Although it lacks any decent special features, A River Runs Through It – Deluxe Edition presents the classic story from director Robert Redford in a sharper image and with better sound.
The movie, which adapts Norman Maclean’s memoir and stars Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, and Tom Skerritt, uses the beautiful scenery of Montana and the poetry of fly fishing to tell the story of two brothers and their minister father.
The movie begins with the two brothers as children and quickly shows how their father, played by Skerritt, uses both religion and nature to educate his sons in what he feels is important to be successful in life- which includes writing and fly fishing.
From there, the movie jumps to the boys in their teen years as they begin to rebel against their father’s strict house. Norman, played by Sheffer, is the older brother, and is more reserved than his younger brother Paul, played by Pitt. We see how the boys are rebelling when they steal a rowboat to shoot some rapids, but also in the way Paul breaks away his father’s instruction on the perfect rhythm of fly fishing.
On the surface, a movie about fly fishing and growing up in Montana in the early 20th Century may not seem that interesting, but Redford’s ability as a director brings a charm to the movie that holds your interest from start to finish. The director uses the scenery of Montana and fly fishing as almost separate characters in the movie, and it is easy to see how the sport is described as poetry.
At the same time, the movie’s plot holds your interest as we watch these two brothers grow, and the struggles they face on the way to adulthood. Even as Sheffer’s character moves further away from the family to better his own life, Pitt’s character falls into a self-destruction pattern with tragic consciences.
Fly Fishing and the Montana scenery are almost characters in the movie
Sheffer and Pitt do a good job in portraying the brothers and giving them similar personality characteristics. They also make sure that both brothers have habits that separate them from each other.
Pitt’s character is full of charm and clearly a ladies man. He has a lust for life and for fly fishing, but never stops to consider the dangerous path he is taking. Pitt plays the character with constant wide smiles and a reckless attitude that helps the audience truly like him. We can also see from the beginning that there is something wrong with Paul, and that it is not going to end well for the character.
Sheffer plays Norman as almost the opposite of his younger brother. Although he is willing to tackle any dare with his brother, he is often the follower of Paul. When he returns from the east, he is more conservative than Pitt’s character, and seems to have more in common with his father than his brother. This separation between the brothers is further illustrated through the way Norman is rusty at their fly fishing art. He continues to admire Pitt’s adventure spirit, but can clearly see where the character is heading.
Norman becomes more like his father towards the end
Although the film is truly a classic drama, it might not be for everyone. At its core, the movie is about two brothers, their father and fishing. This plot may not appeal to everyone, and the pace of the move does slow from time to time. Redford makes up for the slow pace with beautiful scenery, and solid performances from an award winning cast. Fans of the movie may be letdown by the deluxe edition because it lacks any real special features. The DVD does come with a 32-page movie scrapbook, but does not include any kind of commentary or behind the scenes featurettes - as the Legends of the Fall Deluxe Edition included.
The scrapbook gives a look at the journey of the movie from the book to the screen; an inside look at fly fishing; and background on the people involved in making the movie.
Paul often drags his older brother into danger
Even without special features, A River Runs Through It is a movie that is filled with charm, beautiful scenery, and great performances. Redford delivers a movie that captures the audience through a solid story that anyone can relate to – even if you have never been fishing. I would highly recommend the movie to anyone who hasn’t seen it, but the deluxe edition can be passed on if you already owned it in an earlier version of the DVD.
A River Runs Through It – Deluxe Edition is available for pre-order at Amazon for a Nov. 29th release. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
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