Synopsis
Gail and Tom Hartman are struggling to stay together and decide to take a white-water rafting holiday adventure in Montana for their son Roarke's 10th birthday, only to meet up with a pair of mysterious men whose desperation grows, turning their vacation into a nightmare.
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Cast
- Meryl StreepGail Hartman
- David StrathairnTom Hartman
- Kevin BaconWade
- John C. ReillyTerry
- Joseph MazzelloRoarke Hartman
- Benjamin BrattRanger Johnny
- William LuckingFrank
- Stephanie SawyerWilla
- Elizabeth HoffmanGail's Mother
- Victor GallowayGail's Father
Recommendations
- 75
ReelViews
As thrillers go, The River Wild is a cut below a "white-knuckler," but it still has its share of spills and chills. - 75
Chicago Reader
Curtis Hanson (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle) directed this 1994 thriller effectively from a fairly routine script by Denis O'Neill; what really makes this movie worth seeing are the stunning Oregon and Montana locations (filmed in 'Scope), as well as Streep's sexy pluck in playing the most capable and resourceful character around. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
While The River Wild pays lip service to equally weighty ideas, in the end it’s merely an agitated but tidy ride. - 75
LarsenOnFilm
Another 1990s domestic parable chastising workaholic dads, The River Wild also functions as a gorgeous travelogue and a Meryl Streep action film. Director Curtis Hanson sure packs a lot into one river trip. - 60
Washington Post
If watched from a mildly amused, forgiving distance, the movie has its enjoyable moments—good and campy. - 60
Empire
Exciting in parts, Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon doing their best, but arc of suspense doesn't quite bring you to the edge of your seats. - 58
Entertainment Weekly
Most of The River Wild moves at an annoyingly maladroit, stop-and-go tempo — it feels too much like a camping trip — and almost nothing that happens is very believable. - 50
Chicago Sun-Times
The River Wild is one of the movies you want to play along with, you really do, but it gets so many details subtly wrong that finally you lose patience and turn on it.
