Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Adventure thriller

The River Wild (1994): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

The River Wild (1994) movie poster

The River Wild is a 1994 adventure thriller directed by Curtis Hanson, starring Meryl Streep, David Strathairn and Joseph Mazzello. It runs 1 hour 51 minutes and earned $94.2 million worldwide. It earned 3 award nominations, including Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress) at the Golden Globes 1995. Critics gave it 63 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10.

IMDb rating
6.5/10
worldwide gross
$94.2M
award nominations
3
Metascore
63
Loading streaming availability…
The River Wild (1994) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 51m (111 min)
Director
Curtis Hanson
Genres
Adventure , Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The River Wild About?

The premise of The River Wild without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A family's white-water rafting trip in Montana, intended as a birthday celebration for their son, takes a dangerous turn when two fugitives hijack their expedition. The mother, drawing on her rafting skills, must navigate perilous rapids while protecting her family and evading the criminals in a thrilling fight for survival against the backdrop of the untamed wilderness.

The River Wild Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • rafting
  • criminal
  • estranged husband
  • gang
  • revolver
  • swiss army knife
  • good versus evil
  • child in jeopardy
  • family in jeopardy
  • theft
  • dysfunctional family
  • glacier national park
+38 more
  • good woman
  • woman in jeopardy
  • wetsuit
  • singing
  • singing girl
  • dream
  • nightmare
  • evil
  • reference to the twilight zone
  • reference to happy birthday the song
  • happy birthday to you
  • singing along
  • singer
  • redneck
  • river adventure
  • plan goes wrong
  • vacation goes wrong
  • fly fishing
  • marital problem
  • birthday
  • white water rafting
  • skinny dipping
  • first kill
  • playing fetch with a dog
  • smoke signal
  • fishing
  • deaf character
  • writing in dirt
  • skipping stones on water
  • waterproof camera
  • s.o.s.
  • white trash
  • ex river guide
  • ex female river guide
  • river guide
  • reference to an american indian
  • cat and mouse scenario
  • reference to the u.s. canadian border
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew

The River Wild Cast

Meryl Streep leads the cast, with David Strathairn and Joseph Mazzello. Directed by Curtis Hanson; 10 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Curtis Hanson

More films directed by Curtis Hanson, best-rated first: L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile, Wonder Boys and Bad Influence.

Full filmography
Ratings

The River Wild Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The River Wild 63 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10.

Plot

The River Wild Plot Summary

What happens in The River Wild from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A couple from Boston, Gail (Meryl Streep) and Tom (David Strathairn), are grappling with their marital issues. In a bid to reconnect, Gail, an experienced rafting enthusiast, decides to take their son Roarke (Joseph Mazzello) on an adventurous rafting trip along the scenic Salmon River in Idaho, bringing along their beloved dog. At the last moment, Tom decides to join them.

Full summary

The whole story of The River Wild, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The River Wild Box Office

The River Wild grossed $94.2 million worldwide. $46.8 million came from the US and Canada and $47.4 million (50%) from the rest of the world.

1994 box office

Worldwide gross

$94.2M

US & Canada
$46.8M
International
$47.4M
US & Canada 50% Rest of the world 50%
Awards

The River Wild Awards & Nominations

The River Wild earned 3 award nominations, including Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress) at the Golden Globes 1995. The 3 nominations come from 2 ceremonies, the most at the Golden Globes 1995.

3 nominations2 ceremonies

Videos

The River Wild Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The River Wild.

The River Wild - Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The River Wild?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the role of Gail?

Cars

Cars in The River Wild

2 cars on screen: the 1971 Chevrolet K-Series and the 1975 GMC Suburban.

  • 1971 Chevrolet K-Series in The River Wild 1971 Chevrolet K-Series Minor role
  • 1975 GMC Suburban in The River Wild 1975 GMC Suburban Minor role
Details

The River Wild Also Known As

27 alternative titles, including “狂野之河” and “Am wilden Fluß”.

Also known as
  • 狂野之河
  • Am wilden Fluß
  • Dzika Rzeka
  • O Rio Selvagem
  • Am wilden Fluss
  • The River Wild - Il fiume della paura
  • La Rivière sauvage
  • Villi Joki
  • Río salvaje
  • Rio Selvagem
  • Divoká řeka
  • Veszélyes vizeken
+15 more
  • Дикая река
  • נהר הפרא
  • Дивата река
  • Άγριος Ποταμός
  • Divlja rijeka
  • Дивља река
  • Vahşi Nehir
  • Laukinė upė
  • Râul ucigaș
  • 리버 와일드
  • Divoká rieka
  • สายน้ำเหนือนรก, ველური მდინარე
  • 激流
  • 驚濤駭浪
  • Дика ріка

Seen The River Wild?

FAQ

The River Wild FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of The River Wild, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The River Wild?

The River Wild runs 1 hour 51 minutes (111 minutes).

When was The River Wild released?

The River Wild was released on September 30, 1994.

Who directed The River Wild?

The River Wild was directed by Curtis Hanson.

More films by Curtis Hanson

Who is in the cast of The River Wild?

The River Wild stars Meryl Streep, David Strathairn and Joseph Mazzello, among 10 credited actors.

How much did The River Wild make at the box office?

The River Wild grossed $94.2 million worldwide ($46.8 million domestic, $47.4 million international).

How is The River Wild rated?

The River Wild has 6.5/10 on IMDb, 63 on Metacritic and 64% on TMDB.

Was The River Wild nominated for any awards?

The River Wild received 3 nominations across 2 ceremonies.

Does The River Wild have a post-credit scene?

No. The River Wild has no extra scene during or after the credits.

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app