Distinctly Montana Magazine

76 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 3 406.577.2585// www.blacksmithitalian.com Reservations: www.exploretok.com/blacksmithitalian >>> Located across S 3rd from the Museum of the Rockies <<< Hand Crafted Italian Dining Voted # 1 Best Fine Dining in Bozeman! be knocked off of the raft and swept downstream; drowning was averted by her lifejacket and the production's river rescue team. Streep reportedly said to Hanson afterward, "In the future, when I say I can't do something, I think you should believe me." Moral of the story: the river cares not for record Academy Award wins. With or without the risk of real-life drowning, Streep's perfor- mance manages to convey a tension that is effortlessly believ- able, undergirded as it is by determination for herself and her family to live. David Strathairn, long one of the most depend- able character actors in American movies, grants Tom a trajec- tory from a prickly absentee parent and spouse to a family man capable of heroic sacrifice. The only member of the principal cast who seems somewhat lacking is Kevin Bacon, as the prime villain. While his affability is fitting for the character's introduc- tion, when he has to seem friendly and unthreatening, it proves a harder sell when Wade's true colors are revealed. Even after the hostage situation has commenced, he never seems as sinister as he should. It's intriguing to ponder what a performer like Gene Hackman might have brought to the role. The other key ingredient to making the movie work is the mu- sic score, courtesy of the late great Jerry Goldsmith. The River Wild was originally scored by Maurice Jarre, an acclaimed film composer in his own right, perhaps best known for his scores for David Lean's historical epics Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Doc- tor Zhivago (1965). But after poor test screenings, the studio decided to bring in Goldsmith to re-score the picture; Jarre's score, while certainly capable, perhaps relied a bit too heavily on the synth instrumentation that was all the rage throughout the '80s but had begun to seem dated by the early '90s. Gold- smith produced a reliably melodic and atmospheric soundtrack. He was a composer with an uncanny ability to craft memorably self-sustaining music for mediocre or even flat-out bad movies. The main theme for The River Wild makes good use of the old Scottish folk ballad "The Water is Wide," while the moments of peril have suspenseful buildup to explosive release. The score serves as a satisfying listen on its own, which is always a key test for soundtrack quality. It was recently announced that a remake of The River Wild is currently being filmed, with a tentative streaming release date sometime in 2023 (a theatrical release is not intended). The re- make is set to star Leighton Meester and Taran Killam as a pair of siblings going on a rafting vacation with a childhood friend (Adam Brody) who has criminal intentions. The new film is be- ing directed by Ben Ketai, whose previous credits include the direct-to-video horror sequel 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010) and the Crackle TV series StartUp (2016-18). Ketai shares script credit with Mike Nguyen Le, who previously penned the sci-fi horror film Patient Zero (2018). Does this presage more blood and guts? It's too soon to tell, though it will be interesting to see how the premise is retooled for a new millennial audience. How- ever, as the new film is being shot in Hungary, the absence of glorious Montana waterways already stands as a disadvantage for the new flick. If nothing else, having the remake on the horizon can serve as a spur to rewatch the original River Wild, or to see it for the first time. In any case, viewers will be in for an enjoyable summertime diversion, no matter what time of year it happens to be.

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