Brad Pitt and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have both become modern stars in their own right. Both have starred in numerous films and have developed into Hollywood icons (especially for the female population), and they made a name for themselves under the bright neon lights of California's celebrity hotbed.
However, both were featured in a film 22 years ago (yes, 1992 was 22 years ago; soak that in for a second, then continue) that placed them in rural Montana, early 20th century, under the natural light of a country sky when neither was much of anything, in terms of stardom, yet. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was 11 years old, Brad Pitt was 29. The Mall of America and Georgia Superdome had both just opened. Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was one of the top songs on the charts, and Tom Hanks was exclaiming, "There's No Crying in Baseball!" A River Runs Through It brought two future stars onto the same screen (though never at the same time), and was brought to my attention at a strangely wonderful time.
The film juxtaposes the lives of the Maclean brothers, Norman and Paul, beginning from a young age. Young Norman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was tough but level-headed. Young Paul was strong-willed and free-spirited. Interestingly enough, the pair's personalities do not really change with age. Norman becomes an [slightly socially awkward] academic, Paul (Brad Pitt) becomes a [carefree, alcoholic, gambling-addicted] journalist. They have their differences and seeming disagreements (for instance, about the very notion of love), but they are brothers and act as such. They talk together, laugh together, smile together, fight (once), adventure together, and are always there in the other's times of need (like if Norman needs a fishing partner or if Paul needs to get out of jail). I'll leave it there, so as to avoid spoilers.
The plot and characters were not what left the strongest impact on me, though; it was the setting. The picturesque shots of the Blackfoot River and its surrounding landscape, as well as the rolling countryside and jutting mountains of Montana, took my breath away and made me stare in wonder. The perfect light of new day and new night gave the nature a surreal quality. Between watching the brotherly relationship of Norman and Paul and the striking scenes of nature, my mind traveled to an all too familiar place: home.
The movie had me thinking of Kentucky lakes, of pleasant summer night drives alongside the Ohio River. It had me thinking of the Forecastle Music Festival, a scenic weekend of "Music, Art, Activism" on the banks of the Ohio that has become an annual tradition for me and my friends. It had me thinking of these friends, of my family, and the importance of their presence in my roots and actively in my life. When I needed a medium that allowed me to reminisce on the amazing place that I call home, A River Runs Through It delivered.
An attention to nature, I've found, will do that to someone; better, an engagement with nature will do that to someone: take him to the place where a sense of contentment and ease never eludes him. For some, nature is that place: a spot on a lake, a trail in a forest, the peak of a mountain. For others, nature simply reminds them of that light, warm feeling they get from being content and at ease. For others still, like myself, it is a combination of both.
So thank you, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, for your performance in The Dark Knight Rises and for reminding me of what it is like to be an 11 year old boy again. Thank you, Brad Pitt, for being you and for reminding me of the importance of some risk-taking, but the even greater importance of family. And thank you, A River Runs Through It, for being just the right burst of sentiment at just the right time: as I prepare to return to a Kentucky on the brink of an autumn blast of color, crispness, and power that I know and love.
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