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The River Wild

1994

Curtis Hanson

Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, Joseph Mazzello ...

5.4

10,604

Action. Adventure. Thriller Meryl Streep stars as Gail, a teacher at a school for the deaf, and shakily married to architect Tom (David Strathairn). It's their son's birthday, and Gail is determined to take Roarke (Joseph Mazello) rafting down her favourite river before it is destroyed by progress. What is supposed to be a family event turns sour when they meet up with Wade (Kevin Bacon) and Terry (John C. Reilly) at the ranger station at the river.

	Media	Author	Review
		Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"[It] is one of the movies you want to play along with, you really do, but it gets so many details subtly wrong that finally you lose patience and turn on it (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		James Berardinelli ReelViews	"[It] has its share of spills and chills (...) [It] represents for its audience just about what you might expect from a film with that title (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Angie Errigo Empire	"Exciting in parts, Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon doing their best, but arc of suspense doesn't quite bring you to the edge of your seats (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Adrian Turner Radio Times	"[An] excellent adventure thriller (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Janet Maslin The New York Times	"Only the insurance company covering 'The River Wild' can have found Ms. Streep's white-water stunt work more exciting than an audience will."
		Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"[It] may not be high art, but it is the perfect high old time for audiences in the mood to be tossed into the spin cycle for a pulse-pounding thrill ride"
		Rita Kempley The Washington Post	"[It] would be utterly banal without the novelty of the high-toned Streep in an action role"
		Desson Thomson The Washington Post	"If watched from a mildly amused, forgiving distance, the movie has its enjoyable moments—good and campy."

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