Craig Sheffer (as Norman) and Brad Pitt (as Paul) are Montana sons-of-a-preacher man Tom Skerritt (as Reverend Maclean). You will immediately notice the breathtaking Montana scenery - photography by Philippe Rousselot, direction by Robert Redford, with an obviously adept cast and crew. The kids playing the younger Macleans were quite an asset; I did recognize Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an impressive debut (though not his first). As I was watching, I thought: well, it looks all nice, but what's happening? I was unsure about the film's focus. The film is often slow and confusing, even if you are familiar with the Norman MacLean story; and, this is a somewhat alternate version/vision of the original written work.

And, I realized what I was watching. It happened twenty minutes (or so) after the kids "grew up" - this is the story of Norman Maclean's remembrances… the touching stones of his life. They may not be the things you'd believe an old man remembers; but, by the end of the film, you know. You'll understand the focus on his brother, with that magical quality that just slipped away… Perhaps, there was no perfection there; but, you'll know why Norman sees it. You'll know why that memory of the perfect fly fisherman is there.

Just a few other thoughts: At the risk of over-analyzing, I felt the characters of Norman, Paul, their father, and Redford merging into ONE character at the end of the film; I wonder if Redford intended it that way? His direction, narration, and lead performances seemed blend together… Directing, Preaching, Fishing, the River - it all runs together; and, we're all water. The end of the film is very powerful.

********* A River Runs Through It (1992) Robert Redford ~ Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn

Enjoyed this film produced by Robert Redford which deals with a Presbyterian Minister who has two sons, one is reserved and the other is a hell raiser. This film takes place in Montana and the beauty of their rivers and wonderful land and its beautiful mountains. Tom Skeritt, (Rev. MacLean) plays the role of a very loving parent of Norman MacLean, (Craig Sheffer) who is basically a very straight arrow and also his brother Paul MacLean, (Brad Pitt) who is a newspaper reporter and has a very wild way living especially with drinking and plenty of women. There is a sweet romance between Norman MacLean and Jessie Burns, (Emily Lloyd) who fall in love with each other and these two people try to guide Paul MacLean into a better way of living but he just cannot seem to settle down. Great film about what life is really about in many families. Enjoy

Based on the memoirs of Norman MacLean, American literary scholar, A River Runs Through It is a memoir of him growing up in early 20th Century Montana as the son of a preacher, along with his younger brother. Craig Sheffer plays the young MacLean and his brother Paul is played by Brad Pitt. The parents are played by Tom Skerritt and Brenda Blethyn.

With some introductory material showing the characters as children and how their personalities developed, most of the film is concentrated on young Norman MacLean's first summer back in Missoula, Montana with the family after six years at the University Of Chicago. While Sheffer has been studying for his degrees, Pitt has taken a job as a reporter on a local paper.

Pitt had a reckless streak as a youngster and its become more pronounced as a young man. He's taken with some reckless habits, this was in fact the Roaring Twenties and Pitt is quite the child of that era. The only thing that father and both sons have in common is the love that Skerritt instilled in his sons for dry fly fishing. It's in those scenes that the family comes together.

Robert Redford got a real family feeling for the players portraying the MacLean family. Redford who grew up in the west also has a real feel for the environment. No accident that A River Runs Through It won an Oscar for Best Cinematography. It was also nominated for Best Musical Scoring and Best Adapted Screenplay from another medium.

A River Runs Through It was a big career boost for Brad Pitt. For a guy who admittedly has some outstanding looks which no doubt first got people's attention, Brad Pitt has shown an astonishing range of character development on the screen. Paul MacLean is as different from Heinrich Harrer, from Joe Black and a whole lot of others. In his 20 or so years of stardom, go down the list of roles and they range the gamut of the human experience.

And if you're not a particular Brad Pitt fan, you'll enjoy A River Runs Through It for the great nature cinematography that is the heart of this film.