A River Runs Through It

Last night, when I had all my friends' children in bed, I sat down and watched the DVD of A River Runs Through It, which I have previously mentioned. It’s a good film, powerful in its understatement. It’s the story of a Presbyterian minister and his two sons growing up in Montana – a story about fly fishing and family, of the things they said and all the things they never said, about the inevitable comparison that takes place between siblings, whether intended by the parents or not, about personality and boys making their way to manhood, about men who need help but don’t know how to receive it, and ultimately about the tragedy that is the younger brother. It’s also beautiful for its cinematography. I haven’t got much to base this on, but I’d say the film is worth watching if you have been given the enormous task and privilege of raising boys, or simply as a perceptive observation of men. Otherwise, you can read the (nicely short)book (that is a link to an excerpt).