"The River What?"

These are the words I heard from a classmate after watching the movie The River Why in class. I found this statement interesting and interpreted it to mean something like "What just happened?" or "What did I just watch?" or even "What was the point of that?" Personally, I most relate to this last question, but I would have stuck with the movie title to ask my question about the film: "Why was this movie made?"

I understood the message of the movie (the importance of family, friends, having an open mind, etc.), but it was rather cliché. In fact, the entire film was pretty cliché, from the way the main character, Gus (who I could never see as anyone other than Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights), encountered his dream girl, to his dream girl's name (Eddy, indicative of the raging and changing currents of a river and of Gus' life), to the tumultuous relationship of Gus' parents, to Gus' dad's name (which conveniently abbreviates to H2O), to basically every aspect of the movie. It was hard to look passed how blatantly cliché it was and actually enjoy it.

Fishing used as a metaphor for some aspect of life is also overused. Hemingway used it in The Old Man and the Sea. The other movie we watched in class,  A River Runs Through It, used it. It's a common metaphor and is losing its effect.

There are plenty of water-themed movies. What about Finding Nemo? Yes, the Pixar movie is about fish, but it is not about fishing. It has plenty of life lessons to deliver and plenty to analyze even though it is a children's movie. In fact, I once led a retreat that was based entirely around Finding Nemo, and it was one of the most fulfilling days I have ever had.

What about Jaws? Okay, this one is just for fun.

What about Castaway? I have never felt more emotionally connected to a volleyball in my life than I did while watching this movie. The movie is a great examination of humanity and is based around the concept of being shipwrecked. Water literally sets up the framework of the film, one that could spark some interesting class discussion.

These are just three options (okay, two, I was kidding about Jaws) out of many that could serve a water-themed class well. One fishing-based movie is good, two is overkill (forgive the term, fish). I appreciate the thought behind these movies, but they can only vary so much. Water is so versatile, so unique, that it gives you a plentiful supply of options for movie plots and themes.

As I've already written, I appreciated A River Runs Through It. I related to it, especially at the time, and thought it was a complex and nuanced film. I did not feel the same way about The River Why. Whether you want to ask what, why, how, or when, my reaction will be the same: not good.