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Ghost Canyon

'The River Why'
(Zach Gilford, Amber Heard, William Hurt, William Devane, Dallas Roberts, Kathleen Quinlan, et al / DVD / PG-13 / 2011 / IMAGE Entertainment)

Overview: Sick of living in a home shrouded with secrets, lies and a smothering sense of competition, Gus (Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights) runs away from home and the shadow of his famous fly-fishing father (William Hurt). Determined to live life like he wants it, Gus makes his new home in a secluded cabin on the banks of a river where he plans to fish all day. Instead, he is propelled into a quest for self-discovery.

DVD Verdict: Featuring a varied assortment (read Mixed Bag!) of eccentric characters, including a free-spirited girl (Amber Heard, 'Zombieland') who shares Gus' (Gilford) fondness for fishing, and a father-figure in the form of the dominant Hurt, there is defintely a rather enchanting, gently offbeat (read coming-of-age) vibe to 'The River Why.'

Chock full of luscious scenes of river fishing, our hero both young and old on the riverbank, link upon unsubtle link exploring how our two heroes help each other toward adulthood, and even a charming, if not thought-provoking scene of a young boy sleeping with his prized fish catch, 'The River Why' (based on a book that has become a cult classic) brings us a breathtaking guide to the wilds of Oregon - and one that makes us want to vacation there tomorrow! (Save for the whole sleeping with the fish aspect, of course!)

The only aspect of this that bugs me is that our lead character, who (as mentioned) runs away from his home/father to a "secluded cabin" on a riverbank instead runs into the Hollywood-stunning Amber Heard! I mean, come on now ... most people that do what this kid does would end up with a) nobody for miles, b) some gruff old vagrant that won't leave him alone, or c) the cast of 'Wrong Turn'!

Anyway, I digress, this film that has won many awards already - such as Best Narrative Feature Film, Best Actor (for Gilfford), and Best Cinematography - and together with an under-rated ("comic") performance from the brilliant William Devane, is definitely one to watch with the entire family in the room. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

www.image-entertainment.com







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