Movie

The River

“He might be able to hold back the river. But could he hold back the greed of man?”

★ 6.4(139)19842h 2m

The River is available to rent or buy on Apple TV Store, CosmoGo and Amazon Video in Canada. It isn't on a subscription streaming service there yet. Availability checked 15 June 2026.

Where to watch The River

🇨🇦 Canada

Good to know

Director: Mark Rydell
Release date: 1984-12-01
Runtime: 2h 2m
Language: English
Box office: $11,500,000
Budget: $18,000,000
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Studio: Universal Pictures

The River — trailer

About The River

The River is a 1984 movie in the Drama genre, directed by Mark Rydell, starring Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek and Scott Glenn. It has a runtime of 2 hours 2 minutes. It holds an average rating of 6.4/10 from 139 viewers. Below you can see where to watch The River in Canada — across streaming, rental and purchase options — along with the full cast, trailer and viewer reviews.

Synopsis

Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to stop a selfish land developer and a local corporation from foreclosing on their farm. While Mae stays at home to care for their children and tend to the crops, Tom finds work as a scab at a steel mill to preserve his family's property.

Cast

Mel Gibson

Tom Garvey

Sissy Spacek

Mae Garvey

Scott Glenn

Joe Wade

Billy Green Bush

Harve Stanley

Shane Bailey

Lewis Garvey

Becky Jo Lynch

Beth Garvey

Don Hood

Senator Neiswinder

James Tolkan

Howard Simpson

Bob W. Douglas

Hal Richardson

Andy Stahl

Dave Birkin

Lisa Sloan

Judy Birkin

Larry D. Ferrell

Rod Tessley

Themes & keywords

river

Frequently asked questions

Where can I watch The River in Canada?+

In Canada, The River is available to rent or buy on Apple TV Store, CosmoGo and Amazon Video. It isn't on a subscription streaming service there right now.

Is The River on Netflix?+

The River is not on Netflix in Canada right now.

How long is The River?+

The River has a runtime of 2 hours 2 minutes (122 minutes).

Who stars in The River?+

The River stars Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, Scott Glenn, Billy Green Bush and Shane Bailey.

When did The River come out?+

The River is a 1984 movie directed by Mark Rydell.

What genre is The River?+

The River is Drama film.

Who directed The River?+

The River was directed by Mark Rydell.