‘River’: Big Splash at Box Office : Movies: ‘Redford’s fishing film,’ a small-scale family drama, comes in second, behind the thriller ‘Under Siege.’

With no major stars and only fly-fishing for action, Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It” made an extraordinary showing at the box office this weekend: The small-scale family drama was the second-highest-grossing film in the country, trailing only the Steven Seagal action movie “Under Siege.”

“I’m not a sage about the business,” Redford said Monday. “There is a formula for the movie business--the tendency for extreme laughter, action, sex and violence. And I think the reason ‘A River Runs Through It’ is getting some attention is that it defies some of the formulas.”

The film’s $4.2-million weekend is considered impressive because, like such films as “Fried Green Tomatoes” and “Driving Miss Daisy,” it is a little movie with nostalgic themes. Set in the pristine beauty of rural Montana spanning 1910 to 1935, the story concerns a family and its sorrows, hidden agendas and joys.

There are no sex scenes or shootouts. In addition, the movie, with a screenplay by Richard Friedenberg based on the book by Norman Maclean, features actors who are not considered “box-office draws”--Brad Pitt and Craig Sheffer as two brothers, and Tom Skeritt as their Presbyterian minister father.

In the film, the two brothers and their father are bound by the sport of fly-fishing, but otherwise have difficulty in dealing with each other.

Redford said fans of the film have written him with references to the “family values” issue that became a topic of the presidential campaign. His sense is that the family story “must be an obvious part of the film’s appeal . . . when we see the river the way it is, we feel a sadness for the loss of that. It has to do with a certain longing for the way things were.”

Redford credited the backing of Columbia Pictures and its marketing department for getting behind the $12-million picture from the beginning and devising a slow-release pattern that allowed the film to gain word of mouth.

“The fact that it’s striking some chords doesn’t surprise me,” said Redford, who first obtained film rights to the book in 1986. “It was intended to do that.” But, the director said, “You can imagine trying to describe that film to a studio. For a long time it was known as ‘Redford’s fishing movie.’ And it didn’t cause a lot of people to jump up and down when they heard about it.”

Columbia Pictures Chairman Mark Canton credited the studio’s marketing department for nurturing the movie, which drew reviews more respectful than enthusiastic.

“They picked the right visuals and reviews for the ads. And they show (in TV spots) in 30 seconds, the adventure. And the two good-looking young guys.”

Canton believes the slow opening--beginning with 12 cities on Oct. 9, growing to 24 on Oct. 16, then 130 on Oct. 23, and last weekend’s 795--was the “right way to go. The success is measured by the fact that it’s playing well everywhere--in big cities and small towns.” To date, the film has grossed $7.4 million. The Columbia chief said 200 more screens will be added on Friday.