RIVERRUN (1968)

Title: RIVERRUN

Year of Release: 1968

Director: John Korty

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A young couple who live on a farm in San Marino County, California, receive a visit from her seafaring father, which causes issues in their relationship. 

Within a film history context: Several movies over the years have explored the relationship between a son-in-law, and his father-in-law in close detail. One of the earliest was Alfred Hitchcock's silent THE MANXMAN (1929). In this film, a pub owner objects to the man who wants to marry his daughter on account of being a poor fisherman, which sets in chain a series of events. With THE IDLE RICH (1929), directed by William C. de Mille, a son-in-law tries to help not only his father-in-law but also, other members of the family in a monetary sense, but his good intentions run them up the wrong way, until something changes everything. In Lewis Milestone's MY LIFE WITH CAROLINE (1941), a father-in-law maintains a good relationship with his son-in-law, but nevertheless, supports his daughter in her amorous pursuits, who as a habit of falling in, and out of love. MARRY THE BOSS'S DAUGHTER (1941), directed by Thornton Freeland, has a son-in-law in love with the boss's daughter, who supports him no matter how her father treats him, which includes retrenching him at one point.

Into the 1950s, Lloyd Bacon's KILL THE UMPIRE (1951) was different in tone. A man who dislikes umpires, being a former baseball player, is coerced by his father in law in taking a course in umpiring to support his wife and family. GOING STEADY (1958), directed by Fred Sears, had a father-in-law initially refusing to accept his son-in-law, but the fact of his daughter's pregnancy, among other things, eventually alters his feelings on the subject. Blake Edwards' pungent DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962), had a tenuous father-in-law/son-in-law connection. A father views the man who wants to marry his daughter with disdain, and is proven correct when he leads her into a life of alcoholism, but they later find common ground. RIVERRUN is a movie where the father-in-law/son-in-law relationship was clearly delineated throughout the movie.

Unlike the other films where the father-in-law/son-in-law connection was a small part of the narrative, in RIVERRUN it is one of the major arcs within the picture. It works in conjunction with the daughter/father, young man/young woman dynamics, and draws comparisons between these unions. These relationships in RIVERRUN are of a more complex nature than previous entries, which were in many instances geared toward comedy, and more traditional views of these three relationships. In films such as THE MANXMAN, there is a concern on the part of the father for his daughter marrying a fisherman, with paternal economic considerations obvious. The father here is in a position of power over the son-in-law, likewise with THE IDLE RICH, MARRY THE BOSS'S DAUGHTER, and KILL THE UMPIRE. This, though, is where RIVERRUN diverts from these movies.

RIVERRUN has more in common with films such as GOING STEADY, and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, where the father is trying to protect his daughter from a man he considers inappropriate for his offspring. It is not about money in these cases, but a concern with the psychological traits of the respective son-in-law, and the prospective harm he might cause the daughter. RIVERRUN highlights  Dan's pacifist ideals, and reluctance to enlist for Vietnam, which cause friction between him, and his father-in-law. Aside from this, RIVERRUN has a plot point which places it in complete contrast with all the other films. While all the movies had a married couple, in RIVERRUN, Dan and Sarah are not married, but, by all appearances, are akin to a legally recognized union. Once Jeffries discovers this, matters take another turn for him in the movie, railing against this knowledge, and Dan. 

The movie does not paint Jeffries as an all-out villain, but someone who cares for his daughter, and believes in the institution of marriage. RIVERRUN, though, also depicts Jeffries as a man who wants his daughter to be married, but did not carry through on his own marriage to Sarah's mother. This provides the film a note of reality, and complexity in its characters' thoughts and actions. What this presents is Jeffries as an example of a person in the mould of 'do as I say not as I do', which does occur in real life. These examples point to something about RIVERRUN. A picture with a more intricate view of interpersonal relationships, particularly the father-in-law/son-in-law connection, RIVERRUN offers an impressive account in this arena. 

Overview: John Korty was an American director with seven motion pictures to his credit, being more active on television, with twenty-eight telemovies bearing his name. His works followed the intimate lives of characters, displaying sympathy for them, and their milieu. Mr Korty's first movie, THE CRAZY-QUILT (1966), was about a couple, charting their marriage, foibles, and charming idiosyncrasies. Next came FUNNYMAN (1967), with the life of a comedian coming under the microscope in this comedy-drama. SILENCE (1974) was a change of pace, a family drama about a deaf-mute young boy adopted by a couple. The boy becomes lost in the woods, and befriends a man from whom he learns about survival in the elements. 

ALEX & THE GYPSY (1976) focused on a bond bailsman, and his burgeoning relationship with a young woman in trouble with the law, accused of murder. In 1979 John Korty directed OLIVER'S STORY, the sequel to 1970's blockbuster romance LOVE STORY. Unlike the original movie, OLIVER'S STORY was unsuccessful at the box office, even though it continued the life of its protagonist, with Ryan O'Neal reprising his role in the sequel. John Korty's last picture, TWICE UPON A TIME (1983), was an animated feature about an arch-villain trying to make everyone's life miserable, making them see nightmares instead of pleasant dreams, but some good souls soothe everything in the end. RIVERRUN was John Korty's third feature film, and one of his best.

With RIVERRUN, John Korty has crafted an entrancing, compelling motion picture. As with many of his films, it documents the lives of characters who are not far removed from reality, and could exist in all actuality. Mr Korty's output was geared toward down-to-earth characters, and stories, and this is something that makes RIVERRUN so irresistible. It is a movie for people who are seeking emotionally enriching fare without exaggeration, or overtly larger than life material. In RIVERRUN, John Korty does not play around with the film, and the events that shape its characters. He has a tight concentration upon the three main characters in the film, and this is to its advantage. There are no extraneous scenes, or characters, to weigh it down, which would have taken away from the central trio. The finely-drawn characters are representative of the director's attention to detail in RIVERRUN.

The movie is about a young couple, Dan and Sarah, who are living and working on a farm in San Marino County, California. They previously lived and studied in Berkeley, California, and unhappy with what was going on there in the late 1960s. They seek a simpler, quieter existence on their farm. Their lives are changed when her seafaring father makes a visit to the farm. While this scenario may sound conventional to the casual eye, Mr Korty takes a leisurely approach to his story, and characters, which works in a naturalistic manner. One witnesses events build slowly but surely, and sides to characters are revealed without heavy melodrama. RIVERRUN also ensures that viewers are aware of the back story affecting characters, this informing events taking place in the present. This is undertaken by the director peppering the story with flashbacks, these functioning in an informative way. The movie, in effect, is a refreshing slice of life which rewards spectators for their patience. A beautiful movie that has unfortunately been little-seen over the years, RIVERRUN deserves re-release, and critical reappraisal as one of John Korty's best movies.

Acting: RIVERRUN has a trio of performances which assist it to be the great film it is. There is a tangible chemistry between the performers which makes the movie a convincing viewing experience. In the role of Dan, Sarah's partner, Mark Jenkins delivers a carefully-executed performance as the quiet, thoughtful young man with a firm set of ideals. His facial expressions and body language say so much without the need for dialogue in many instances. As Sarah, Dan's partner, Louise Ober radiates charm as a young woman, like Dan, who is seeking something else in life. An actress for whom this was her sole film role, Miss Ober passed away far too young, robbing cinema of further subtle acting interpretations. The thorn in the side of both Dan and Sarah is Sarah's father Jeffries, played with vigor by John McLiam. With his mixture of jauntiness, anger, disillusionment, and jolliness, Mr McLiam brings a quality of tragedy to his part which gives the movie punch. 

Soundtrack: RIVERRUN takes a spare approach to its selection of music which does wonders for the movie. Brahms' 'Clarinet Quintet in B Minor' by David Oppenheim and the Budapest String Quartet, is utilized in an excellent manner during the birth scene, heightening the drama of this major event in the film, but without overshadowing what is taking place onscreen. Other music by Richard Greene and Peter Berg, such as the short harmonica piece at the beginning, and the fiddle tunes played throughout the picture, exude a rustic charm and atmosphere which only adds veracity to the visuals.

Mise-en-scene: RIVERRUN has a sheer authenticity with everything that appears in front of the camera. It could be said that location shooting is another star of the movie, with riverways, the farm exteriors, and other locations evoking immediacy and realism. There is the feeling that the viewer is there with the actors, in on the action.  This extends to other locales in the movie. The interior of Dan and Sarah's home is warm and inviting, reflecting the people living there, with an assortment of furniture pieces, and accessories, nicely appointed. The impression is that Dan and Sarah are looking to create their slice of paradise here in their unpretentious manner, and it is a set that works very well in the movie to express this.

Notable Acting Performances: Mark Jenkins, Louise Ober, John McLiam.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Brief female nudity, adult themes.

Overall Grade: A

Link: IMDB Page