THE RIVER WHY

THE RIVER WHY
     ZACH GILFORD  AMBER HEARD  WILLIAM HURT  KATHLEEN QUINLAN
     DALLAS ROBERTS

WHEN GUS (GILFORD) GETS FED UP WITH HIS PARENTS' (HURT AND QUINLAN) BICKERING, HE DECIDES TO LEAVE HOME, LIVE ON A RIVER, FLY FISH ALL DAY AND TRY TO FIND HIMSELF.  WHILE ON HIS SEARCH, HE MEETS TITUS (ROBERTS) WHO SHOWS GUS HOW TO LOOK AT LIFE THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND SPIRITUALITY, AND EDDY (HEARD) THE GIRL HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH.
THIS IS A CHARACTER DRIVEN MOVIE USING FLY FISHING AS A BACKDROP IN SHOWING HOW GUS GROWS AND MATURES IN HIS SEARCH TO FIND THE MEANING OF WHY HE IS HERE.  THERE IS QUITE A LOT OF FISHING SCENES, BUT THE DIRECTOR HAS MANAGED TO SHOW EACH DIFFERENTLY SO THAT THEY DON'T BECOME BORING OR APPEAR TO REPEAT.  ACROSS THE BOARD, THE ACTING WAS GOOD, ESPECIALLY HURT AS THE OVERBEARING FULL OF HIMSELF FATHER AND QUINLAN AS JUST THE OPPOSITE: A DOWN TO EARTH NO NONSENSE COUNTRY WOMAN.  THEY MAKE AN INTERESTING COUPLE.  THE STORY, ADAPTED FROM A BOOK OF THE SAME NAME, GETS THE THEMES ACROSS, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN HIT ACROSS THE HEAD WITH THEM.  TWO OF THE MAJOR THEMES ARE THE SENSE OF SOME GREATER POWER EXISTING WITH US, AND THE NEED TO PROTECT AND KEEP OUR RIVERS CLEAN AND NON POLLUTED.  MY ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT GUS DOES A LOT OF NARRATION, WHICH IN GENERAL I DISLIKE, AND IN THIS MOVIE IT SEEMS TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE STORY, BUT THEN THAT IS MY PERSONAL FEELING. 
RATING  3 OUT OF 5