Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 1, 1994 TAG: 9410220013
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In terms of setting and plot, the two are so similar that comparisons are inevitable, but not completely fair. This is really Meryl Streep's film, and she proves that her considerable talent can serve an action picture as well as more serious fare. And when it comes to playing a tough, resourceful protagonist, Arnold, Keanu and Bruce have got nothing on her.
She's Gail, a white-water rafter turned mom and teacher, who's married to Tom (David Strathairn), a workaholic architect. He's so busy that it looks like he won't be able to take time off with their son, Roarke (Joseph Mazzello), and dog, Maggie (Buffy), for a Montana vacation.
Deciding at the last minute that his marriage and family may be more important than his job, he joins them for several days on a picturesque mountain river. The only dischordant note on this family outing is Wade (Kevin Bacon). He's a smooth-talking charmer who's renting a raft with his two buddies Terry (John C. Reilly) and Frank (William Lucking).
Though he seems friendly enough, there's something not quite right about the three of them.
Gail, who worked on the river as a teen-ager, says that the only part they have to worry about is one fearsome stretch of rapids called The Gauntlet. But, their trip will end long before The Gauntlet. Anyone crazy enough to go down The Gauntlet would be killed. Did someone say something about The Gauntlet?
Dennis O'Neill's script isn't exactly subtle on that point. The characters and their conflicts are also drawn in clear, uncomplicated lines. As a suspense story, the film never ventures far from the established limits of the formula and so is fairly predictable.
But director Curtis Hanson also knows how to use the elements of the formula to his benefit. Basically, he keeps the camera on his stars. Kevin Bacon is adept at this kind of likeable-but-rotten character and he makes Wade an effective villain. He and Meryl Streep play well against each other, though she, of course, is the real key. If audiences don't identify with her, the film won't work. And she's never less than completely convincing.
Hanson also succeeds in making the river itself - actually three rivers - seem real. The water is a constant presence for almost all of the film, and he probably does about as well as any filmmaker could in capturing the adrenaline-pumping excitement of whitewater.
On the negative side, an oppressive score and a sugarcoated final shot reinforce the idea that this is "Deliverance Lite."
So, forget the comparisons. Appreciate "The River Wild" for what it is - a good adventure yarn and a fine Meryl Streep movie.
The River Wild ***
A Universal release playing at the Salem Valley 8 and Valley View Mall 6. 108 min. Rated PG-13 for violence, strong language.
by CNB