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A River Runs Through It
original movie poster
Directed by	Robert Redford
Produced by	Jake Eberts Robert Redford Patrick Markey
Written by	Norman Maclean Richard Friedenberg
Narrated by	Robert Redford
Starring	Craig Sheffer Brad Pitt Tom Skerritt Brenda Blethyn Emily Lloyd
Music by	Mark Isham
Cinematography	Philippe Rousselot
Editing by	Robert Estrin Lynzee Klingman
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	October 9, 1992
Running time	123 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

A River Runs Through It is an Academy Award winning 1992 American film directed by Robert Redford and starring Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, and Emily Lloyd. It is a period drama based on the semi-autobiographical novella A River Runs Through It (1976) written by Norman Maclean (1902-90).

Set in and around the city of Missoula in western Montana, the story follows two sons of a Presbyterian minister—one studious and the other rebellious—as they grow up and come of age in a time that roughly spans the Prohibition era (1919-33) in the United States: from World War I (1917-18) to the early days of the Great Depression (1929-41).

The film won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 1993; it was also nominated for two other oscars, including the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Academy Award for the Best Music and Original Score; the film had also won the Readers' Choice Award for the Best Foreign Language Film.The film grossed $43,440,294 in US domestic returns.^[1]

[edit] Plot synopsis

The film tells the autobiographical story about two young men, Norman (Craig Sheffer) and Paul (Brad Pitt), growing up in 1920s Missoula, Montana under the watchful eye of their father, a Presbyterian minister. Their mornings are spent in school and religious study, while their afternoons are devoted to fly fishing in the nearby Blackfoot River. At home, however, the family's stoic emotions hint that trouble is to come. Norman goes to the east coast for college and lives there for six years, without returning home until then. In the meantime, Paul gets a job as a prolific journalist and makes a name for himself back home. The movie is about Norman's return home and his and Paul's summer together.

As adults, Paul is a rebellious journalist and his brother, Norman, a level-headed, grounded teacher. Norman matures and channels his rebellion through his writing while dating Jessie Burns, while his reckless brother Paul turns to gambling and liquor. The film chronicles their intertwining and often conflicting lives, focusing on Norman's point of view, as they grow up in the shadow of their minister father. A great deal of the film surrounds the men's love of fly fishing for trout in Montana's rivers, and their shared experiences through it while growing up.

[edit] Main cast

• Craig Sheffer as Norman Maclean
• Brad Pitt as Paul Maclean
• Tom Skerritt as Reverend Maclean
• Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Maclean
• Emily Lloyd as Jessie Burns
• Edie McClurg as Mrs. Burns
• Stephen Shellen as Neal Burns
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Young Norman
• Vann Gravage as Young Paul
• Nicole Burdette as Mabel
• Susan Traylor as Rawhide
• Michael Cudlitz as Chub
• Rob Cox as Conroy
• Buck Simmonds as Humph
• Fred Oakland as Mr. Burns
• David Creamer as Ken Burns
• John K. Peccer as Paul Hans (uncredited/cameo/extra)

[edit] Location

Although both the book and movie are set in Missoula and on the Blackfoot River, the filming was done in Bozeman, Great Falls ^[2] and on the nearby upper Yellowstone, Gallatin and Boulder Rivers. The waterfall shown is Granite Falls in Wyoming.^[3][4][5]

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical reviews

Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, and Tom Skerrit fishing.

Released on October 9, 1992, A River Runs Through It grossed $43,440,294 in US domestic returns.^[1] The film achieved an 81% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com based on all polled critical reviews.^[6]

[edit] Awards

A River Runs Through It was nominated for three Academy Awards for 1992, including Best Cinematography (Philippe Rousselot); Best Music, Original Score (Mark Isham); and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Richard Friedenberg). Rousselot won for Best Cinematography. Robert Redford was also nominated for Best Director - Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, but did not win.

[edit] Discussion of artistic license taken

An article published in the Helena Independent Record in July, 2000 and based on recollections of people who knew both brothers noted a number specifics about the Macleans — notably various chronological and educational details about Paul Maclean's adult life — that differ somewhat from their portrayal in the film and novella.^[7]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: A River Runs Through It

• A River Runs Through It at the Internet Movie Database
• A River Runs Through It at the TCM Movie Database
• A River Runs Through It at Allmovie
• "A River Runs Through It: Blu-ray Disc Review" at HD Report