Watch The River

The River of 2001 is a drama film directed by Kevin Bacon, who also plays one of the main characters, as well as his wife Kyra Sedgwick in a supporting role. The film revolves around a family living in rural Tennessee whose lives are thrown into turmoil when their eldest son, a 17-year-old high school student named Graham (played by Jacob Zachar), goes missing while on a camping trip with his best friend, Brad (played by Paul Green).

The story begins with Graham and Brad setting up camp in a serene forested spot near a river. From the outset, the tone is one of bucolic calm and camaraderie. But things take an abrupt and chilling turn when they witness a brutal murder of a young woman by a group of men on the other side of the river. Graham and Brad panic and flee the scene, but in the process, they become separated from each other, and Graham loses his way in the woods after dark.

The next morning, Brad makes it back to the campsite, but Graham is nowhere to be found. The authorities are called in, and the locals organize a search party, but as the days pass, hope begins to fade. Graham's parents, namely Tara, played by Lisa Edelstein, and Joe, played by Jay Mohr, are forced to confront the possibility that their son might be dead, and with that comes a reckoning of their own lives, relationships, and priorities.

The River is a film that touches on several themes, including grief, loss, fear, and familial love. The characters are multi-dimensional and portrayed with nuance and sensitivity by the cast. Lisa Edelstein shines as Tara, a mother struggling to hold her family together in the face of crisis, and Jay Mohr delivers a powerful performance as Joe, a man whose stoicism masks his deep pain and vulnerability.

However, The River is not without its flaws. The pacing is at times sluggish, and the ending feels somewhat contrived and unsatisfying. It's also worth noting that the film is quite somber and heavy, with little in the way of levity to lift the mood.

Overall, though, The River is a well-crafted and poignant meditation on grief and resilience. It's a film that speaks to the human capacity for endurance and hope, even in the face of unimaginable loss.

The River is a 2001 science fiction movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.7.