River's Edge (1986)

A high school slacker commits a shocking act and proceeds to let his friends in on the secret. However, the friends' reaction is almost as ambiguous and perplexing as the crime itself.

Director:

Tim Hunter

Writer:

Neal Jimenez

Stars:

Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye

4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Crispin Glover	...	Layne
Keanu Reeves	...	Matt
Ione Skye	...	Clarissa (as Ione Skye Leitch)
Daniel Roebuck	...	Samson
Dennis Hopper	...	Feck
Joshua John Miller	...	Tim (as Joshua Miller)
Roxana Zal	...	Maggie
Josh Richman	...	Tony
Phillip Brock	...	Mike
Tom Bower	...	Bennett
Constance Forslund	...	Madeleine
Leo Rossi	...	Jim
Jim Metzler	...	Mr. Burkewaite
Tammy Smith	...	Kim
Danyi Deats	...	Jamie

Storyline

A group of high school friends must come to terms with the fact that one of them, Samson, killed another, Jamie. Reactions vary, as Layne is intent on protecting Samson and smuggling him out of the state, while others think it's best to go to the police. Matt's tough little brother also finds out about the body and no one knows quite how the police will learn about the murder or who will be blamed for it.

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Plot Keywords:

child drives a car | child with a gun | murder of a nude woman | friend | police | 

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Taglines:

The most controversial film you will see this year.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

River's Edge

Filming Locations:

8301 Foothill Boulevard Sunland, CA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,900,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,600,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hemdale,Island

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White (opening sequence) Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Neal Jimenez read the story in the newspaper while visiting friends, wrote a script, and turned it in to his instructor, while he was an English major at Santa Clara University. Jimenez said "that the incident is merely the inspiration for the screenplay".

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Goofs

When Layne and Samson are driving in the car together at night, the shadow of the rear-view mirror is visible on Samson's face. In the long shots, the shadow appears to have a cross hanging from it, but on the close-ups of Samson's face, there is no cross.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Checker: [points at legal age sign]
Samson: That's a real nice sign, how much.
Checker: I have to see ID.
Samson: I left it at home. How much?
Checker: I'm not going to sell you this unless you show me ID.

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Connections

Referenced in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)

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Soundtracks

Happy Day
Written by Burning Spear
Performed by Burning Spear

User Reviews

Roebuck really makes this movie...

Not to take away from anyone else, especially the writer Jimenez and the director Hunter, and the high school teacher and a lot of other people that make this movie really good, but I have to say I found Daniel Roebuck's performance completely riveting. He should have been nominated for it. He's big and brutal but also young and self-pitying and yet careless about his own fate. Those gestures, the tossing of beer cans and breaking into the ammo shop. Really well done.

That scene w/Hopper and the doll by the riverbank was one of the better moments of cinema I've seen in a long, long time. Why was this movie so under the radar compared to other 80's movies? That's what I want someone on this board to answer. The critics kind of mystify me, I guess. I agree with a lot of the postings here that this movie is underrated. Buy why?