A lady should never tell her age, but she can sure hint at it. Before this assignment, I thought Brad Pitt had made a leap into stardom from Thelma & Louise to Interview with the Vampire without so much as a blink (or film) in between. Also, upon seeing Tom Skerritt walk into a room, my mind first resorted to images of him as Sherriff Jimmy from “Picket Fences,” not Viper from Top Gun. Needless to say, I was a surprise pick, even to myself, to have attend a press junket on behalf of GIANT for the Blu-ray release of the film A River Runs Through It. However, for the sake of a free trip to Vermont, which I’d never made a pit stop in, much less driven through, and an opportunity to fly-fish, other uncharted territory for sure, I happily took my place as being the youngest journalist there.
The 1992 Oscar-winning drama, A River Runs Through It, retells the eloquent autobiographical memoir of author Norman Maclean, played by Craig Sheffer. With Brad Pitt starring as his brother Paul, the adaptation recounts the relationship between a reserved son and a rebellious one in early-1900s Montana, both straining against the expectations of their stern minister father (Tom Skerritt). Their shared pastime of fly-fishing served as both a tool of discipline – as the knowledge needed to cast a line and read the water is tedious - and a binding tie between the patriarch and his children.
Upon my arrival in Vermont, and despite the fact that I rep Northern New Jersey at every moment, even the most inopportune, I was immediately declared the ‘Manhattan gal’ by my peers. Was it the questionably hipster tattoo screaming from my shoulder? The incessant texting I engaged in on, yes, my second Crackberry? The disregard for a reasonable running shoe, considering the terrain, in exchange for a more fashionable raining-riding hybrid of a boot? Or was it the gold-plated pendant of a bird I wore, like a poorman’s Ghostface Killah, while coincidentally participating in falconry? I say, all of the above.
Now, I wasn’t necessarily Sex and the City‘s Carrie when she endured a trip to boyfriend Aidan’s cabin in Suffern, New York - after all, squirrels scared her – but it was a first to have my wine-in-hand stand interrupted for a fishing gear fitting.
The next day, donned in waterproof overalls and waders, I forged the river like a character in the Oregon Trail, and gave my best impression of a seasoned fly-fisher. Replaying the instructions I was given the day before over and over in my head – “10 and 2. A flick of the wrist. Accelerate – then stop!” – I cast the line over my shoulder and had all intentions of bringing it back, but sensed some resistance. That day, I caught no fish, but I hooked the branches of the tree behind me with skill and precision, not once, not twice, but three times. A number worthy of an award, in my opinion.
The film, directed by Robert Redford, won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and after taking a look, it’s clear as to why. The Blu-ray treatment makes majestic mountains more than just a lyric from “America the Beautiful”; they’re a dichotomic mass that has every right to be taken for granted for being plethoric, but instead serves as a much-appreciated backdrop. The picturesque scenes, now remastered, are clean and crisp; their soothing sounds comparable to that of an Enya track. And they’re called upon, never boring, as they break up the redundancy of overracting from a youthful Brad Pitt, always with a saccharine half-smile, and an ensemble cast of characters that all seem jaded, but fail to fully explain to the audience as to why.
Released today, July 28, the Blu-ray disc contains deleted scenes, feaurettes and commentary, and an exclusive 32-page scrapbook with never-before-seen production photos. (Also, the packaging was made with 20-percent less plastic, so do your part for the enviroment.) A steady-paced scenic film with promise may not be for all movie buffs, but if it can get a “Manhattan gal” away from her seat and out of her element, it’s worth the watch. Brad Pitt never showed up, but I’m still looking to perfect my cast.
