as in Castro-bashing, or America/ CIA bashing).



5. This was an interesting documentary about a brief period of time during the Clinton administration in which Cubans were so desperate to leave Cuba (either to reunite with family in the United States or to come to what they thought were cities of gold) that they risked their lives and took to the sea on flimsy rafts that I wouldn't get into a pool on. The film documented several people making their rafts, putting them out to see, being turned back to Cuba to be held at Guantanamo Bay, being given lottery tickets to come to the U.S. and then how they faired once they got here. It seemed, for many, to be a hard life they were leaving and a hard life they were coming to. The documentary doesn't focus much on the politics of what was going on at the time -- there are some brief mentions of Castro opening the flood gates and letting people leave if they wanted and Clinton turning people away for a brief time, but most of the film discusses the hopes and dreams of people thinking there was a better way of life out there and how desperate they were to get to it.
   
   An interesting film and worth watching for some perspective.

2 comments about The Runaway.

1. I loved this film; I kind of wish it would get the Oscars; Unfortunately, it was originally aired on TV: You have these two boys born on the same day; One is black and the other is white; They hook up and become the best of friends; Yet, this is 1940s Georgia; And the black boy's sister gets pregnant presumably by her white employer, then someone turns up dead and things get right ugly. Dean Cain plays the sheriff, who just coming back from WW2, wants to see the right thing done, yet, the prejudices of the time seem to want to stay the same although clearly, times were a-changing; Maya Angelou has a pivotal role as a seer; You can't help but love watching her especially when she hollers "Justice Is Served" in the courtroom. Debbie Morgan, a great yet underrated actress has the role of the black boy's mother; And a performance she gives indeed. A good Hallmark movie indeed;



2. This an excellent film for the entire family. It is a very touching story, very entertaining and gives the family lots of topics to discuss after viewing. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

3 comments about Good Luck.

1. This movie is full of fun. But more than that it goes deep into the feelings of all of us by examing the stories of two handicapped and unlikely companions on an impossible dream. Be aware, the language is crude and the discussions on the level you might expect for two single guys alone on the road for days as they travel to a white water raft race. AND every single cast member (not just the stars) seems perfect for their roles, right down to the bit parts. A great film that will make you laugh, cheer, and maybe examine your own life. Definitely delivers what it says...a feel good film.
   
   [Based on the principle of SOAR, an organization that takes disablied persons on outdoor experiences.]



2. Good Luck features two great actors, the late Gregory Hines and the brilliant Vincent D'Onofrio. They performed very well together having almost all the scenes with both actors. It was amazing to see Hines, such a great dancer as well, portray a pariplegic without even the slightest hint of leg movement and D'Onofrio portraying a blind person without going over the top. Also very interesting to see D'Onofrio transform from an overblown ego, pro football player to a bitter, lonely man. Great movie in that yes it had very touching moments but a lot of great comic moments as well.



3. This movie hammers my funny bone. Loved the true to life aspects that are portrayed. If you have ever spent time in a wheel chair you will understand the humor at a deeper level, if not you will still find it funny/

5 comments about Huckleberry Finn (Full Screen).

1. What is wrong with MGM/UA ????? THIS WAS A PANAVISION FILM. THE LASERDISC WAS RELEASED IN LETTERBOX WITH THE OVERTURE. WHY IS THE DVD IN PAN AND SCAN, WITH THE OVERTURE CUT ?????? STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE. TRY TO LOCATE A COPY OF THE LASERDISC VERSION. IT SEEMS THAT MGM/UA USED TO GO ALL OUT ON LASERDISC, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DVD, THEY SHORT CHANGE US !!!!!!! BAD CALL, MGM/UA!!



2. The musical version of Mark Twain's classic is enjoyable, but does not capture the depth of the book. Literary satire is hard to capture on film. The score is nice but actually seems uneven. Harvey Korman is fey beyond belief, but the rest of the cast does a nice job. Jeff East makes a great Huck. I wish East did more in the 1970's, except the young Clark Kent in "Superman". Paul Winfield is always great, and plods along with a simple script, unworthy of this great talents as an actor. The big disappointment is that MGM released this DVD in pan and scan. What's the point of DVD technology, especially with the growing number of widescreen TV's available today, to replicate what's already been done on VHS? I think it's pure laziness. Disney is doing the same thing to new releases like "Boatniks", and "In Search of the Castaways". That is a crime! Even laserdisc technology of 10 years ago had all this stuff in widescreen. Hopefully, MGM will get on the bandwagon soon!



3. First, the music. Really, not bad. However, it's not great and the songs are too few to christen this film a true musical. So what does that leave? Half-hearted acting, forced dialect, a script so overly-focused on jamming in all of the novel that it neglects the power of space and time and the slowness of the Mississippi that one feels when reading Twain's most endearing classic. Sadly, this version of Huckleberry Finn never establishes any mood and one only gets a glimmer as to the friendship between Huck and Jim. In addition, the two leads seem miscast, Jim especially.
   
   Also--when Huck breaks out in song a la Broadway, it just does not work! And the Roberta Flack (who is a wonderful singer in her own right) ballad theme song likewise does little to help this dismal film.
   
   Hopefully one day there will be a definitive version of this classic. This one, however, misses the mark by about a zillion twains.



4. Seriously, this is the best Huck Finn movie available. The songs are wonderful, the characters are interesting and funny, and the actors are tremendous. You get a true feeling of solidarity between Huck and Jim and if your like me then you might have a tear in your eye at the end.
   
   The transfer is really good, but I did notice some video distortion (snowflakes) during the "a matter of honor" scene. If it didn't have the distortion and there was some special features I would have given it a 5



5. After the success the Sherman Brothers had turning Mark Twain's classic Tom Sawyer into a musical, they set their sites on Huckleberry Finn. While it is enjoyable, it has some serious flaws as well.
   
   The movie follows the story pretty closely. Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) is being raised by the Widder Douglas (Lucille Benson). When his abusive Pappy (Gary Merrill) returns, Huckleberry decides to run away. He's joined by Jim (Paul Winfield), a slave who is running away to freedom before he can be sold. As they try to make it to freedom, they encounter two families caught in a feud and the conmen known as the Duke (David Wayne) and the King (Harvey Korman).
   
   For the most part, the movie manages to capture the spirit of the book with the right mix of drama and comedy. The Duke and the King especially steal the show, and their songs are the most memorable. The rest of the songs are a mixed bag, nothing too exciting but nothing that horrid, either. My biggest surprise is that the ballad "Freedom" which starts the movie was more power on the reprise at the end than the first time it showed up.
   
   The book is very episodic in nature, yet somehow manages to tie it all together. The movie never quite does that, however, really helping that feeling that few of these events aren't connected.
   
   But the worst problem in my opinion is the ending. They leave out my favorite episode, the attempt to rescue Jim. In stead, they change the ending to make it bittersweet yet powerful. Still, I think the book's ending was better.
   
   For those keeping track, Jim is still the real sympathetic character he is in the novel. But we do get a couple uses of the "N" word, which are fitting for the time period and the original novel.
   
   This isn't really a bad musical, but it's not outstanding either. It's a good way to be introduced to a classic American novel, but it will never replace that work.

5 comments about The River Wild.

1. Great suspense movie with great "stars". Kevin Bacon was outstanding as usual. Definately worth the purchase.



2. Meryl Streep takes the lead in this adventure gone action movie. Kevin Bacon always plays a great villain. This movie is beautifully shot. Great outdoor action movie.



3. Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon put the "wild" in Curtis Hanson's 'The River Wild".The plot is terribly formulaic,but it is the depth of the acting that takes this fodder and turns it into something exciting and nail-biting.Streep and Bacon go head to head down the river gorge locking wits and butting brains with enough action/adventure shots and a riveting Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack to keep one's attention and heart racing.This film is to be enjoyed for it's outstanding cinematography,smart editing, but not for some of the corny story lines that are presented.



4. The opening scenes of THE RIVER WILD show a very buff Meryl Streep rowing in Boston's Charles River accompanied by stirring theme music by Jerry Goldsmith. This promise of quality is fulfilled throughout the suspenseful albeit rather predictable movie after the setting switches to the western wilderness. Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon are among Hollywood's most talented and versatile actors and in this outing Streep believably plays a mom who meets extreme physical and emotional challenges (while piloting a white river raft no less) after she encounters Bacon a cunning criminal psychopath. The river scenes are beautiful and I've read that Streep actually did her own stunts for the most part. There are a couple of surprises along the way to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. A good movie for anyone but especially a family with older kids who want a little bit but not too much edge to their viewing experience.



5. I saw this movie a year or two ago and wanted to watch it again and again. I have only been able to find it on the internet. Meryl Streep (Gail) portrays a former river rafting guide. She decides to take her family on a white-water rafting trip for her son and to try and save her marriage with her husband that is hanging by a thread. They meet up with a couple of strangers that seem to be in trouble. Gail offers to help them down the river. But what she thought were two helpless men, turn out to be criminals and take over the family. They have to band together to outsmart the crooks. It is a very good movie worth watching! It has a little of everything: humor, excitement, suspense, thrilling, and a happy ending. Be careful having your kids watch this, though. As the movie progresses and tensions rise, there is some minor language that makes the movie realistic. According to kidsinmind.com, the "f" word is used only once. All the rest are common words you would expect to hear from a regular movie. I give it two thumbs up!!!