MOVIE REVIEW : Streep Adds Depth to ‘River’

“The River Wild” takes your breath away two times over. And if the excitement of its climactic scenes of white water rafting on roller coaster waterways is not a surprise, the thrill of seeing Meryl Streep give a rip-roaring performance sort of is.

Sort of because over the last five years, starting with “She-Devil” and ending with “Death Becomes Her” and “The House of the Spirits,” the nine-time Oscar-nominated actress has made such curious acting choices it has been possible to forget just how potent a talent she possesses.

“The River Wild,” crisply directed by Curtis Hanson, wipes the slate clean. In her role as wife, mother and former white-water guide, Streep powerfully shows us what we’ve been missing, demonstrating such a radiant forcefulness, plus an easy facility with an impressive range of emotions, that she pretty much upstages even the on-rushing rapids.

Written by Denis O’Neill (with uncredited additions from a number of sources), “River Wild” does have occasional plot problems, but it is one of the few thrillers as concerned with character as it is with action. And it shows anyone still laboring under the delusion that Jamie Lee Curtis’ role in “True Lies” was some kind of lofty role model of exactly what a heroic woman’s part looks like.

The first time we see Streep’s character, Gail, both she and the water she is moving over are noticeably tranquil. In smooth, easy strokes, Gail rows a scull along Boston’s Charles River, her mastery of the boat obvious and impressive.

Back home, as the mother of a young son and daughter and the wife of a workaholic architect named Tom (David Strathairn) who habitually neglects his family, Gail is less in control and in fact worried that her marriage is in trouble.

On tap for everyone is a visit to Gail’s parents somewhere in the West, and, potentially a relationship enhancer, a chance for son Roarke (Joseph Mazzello) to travel with Gail and Tom down the very river his mother used to be a guide on.

Also rafting at the same time are a trio of tough-looking men, led by the handsome, muscular Wade (a buff Kevin Bacon). Wade acts awfully friendly, chatting with Roarke about Jane’s Addiction and lightly flirting with Gail, but there is something vaguely disturbing about his demeanor.

This particular river turns out to have some unnerving characteristics. Bracketed by high cliffs on both sides, it is an almost impossible place to walk out of. And it ends in a horrific series of rapids, ominously known as the Gauntlet, that Gail ran when she was young and headstrong but are now illegal to cross because several people have died in the attempt.

Not surprisingly, circumstances lead the increasingly sinister Wade and company to attach themselves to Gail and her family, bringing on all manner of dramatic situations. Director Hanson, best known for “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” does a skillful job of getting the most out of this material, helped by Bacon’s striking ability to play both the attractive and the frightening aspects of his character.

This does not mean, however, that “River” is without its problematic aspects, starting with standard-issue touches like a loyal family dog named Maggie and an inability to find a satisfying, creditable role for Gail’s superfluous husband, Tom. Similarly, though it is strong in basic outline, “River’s” script has difficulty overall coming up with incidents that don’t feel like filler intended to kill time until the climax.

Those scenes, set inevitably on that dread Gauntlet, are certainly rousing. Filmed by director of photography Robert Elswit on three different rivers (two in Montana and one in Oregon), the water shots are models of outdoor action footage, so vivid and realistic we just about feel the spray.

Streep apparently did almost all of her own work on the river, which was considerable, and she is as convincing in the heroic physical mode as she is in the film’s more feeling scenes, where her face mirrors emotions from confused shyness to frightening rage.

Having abandoned for a while the portrayal of real people, Streep demonstrates here that what great actresses do is show us ordinary people in an extraordinary light. Though films like “The River Wild” are not usually the place to look for the best of female performances, Streep has taken this opportunity to once again rewrite the rules.

* MPAA rating: PG-13, for some violence and threatening moments. Times guidelines: The terrorizing of the family results in a high squirm factor.

‘The River Wild’

Meryl Streep: Gail

Kevin Bacon: Wade

David Strathairn: Tom

Joseph Mazzello: Roarke

John C. Reilly: Terry

A Turman-Foster Company production, released by Universal Pictures. Director Curtis Hanson. Producers David Foster, Lawrence Turman. Executive producers Ilona Herzberg, Ray Hartwick. Screenplay Denis O’Neill. Cinematographer Robert Elswit. Editor Joe Hutshing, David Brenner. Costumes Marlene Stewart. Music Jerry Goldsmith. Production design Bill Kenney. Art director Mark Mansbridge. Set designer William Hiney. Set decorator Rick T. Gentz. Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes.

* In general release throughout Southern California.