River Wild
When the time came for oft-nominated actress Meryl Streep (considered the Grande Dame of American acting) to try her hand at a more âcommercialâ project, out she came with this action-suspense thriller from 1994, and while it seems that the script was a bit below her prodigious talents, one can quickly see how Streep on autopilot is more compelling and effective than troves of Hollywood starlets huffing and puffing along in their usual fare, as she manages to convey toughness, durability, and even sex appeal (and doing a skinny dipping scene to boot). Streep plays Gail Hartman, a former white water rafting guide now living in Boston, who brings her son and estranged husband on a trip to Oregon to celebrate the little boyâs birthday and try to make amends with her other half, a architect whoâs a little too caught up in his work. The scenery is certainly beautifully shot and captured by director Curtis (LA Confidential) Hansen, and the white water rafting scenes strike the viewer as authentic as well. The gist of the plot has Gail helping out two strangers (Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly) on the same trip who turn out to be two escaped fugitives with a fortune in stolen money who want Streep to help them get through the âGauntletâ (a legendarily treacherous stretch of river) on their way to Canada and financial freedom. Certainly the viewer can figure out early on that the Bacon character is a âbad guyâ, from the way he ingratiates himself with her son and his not so subtle attraction to Streep (much to the husbandâs chagrin), and thus the viewer is subjected to a bit of an interminable waiting period before Bacon finally pulls out his gun and takes the family hostage, revealing his true nature after the pacing of the film has been dragged down a notch. The strongest thing about the film is the immense psychological (and sexual) tension between Streep and Bacon, as she calmly informs him that she will kill him if she gets half the chance while Bacon seems to admire her for her guts and lack of fear (even backing down when Streep practically dares him to try and rape her). In other roles, David Straithairn is solid as Streepâs husband, not quite used to her outdoorsmanship but making the best of it, though when he gets separated from the others it leads to the filmâs biggest plot hole: Straithairn stealthily moves through the forest alongside the river only to arrive at the end of the Gauntlet long before the others and set a trap for Bacon, which makes one wonder why Bacon didnât just use this option to make his escape rather than needlessly risk his life instead. As Baconâs accomplice, Reilly seems semi-retarded at times, but the script gives him enough of a conscience to actually put his final fate in question; Joseph Mazzello as the son does a good realistic job developing an early hero crush on Bacon before hanging on for the final ride; Benjamin Bratt as an ill-fated park ranger only seems to be in the film so that Bacon can be served some convenient cannon fodder (itâs clear that the entire main family will survive the film); And then finally there is the family dog that is brought along on the actual raft (a far-fetched idea as it is), whom once he escapes turns out to be a Rin Tin Tin-like savior for Straithairn and the family. The highlight though, is definitely the last 15 minutes of the movie, where Streep takes charge and puts her criminal captors through their rowing paces for the final drive down the Gauntlet itself, with excellent point of view camerawork that puts the viewers in the same thrilling situation as the characters. Overall, a competent, well-made thriller that gives Streep something new to do other than her usual ultra-dramatic outingsâŚ
8/10