recommended

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

I count this among my favorite films, one I can watch time and again without getting bored. Beautifully shot and acted, and with a memorable score, it's a perfect way to pass the time on a rainy afternoon (like today).Plot in a nutshell: two brothers, Norman and Paul, take divergent paths on the way to manhood in early 1900s Montana.Perhaps this film speaks so effectively to me because I, like Norman, grew up with one brother (although, unlike Norman, I am the younger of the two). And like them, my brother and I share some similarities, but we are more different than we are alike. No differences, though, are strong enough to overcome the fraternal bond that unites them. Both in their youth and young adulthood, you see Norman and Paul "being there for each other" when push comes to shove.Some reviewers have stated the film is boring; I don't see that. Perhaps they were looking for an action/adventure film, I am not sure. This is drama, pure and simple, and done on an exemplary scale. It's like "Little Women," but for guys, and instead of four sisters, you have two brothers, Norman and Paul. We see their triumphs, their failures, their relationships....but most of all, we see that bond they share, shining through. I've always taken that as the theme of 'running through it'...their family bonds, and their fraternal bond with each other. It's a deep film, in that way. It can be uplifting, but also tragic; a sheer reflection of life itself.I've loved the film since I first saw it in '92, and my opinion hasn't changed. Even the music is wonderful; I bought the CD for the soundtrack I liked it that much (CDs, I know, but c'mon, this was 1992 after all!). Watching "A River Runs Through It" is like catching up with an old friend; every few years I make sure to revisit it, because it's time well spent.10/10. Poignant coming-of-age tale which also won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, and was nominated for Best Original Score. Would I watch again (Y/N)?: Absolutely, yes.

I have recently watched - inexplicably for the second time - Robert Redford's film, A River Runs Through It.This movie may not have won a mittful of awards, but it has been recommended by the International Society of Sleep Disorder Orderlies for its powerful sedative effects.Brad Pitt plays Paul, the ne'er-do-well brother of Norman, played by Craig Sheffer. Their father is a God-fearing-but-fish-tormenting preacher played by Tom Skerritt. The plot seems to be some sort of allegory. For those who do not know what an allegory is, I shall explain:When you have an adverse reaction to something - be it weeds, dust, pollen, pet dander, insect bites, or boring movies - then you are said to be suffering from an allegory. Treatment for such is a strong antihistamine which will likely knock you completely off your toes. Luckily, in the case of A River Runs Through It, the antihistamine is built right into the movie! You won't even notice your allegory!However, as any exalted reviewer would, I must criticize at least one intention of this film. Redford likely wants the viewer to hanker for a day of fly-fishing. Rather, I found that I might welcome spending some time with my ne'er-do-well brother watching paint dry.

I was introduced to this title by a friend who knew I really would enjoy this movie. He is an expert fisherman. I wasn't sure I would like the movie not being a fisherman myself, but I found it was about so much more. This movie touches the heart and speaks volumes about life. It speaks about choices and the people we love. Though we love the dearly we cannot live their lives or change the direction of their lives. We can love them for who they are and what roles they may play in our lives. I enjoyed this movie and have watched it repeatedly for it reminds me of my parents and the hopes they had for all of us. The things they taught us and the stories we continued to tell when we get together. They are not with us anymore, but their memories and legacy lives on in us.

A Timeless Classic- Never did I think such boring text could be given an incredible breath of life and excitement through motion picture. In the movie A River Runs Through It, based on the Novella by Norman Maclean, two boys are born and raised in Montana by their Minister father while they are molded by religious ways and specific techniques of fly fishing. Norman, being the oldest, is also the narrator of this tale of simple living in Montana. He is very successful, however, Paul, the youngest brother gets himself into a good amount of trouble. Later we learn how and where Paul's successes shine through. A River Runs Through It is a beautiful film about family, simplicity, life lessons and values that takes the viewer out of their busy day and back down to the core of things. The novella was beautifully and very successfully adapted, expressing the emotions of the boys who struggle to express them themselves. The setting for the movie is very scenic and just as described in the beautifully descriptive novella. Although the life is simple, the brother's encounters and internal struggles are much more complex then they initially appear. The emotionless black and white characters are brought to beautiful visualization of human life and love in this visually and emotionally comforting film about life lessons. The film touches on a new level then the book could ever fathom and more, yet it still includes all the aspects the book had. Brad Pitt as Paul and Craig Sheffer as Norm were perfectly casted. Brad perfectly exemplified the cute and small persona, along with the heart and drive of a fighter that Paul had. Brad is very charming and appears perfect on the outside, but is much more complex and conflicted on the inside. Craig seems rough and tough, but with Norms personality, he the loving one, and is more the type that is caring and supportive of the important people in his life. Both boys adapted to perfectly fit the era and the setting. If one didn't know they were actors, one would say that they truly believed they were born and raised in Montana. These two strangers come together as actors in the film to have a bond that is not shown in affection; but a bond that is strong enough to be visible by the pure sense of feeling, devotion and family ties. The theme of the film is subtle throughout, but shines through if one really looks past the different things that these small town boys get themselves into. Even though the theme of the film could be over looked, the simplicity helps by putting more emphases on the meaning of the experiences, then the experiences them selves. The main symbol in this book is no secret: fly fishing. It can be looked at as a metaphor for a lot of different little things. But in general, fly fishing is used as a metaphor for life. It is the boys life, so it is used as kind of a guide line for everything that they learn, and all of the decisions they have to make. The dedication, the reach for perfection, the focus, the competition, the friendship, the technique. Everything about how these boys use fly fishing, is also mirrored in their every day lives. A River Runs Through It really reminded me how much family matters. In the ending lines when the "Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it" line is spoken, that's when it really dawned upon me as a viewer. The viewer realizes the depth and love and meaning that was presented in the insightful minds eye of the film, aside from beautiful scenery, there is much much more in a human life, no matter how simple it may appear.