River Red (1998) User Reviews

Dark, disturbing family portrait

[jakasper · 7/10 · 1 May 2003]

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.

Someone has to take the blame.

[michaelRokeefe · 5/10 · 15 October 2000]

How the title fits this movie is anyone's guess. Eric Drilling wrote, directed and produced this low budget drama based on his one act play. Two young boys are physically and mentally abused by their father. The older boy (Tom Everett Scott) has always taken up for his little brother who mainly took the brunt of their alcoholic father. When the older of the boys stabs their father to death, it is the younger boy (David Moscow) that takes the blame and does the time.

Scott now has to face the world alone and thus the hardship and desperation becomes the movie. A caring girlfriend (Cara Buono) is not enough to ease a troubled and guilty mind. Scott ends up committing robberies to get by. And after the release of Moscow on his twenty-first birthday, the brothers begin to commit the crimes together.

A gripping and sad tale. You watch, hoping for something positive to transpire.

Kelly

[Cvideo · 7/10 · 9 November 1998]

Kelly Lutsky Playing the court stenographer was brilliant in a very integral part of the film. I would like to see her in many other films in the future.

Different approach to movie making!

[raymond-15 · 8/10 · 29 November 1999]

This is obviously a low budget film brought to the screen following its success as a theatrical production and it still seems to retain some of the elements of the theatre. I'm not sure if it's the actors, sets or plot. It's a good film though and rivets your attention. It uses some unusual techniques in movie making. First of all there is almost constant back-ground music ( compare the old silent movies ), several interrogation scenes are mimed ( no dialogue ) with a musical back-ground and there are numerous telephone calls between the brothers, the younger being in jail (we get only one end of the conversation and we are left to fill in the rest like a "missing words" competition). The plot has its tense moments. It's about violence within a family, patricide and the consequences when one brother takes the blame for another. The brothers have a secret they have sworn to keep and when their conscience intervenes we wonder how soon the truth will be revealed. The main characters spend a lot of time down by the lake peering at the water and looking for a resolution of their mounting problems. Again no dialogue of course, but the music takes over signifying their mental torment. Apparently, one way of getting anger and frustration out of the system is to chop wood. Never in my life have I seen so much wood chopped as in this film. I give this film a high rating not for its perfection but because of the sincere efforts of the principal actors, the clarity of the plot and the attempts to try out some new ideas in the production.

River Red Has A Haunting Movie Soundtrack With A Haunting Tale To Tell

[tvmovielady48 · 10/10 · 28 December 2007]

I purchased the VHS tape many years ago from Amazon. I first saw the movie on one of the movie channels on my satellite.I was so sad and actually amazed at this movie.River Red has a haunting movie soundtrack with a haunting tale to tell of child abuse and the terrible consequences for all involved.I had trouble watching the movie at times.Tom Everett Scott gave a riveting performance.I felt for his character in the story.I could understand why he did what he did and why.The best thing about this movie is the soundtrack. The music is so good.I wonder why there is no movie soundtrack that was released to the public.I highly recommend this movie.I do not recommend this movie to young people or children.I have this movie.