Free Essays,College Free Essays,Free College Essays at Anti Essays

A River Runs Through It


A story of family, spirituality, and the twists and turns of life, Robert Redford’s film adaptation of A River Runs Through It follows the Maclean family in the early 1900’s. Reverend Maclean instills religious and moral values through home schooling, family, prayer, and fly fishing.

As young boys, Norman and Paul did as they were told by their pious parents. They did their school work every day, until it was perfect, and then after that, they did it over again. In this way, Reverend Maclean instilled good work ethic in they boys, because when their work was finished, they were free to play outside. Habitually, like a religion, they worked in the morning, played in the afternoon, said a prayer before supper and a prayer before bed. And in that time that Norman and Paul were allowed to play, they learned other important lessons, like how to protect themselves in a fight. Another thing that Reverend Maclean taught them from a very young age was how to fly fish. He taught them the art of timing, rhythm and the flick of the wrist-a skill that would always stay with the boys. Fishing meant a lot to the Maclean family, it was more than just something to do on the weekends, it was what brought them together and a way for them to enjoy each other’s company. Fly fishing was the closest competition to religion for them.

Paul became an amazing fly fisherman, and even broke away from his father’s words and created his own rhythm. Even though it was evident that Paul never desired to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a Reverend, Paul still had a strong spitituality with nature, and his home, Montana. He became one with the nature around him and grew to learn how the fish moved and what they bit on. Perhaps that is why he learned to become such a great fisherman. Despite Paul’s eventual downfall in gambling and alcoholism, fly fishing was the was what always brought the Maclean family...