Wild River
Seen it?1960 | 110 min | Drama, Romance
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics. If you loved Sense and Sensibility or Gone with the Wind, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Warm and romantic.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 50 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1960: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A young bureaucrat for the Tennessee Valley Authority goes to rural Tennessee to oversee the building of a dam. He encounters opposition from the local people, in particular a farmer who objects to his employment (with pay) of local black laborers. Much of the plot revolves around the eviction of a stubborn octogenarian from her home on an island in the river, and the young man's love affair with that woman's widowed granddaughter. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
92% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsBelow par
1 win and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 32K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Elia Kazan
- Montgomery CliftChuck Glover
- Lee RemickCarol Garth Baldwin
- Jo Van FleetElla Garth
- Albert SalmiHank Bailey
- Jay C. FlippenHamilton Garth
- James WesterfieldCal Garth
- Bruce DernJack Roper
- Barbara LodenBetty Jackson
- Frank OvertonWalter Clark
- Malcolm AtterburySy Moore