The River Why | |
---|---|
Directed by | Matthew Leutwyler |
Produced by | Kristi Denton Cohen Matthew Leutwyler |
Written by | Thomas A. Cohen John Jay Osborn, Jr. (screenplay) David James Duncan (novel) |
Starring | Zach Gilford Amber Heard Kathleen Quinlan Dallas Roberts with William Devane and William Hurt |
Cinematography | Karsten Gopinath |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The River Why is an independent film based on the 1983 Sierra Club novel of the same name by David James Duncan.[1]
The film stars Zach Gilford, William Hurt and Amber Heard and is directed by Matthew Leutwyler.
Showtime broadcast the film in August 2011. [2] The film is being screened[3] in the USA in the fall of 2011 as a benefit for fish and river conservation groups and will be released on DVD/VOD/blueray on Nov 8, 2011.[4]
Contents[hide] |
The River Why is an adaptation of the 1983 Sierra Club novel by David James Duncan. The coming-of-age tale centers on a young man named Gus Orviston (Zach Gilford) and his quest for an elusive rainbow trout, which is a metaphor for the man's internal search for self-knowledge. Amber Heard plays his love interest, a tomboy fly-fisher named Eddy.
Actor | Role |
---|---|
Zach Gilford | Gus Orviston |
Amber Heard | Eddy |
William Hurt | Gus's Father |
Dallas Roberts | Titus |
Kathleen Quinlan | Ma |
Brendan Robinson | Kernie |
Nikki DeLoach | Young Ma |
William Devane | Dutch Hines |
Gattlin Griffith | Bill Bob |
Robert Zorn | Fly Shop Owner |
Breanna Aleigh Grimes | Marlene |
Since April 30, 2008, the film rights to The River Why have become the subject of a lawsuit by novelist Duncan, alleging copyright infringement among other issues.[5][6] The lawsuit was settled and the case dismissed in November 2008.
In June 2008, actors William Hurt and Amber Heard joined the cast; filming began in Portland, Oregon in July 2008.[1]