The River Within (2009)

Director:

Zac Heath

Writer:

Zac Heath (story)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

One man's journey back will change his life forever.

Plot:

Jason returns home to study for the bar exam, but instead finds that his purpose in life was not what he'd originally thought.

Plot Keywords:

Home | Summer | Play | Love | Pregnancy

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Josh Odor	...	Jason (as Josh Lauri)
Craig Luttrell	...	Paul
Jaclyn Friedlander	...	Layla
Craig Morris	...	Pastor David
Maurice Mejia	...	Marcus
Geoff Falk	...	Mr. Blayton
Thomas Moore	...	Michael
Lydia Ditto	...	Melinda
Natalie Smith	...	Nicole
Jan Falk	...	Cindy
Sarah Hill	...	Amanda the Waitress
Staci Harmon	...	Alli
Jan Ainley	...	Alli's Mom
Andrew Webb	...	Justice
Harold Williams	...	Mr. Collins

Also Known As:

The River (USA) (working title)
The River of Life (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

USA:92 min (theatrical and DVD) | USA:102 min (premiere cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Hardy, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Inspired Life

Trivia:

The Spring River was so swift that, while scouting the location, it swept away director of photography Derrick Sims and his viewfinder.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Before Mr. Blayton suggests they remove Marcus from the scholarship consideration, you can see lights reflected in the door as the man enters the meeting late.

Quotes:

Jason: Well, we could use another adult to help out with youth.
Paul: Eh, the church and I don't really mix all that well. I was thinking more along the lines of giving you a hand at the farm.
Jason: I'll keep that in mind... if I ever decide to become a farmer.

Soundtrack:

Words that Define

An admirable work

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"The River Within" is, at it's most basic, a film about small town life and the confusion of trying to find your place in this world. It's, by far, the most worthwhile film I've seen in quite a few years dealing with those subjects.

The most admirable thing about "The River Within" is that, unlike most films of its kind, "TRW" truly captures the essence of a small town and the lives of the people in it. Being from Small Town, USA, myself and others become really critical of how films portray the people and locale, and "TRW" does a fine job of that. It's realistic and unbiased in its portrayal of the lives of these people.

The characters, most especially Paul and David, are solid. While watching the film, it's easiest to connect with these two and their different problems.That's another thing that's admirable about "TRW;" the problems are relatable to most everyone, whether you grew up in a rural, urban, or suburban community. Everyone knows someone who's dealt with the loss of a family member, or an unplanned pregnancy, or an oppressive parent, or small-town or church politics getting in the way, or regretting never following their dreams.

David, the church pastor, is a good man, but he's not infallible. He's real, he has complications, and he's blind to them. I'm sure plenty of actual church pastors are much like him and find themselves in those situations sometimes. The actor, Craig Morris, fills the David role perfectly. The other truly great character, Paul, has is own set of issues that are revealed in time, and the way actor Craig Luttrell hints at the problems before they finally surface is very good. This is better noticed on a second viewing. Genre limitations aren't as prevalent in "TRW," and I think that's what makes these characters better than their counterparts.

The film is beautifully directed by first-time-director, Zac Heath, and nearly all of the acting is spot on. It has its shortcomings here and there, but for the small budget and genre limitations, the film is among the best of its kind. It brings to mind tiny films like "Paranormal Activity," "El Mariachi," and "The Blair Witch Project." Not that "The River Within" is like any of those films subjectively, it's just that they all have that really-good-for-the-budget feel, and they're landmarks in their genres. "TRW" feels like it could be the beginning of a genre transformation.

Overall, the film has a great story, events, and characters. It's nice to see a tiny film be so engrossing and effective.