The River (1984)

In the heart of east Tennessee, Tom and Mae Garvey, a tenacious farming couple, strive to sustain their ancestral farm, where generations have toiled and thrived. Their existence, already threatened by the suffocating grip of an unyielding economy and plummeting land values, is further jeopardized by a relentless river, a stone's throw away from their fertile fields. This once-life-giving artery now poses a catastrophic threat, its capricious floods laying waste to their precious crop. In the background, a sinister plot unfolds. Joe Wade, a local magnate and childhood acquaintance of the Garveys, exploits his influence over the regional senator and the local bank to orchestrate a grand scheme. Running the local milling company, he manipulates grain prices, tightening his grip on the local farming community. His ambition is as vast as the river itself - to acquire the riverside farmlands for a pittance and erect a dam. This ambitious project would not only harness electricity but more crucially, irrigate remote farming properties, including his own, while submerging the Garvey's land and others like it. The Garveys, beset by a relentless onslaught of farming tribulations and Joe's covert maneuverings, find their livelihood hanging in the balance. Tom, fueled by a deep-seated disdain for Joe, and a fierce loyalty to his ancestral land, is resolute to resist surrendering his legacy. As severe storms loom and the bank closes in with threats of repossession, the Garveys are drawn into a desperate battle to salvage their farm and protect their heritage. Amidst these mounting adversities, the river's foreboding presence serves as a constant reminder of the perilous struggle they face.

The River is a drama movie featuring Mel Gibson and directed by Mark Rydell.

It is possible to buy The River on Amazon Video, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.