FAQs
A River Runs Through is a cinematographically stunning true story of Norman Maclean. The story follows Norman and his brother Paul through the experiences of life and growing up, and how their love of fly fishing keeps them together despite varying life circ*mstances in the untamed west of Montana in the 1920's.
Is there a season 2 for A River Runs Through It? ›
S2 E1: Gareth decides to hire another chef.
What is the deeper meaning of A River Runs Through It? ›
In this novella, rivers have several meanings. On one level, a river represents the natural world. On another level, the arc of a river flowing through the rocks and canyons of Montana symbolizes the arc of a human life. Both meanings of the river inform the overarching structure of the novella.
What part did Robert Redford play in A River Runs Through It? ›
In addition, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Van Gravage portray the childhood versions of Norman and Paul, respectively, while director Robert Redford provides the uncredited narration, in the first person voice of a senior Norman.
Can Brad Pitt fly fish? ›
Both Craig Sheffer (Norman) and Brad Pitt (Paul) were quite athletic. Jason made sure that Skerritt and Sheffer used the traditional forearm style, while Pitt used the more open free arm style that Paul Maclean would have used. Rumors also said Pitt trained to fly-fish for four weeks before filming.
What happens to Brad Pitt at the end of A River Runs Through It? ›
In the film, Paul — played by a young Brad Pitt — is beaten to death in Montana. In reality, he was murdered in a Chicago alley, and, although conspiracy theories abound, the circ*mstances remain a mystery.
Does Norman marry Jesse in A River Runs Through It? ›
Norman Maclean
After college at Dartmouth, Maclean became a professor at the University of Chicago. He married Jessie Burns of Wolf Creek, Montana; they had two children, Jean and John.
What happens in the end of A River Runs Through It? ›
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basem*nt of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
What river was the movie A River Runs Through It filmed on? ›
Even though the film talks about the big Blackfoot River, all the fishing scenes in the movie are shot at Gallatin River. Livingston, which is approximately 200 miles away, was used for the filming location of Missoula.
What does the last quote in A River Runs Through It mean? ›
· 2y. It's part of the epilogue in the novella. Norman is stating how after all the ups and downs in life , the good and bad eventually we all die . It's a very metaphorical way of describing the circle of life .
“Not far downstream was a dry channel where the river had run once, and part of the way to come to know a thing is through its death. But years ago I had known the river when it flowed through this now dry channel, so I could enliven its stony remains with the waters of memory.”
What happens to Paul at the end of A River Runs Through It? ›
Without giving too much away—you really ought to read “Home Waters”—John reveals that Paul was murdered in Chicago shortly after he had started a job in the public relations department at the University of Chicago. Paul had earlier been a young journalist in Montana.
Who is the old man at the end of A River Runs Through It? ›
— Arnold Richardson was not the best-known Montanan to appear in a Hollywood movie, but his solitary bit part — as the elderly Norman Maclean in "A River Runs Through It" — remains one of the most iconic cinematic images of the state, partly responsible, for better or worse, for the explosion in the popularity of fly ...
Is a river run through it based on a true story? ›
A River Runs Through It is a true story taken from the book written by Norman MacLean about his youth in a small town in Montana in the 1920's where he lived with his father, mother and extraverted younger brother. His family lived a simple live.
Is Down by the River movie based on a true story? ›
The novel was based on a real-life story from 1992, when a similar case ignited controversy in both Ireland and the UK. The novel highlights the psychological realities of such attention on the girl, as she struggles with her abuse.
Is the river movie based on a true story? ›
It was based on the true story of farmers who unknowingly took jobs as strikebreakers at a steel mill after their crops had been destroyed by rain. The River was theatrically released on December 19, 1984, by Universal Pictures.
What happened to Paul Maclean? ›
In the movie, Paul is found dead in an alley in Montana, likely beaten to death over unpaid gambling debts. In reality, he was beaten to death in a backstreet in Chicago. The killer was never caught. Home Waters lovingly paints fishing as passion and metaphor.
Is a river run through it fiction or nonfiction? ›
A River Runs Through It and Other Stories is a semi-autobiographical collection of three stories by American author Norman Maclean (1902–1990) published in 1976. It was the first work of fiction published by the University of Chicago Press.