The River Wild (1994)

Directed by Curtis Hanson. Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, John C. Reilly, Joseph Mazzello, Benjamin Bratt. [PG-13]

Former river guide Streep and her family (estranged husband Strathairn and son Mazzello) get more than they bargained for during a rafting trip when two criminals (Bacon, Reilly) force them into a life-and-death struggle against frenzied rapids and threats of violence. Shades of Deliverance and any number of family-in-crisis thrillers, with more Easy-Bake family drama than needed in the early passages. Good performances, some tense moments and exciting camerawork, but stretches credulity too often to really work; there are simply too few surprises in Denis O’Neil’s by-the-numbers screenplay. Streep stretches her physicality as much as her acting chops, and succeeds in both departments (though it still feels a little like the actress simply decided she wanted to add an action-thriller to her résumé). Rafting scenes filmed on several rivers in Montana and Oregon.

66/100