THE RIVER WHY

Philosophy meets fly fishing is the pretty but kind of shallow The River Why.

This is one of those movies where the film hints that it was based on a better book (in this case, the 183 novel The River Why by David James Duncan). Where a narrator, especially a young man, can wax pseudo-intellectual in print, it comes across as a bit corny when voiced by a young actor. It is not necessarily Zach Gilford's fault. It is unclear in the movie if his character Gus has just graduated high school, or is in fact in his mid-20s (which Gilford looks). Needless to say, it is a little awkward to see Gus act like a stammering 14-year-old around the token Cute Girl Eddy (Amber Heard), and like a confident adult elsewhere. Regardless of the character's vague age, The River Why is a token coming-of-age story where a boy becomes a man through... love and fly fishing, I suppose.

Gus leaves his home like a petulant teen, after his gets tired of his parents arguing over and over. He takes his truck and fly fishing gear to live off the fat of the land... or the river, as it were. Renting a shack by the river, he moves into his dream life: Fishing every day, and earning what little money he needs by selling fishing flies at the local shop. And it is through the zen of fly fishing, that Gus becomes a man. I suppose.

The River Why is not a bad movie. As the story circles around chance meetings and attempts to reconnect with The Girl whom Gus first spots at a fishing convention, then later skinny dipping in a river, it just becomes clear that there are other parts of the story that are more interesting. Gus has a strained relationship with his parents, (Dad, played by William Hurt, is staunch and distant, while mom, played by Kathleen Quinlan, is practically a Wild Child with leaves in her hair). But as soon as Gus leaves home, his past completely drops out of the picture, until that story comes full circle by the end. Then there is a side story about a friendship with a guy who can only be called an Urban Philosopher (played by Dallas Roberts). Gus goes to Portland to visit his friend, who seems to offer deep words of wisdom... that is if the wisdom didn't seem, well, not entirely profound. And one of my favorite moments of the movie involves Gus meeting his new riverside neighbors, a friendly pack of kids that offer him armloads of preserves and other gifts in an overwhelming welcome. We never find out more about this family, but we want to.

The River Why is at its best when it concentrates on the river itself and the art of fly fishing. Like a postcard tribute to Oregon, its cinematography offers gorgeous images of Oregon's rivers wild, especially when shrouded in mist. You may forget the characters in the film, but you will remember the images. I don't know if I'll ever go skinny dipping in a Northwest river (if you live here you know that it is most likely c-c-c-o-o-old!), but The River Why sure makes it look idyllic.

[Click here to see a clip of The River Why on YouTube.]