If I asked you to think of a Meryl Streep action film, you’d be hard pressed to come up with one, but when she did dabble in an action thriller, she did it right. In 1994’s THE RIVER WILD, Streep stars as Gail, a mom who organizes a white-water rafting trip for her son Roark’s birthday.
Of course, it also gives her a chance to bond with her growingly estranged husband Tom, who is so focused on work that he’s barely remembering to make an appearance at home.
Joseph Mazzello was hot off of “Jurassic Park” when he took the role of Roarke and he’s excellent. David Starthairn (Lincoln, The Bourne Ultimatum) brings his usual fine work to the role of Tom, creating a character far beyond the cookie cutter “absent Dad” you might expect.
Gail is a former professional river guide and Streep put her usual incredible prep into the role, looking more than capable in the most dangerous of twisting rapids.
Once the trio arrive at the river, they meet a motley threesome of strangers, lead by Kevin Bacon as Wade. John C. Reilly is his sidekick, Terry. Friendly but slightly off, the trio of strangers turn out to be very dangerous, turning the calm river vacation into a fight for their lives.
The scenery is incredible and well shot, Director Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential, 8 Mile) keeps things moving while perfectly balancing action and drama, while composer Jerry Goldsmith delivers one of his classic 80’s & 90’s action scores that pounds the action forward.
There’s plenty of suspense and whitewater thrills, building to an action-packed final thirty minutes that turns Streep into a completely believable kick ass hero. She did all of her own stunts and by the end of the film, that fact will shock you.
I loved Tom, Gail and Roarke’s scenes the last thirty minutes of the film. There isn’t a hint of acting or a fake moment thanks to Straithairn, Streep & Mazzello. Bacon looms large too, with some of the vilest moments of his career as Wade. He’s despicable and damn good at it.
Fast paced, realistic and exciting, THE RIVER WILD is a hell of a ride and gets a river-soaked B.
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