River Red (1998)

A young man (Tom Everett Scott) is placed in the position of having to kill his drunken, abusive father (Denis O'Hare) to protect his younger brother (David Moscow). Realizing that the ... See full summary »

Director:

Eric Drilling

Writer:

Eric Drilling

Stars:

Tom Everett Scott, David Moscow, Cara Buono

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Everett Scott	...	Dave Holden
David Moscow	...	Tom Holden
Cara Buono	...	Rachel
David Lowery	...	Billy
Denis O'Hare	...	Father
Michael Kelly	...	Frankie
Leo Burmester	...	Judge Perkins
Tibor Feldman	...	Dr. Harry Fields
James Murtaugh	...	Chief Bascomb
Michael Angarano	...	Young Tom
Peter Anthony Tambakis	...	Young Dave
Ted Travelstead	...	Gas Attendant
Marcia DeBonis	...	Sara
Chris Cantwell	...	Mr. Taylor (as Christopher Cantwell)
Andrew Van Dusen	...	Convenience Store Clerk

Storyline

A young man (Tom Everett Scott) is placed in the position of having to kill his drunken, abusive father (Denis O'Hare) to protect his younger brother (David Moscow). Realizing that the younger brother will get off easier, he admits to the crime and goes to jail. Meanwhile the older brother finds his family deep in debt and he is unable to pay enough from his job as a dishwasher and selling wood. Thus he sets off on a series of robberies of convenience stores in adjoining towns. Back home, he tells everyone that he has come into a mild inheritance. However, he is racked with guilt and has trouble with a budding relationship because of this dark secret. The film's focus is on his struggle to determine his correct path.

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Plot Keywords:

abusive father | child abuse | fratricide | independent film

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

To kokkino potami

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$2,197 (USA) (13 November 1998)

Gross:

$2,197 (USA) (13 November 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Drilling Films, Frontier Films, Miller Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

After the final credits, young Tom and Dave are shown going into a tent and zipping themselves in.

User Reviews

Dark, disturbing family portrait

This movie has been playing on the Independent Film Channel lately, and it caught my attention. Tom Everett Scott and David Moscow are very convincing as brothers caught up in an abusive family relationship. I have seen Tom Everett Scott in other movies like "That Thing You Do!" which was much more lighthearted and fun. The expressions on his face and his actions in this film made me very uneasy. As another reviewer mentioned, I have never seen a person chop as much wood as he did in this film! A good metaphor for all the rage he was feeling. Being an animal lover, I was very disturbed with what Tom's character did with the family dog. But I think it fit in with how warped his character was. The music was an undercurrent running through the film, just as the water or lake played a part as well. A creepy, dark film about dysfunctional people.