Gus (Zach Gilford) decides to leave home and live in a cabin on the river which he calls the River Why because it wriggles through the valley of the Oregon mountains in a path that looks like the word Why in script. It's a relief to get away from his parents' constant arguing -- Dad (William Hurt) is a renown and published fly fisher and Mom (Kathleen Quinlan) is all about bait. They must be very much in love since they have nothing in common. But the major draw, nay, the consuming passion and joy is being able to fly fish uninterrupted and unabated by himself. He plans a daily schedule in which he allows himself 14 1/2 hours of fishing a day. He plods along shallow rivers in his waterproof hip boots, exploring various fishing grounds. Life is perfect -- so his melancholy surprises him. In his non-fishing time, he ties flies which he sells at a local shop and he hangs out with a philosopher friend, Titus (Dallas Roberts), shooting pool, arguing idea.
There's lots of time to ponder while fly fishing, even though Gus never has to wait long to get a bite. His thoughts drift to matters of the existance of the soul, God and nature, if killing fish is really a harmless sport, and if he'll ever again see that beautiful girl (Amber Heard) he spotting giving fly fishing lessons in a mall. This is a beautiful film shot in the lush, verdant wilderness of Oregon. I can't blame screenwriter/project developer / entertainment attorney Thomas A. Cohen for holding on to his dream of bringing the book to the screen. I interviewed Cohen in 1989, at which time he had already written the script and was deep into development. I'm glad he persevered. And even though San Francisco native, director Matthew Leutwyler moved on to Los Angeles to become a very successful film producer and director, he came back to helm this production.
The River Why
Director: Matthew Leutwyler
Writers: Thomas A. Cohen, John Jay Osborn, Jr. from the novel by David James Duncan
Cast: Zach Gilford, Amber Heard, Kathleen Quinlan, Dallas Roberts, William Hurt, William Devane
Time: 104 min.
Playing at the Mill Valley Film Festival at the Sequoia on October 9, 8:15 pm, and at the Rafael on October 14, 9 pm
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