The River (1984): cast, story & where to watch
1984 · Film · ★ 6.2
Released in 1984, The River is a drama film directed by Mark Rydell, running about 122 minutes. “He might be able to hold back the river. But could he hold back the greed of man?” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Farming family battles severe storms, a bank threatening to reposses their farm, and other hard times in a battle to save and hold on to their farm.
Who’s in it. The River stars Mel Gibson as Tom Garvey, Sissy Spacek as Mae Garvey, Scott Glenn as Joe Wade and Billy Green Bush as Harve Stanley, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.2/10, The River has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $11.5M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The River page.
If you liked it. Fans of The River tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The River (1984)?
- In US, The River is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The River worth watching?
- The River holds an audience score of 6.2 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The River?
- The River stars Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, Scott Glenn, Billy Green Bush and Shane Bailey.
- When was The River released?
- The River was released in 1984, with a runtime of about 122 minutes.