Clear Rivers
Encyclopedia
Clear Marie Rivers is the fictional character
in the Final Destination film series
, portrayed by Ali Larter
. Clear serves as the main deuteragonist
in both Final Destination
and Final Destination 2
. A senior at Mt. Abraham High School, Clear is one of the students aboard Volée Airlines Flight 180. She is the only survivor of the Flight 180 disaster to live through the second film, intervening in the new Death's List. She is the seventh and last survivor of Flight 180, the only character to not die in the original movie.
. Her father was murdered in a 7-11 store while buying cigarettes, causing Clear's mother to spiral into depression. Her mother eventually remarried, though they decided to leave Mt. Abraham and Clear behind. Clear Rivers is frequently seen by other classmates at Mt. Abraham High as mysterious and sly, but is very trustworthy. Clear was one of the students to ride Volée Airlines Flight 180 to Paris
, France
.
for their school trip. During boarding however, Alex Browning
foresees
the airliner exploding in mid-air, and warns everyone inside of the accident. Among all passengers of Flight 180, Clear is the only one who believed his statements. Along with Alex and five others, Clear is removed from the plane, which explodes instantly after departure. At the memorial for the flight victims, Clear presents Alex a white rose as gratitude for saving her life, starting their relationship. After the deaths of Tod Waggner and Terry Chaney, Alex and Clear meet William Bludworth
, who claims about Death
and its consequences. After Alex's conclusion that Death will claim those lives which should've been lost in the plane, Alex and Clear plot to save the remaining survivors. Still, the pair fails in their attempt, except for Carter Horton. However, after Carter's survival, Clear is attacked by Death by trapping her inside her car with live wires. Alex saves Clear by electrocuting himself, and is revealed to have survived. At the end of the film, the trio finally arrive in Paris
, Clear saves Alex from a speeding bus, yet also witnesses Carter's death.
on the beach after meeting Carter and Billy Hitchcock at their school, resulting to Clear's pregnancy. Later on, Alex dies of his electrocution while saving Clear from the car. Nine months later, Clear gives birth to Alexander Chance Browning and reunites with Carter, knowing that they finally defeated Death.
, Clear is revealed to be the only Flight 180 survivor to have survived a year after the disaster. She has committed herself to the Stonybrook Mental Institution to protect herself from Death. Kimberly Corman
, the film's visionary, asks for Clear's help to save the survivors of the New York State Route 23
accident. With the help of William
, Clear and Kimberly learn that only new life can defeat Death, and the infant of survivor Isabella Hudson may stop Death. With Officer
Thomas Burke, Clear and Kimberly make a plan to try and save the remaining pile-up survivors. After the deaths of five of the Route 23 survivors, Clear, Kimberly, and Thomas stop the deaths of Isabella and her baby at the Lakeshore Hospital, defeating Death. However, Kimberly has a vision of Isabella's survival from the accident, thus, she wasn't meant to die at all. Understanding the situation, Clear locates Eugene Dix's room at the hospital. Finding him in an oxygenated room, Clear opens the door, loosening the plug of Eugene's defibrillator. The plug completely detaches, creating a spark that caused a huge fire throughout Eugene's room, killing both Clear and Eugene.
Clear's death was shown in the opening credits through X-rays in The Final Destination and briefly appeared in archive footage in Final Destination 5
.
Ali Larter
, who starred in the 1999 film Varsity Blues
, was cast as female lead Clear Rivers. Larter defined her role as "that girl who has a lot of loss in her life and has fallen for herself, and had made a life within that. She's an artist, she lives by herself, and she's kinda holding to her grip for what the world has given her."
earned her the Young Hollywood Award for a Breakthrough Performance by a Female
and a nomination from Blockbuster Enertainment Awards for Favorite Actress in Horror (Internet Only).
Larter also gathered mixed reviews among critics. Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News
said that "Ali Larter plays the only person who believes in [Sawa] - her name is Clear, which sums up the movie's entire philosophy of character development."; while Joe Leydon
of Variety
claimed that "Larter never seems to be entirely at ease in her part, and it's hard to shake the suspicion that one key scene --- the first one-on-one conversation between Alex and Clear --- is annoyingly jagged because of an attempted editing room salvage job." Mick LaSalle
of the San Francisco Chronicle
noted Alex and Clear's relationship: "Larter and Sawa, who becomes more scruffy and wild-eyed as the film progresses, make an appealing pair."; while Dustin Putman of TheMovieBoy.com praised Larter's role:
Similarly, her performance in Final Destination 2 garnered mixed reviews too. Many critics commented about the lack of use of Larter's role. Robert Koehler
of Variety
said that Larter was "casted little light." However, Robin Clifford of Reeling Reviews was favorable to her performance, saying she was "giving the smart-ass edge her character needs." Alex Sandell of Juicy Cerebellum told that Larter "impressed her with her stronger, less frightened Clear Rivers" and that "the whole Linda Hamilton
/Terminator thing works for her, and for the movie." Andrew Manning of Radio Free Entertainment praised Larter's role, stating:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Final Destination film series
Final Destination (film series)
The Final Destination series is a series of horror films based on an unproduced script written by Jeffrey Reddick for the X-Files television series. Distributed by New Line Cinema, all five films are centered on the themes of fatalism, predestination, and precognition, in relation to death...
, portrayed by Ali Larter
Ali Larter
Alison Elizabeth "Ali" Larter is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing the dual roles of Niki Sanders and Jessica Sanders on the NBC science fiction drama Heroes as well as her guest roles on several television shows in the 1990s.Larter's screen debut came in the 1999 film...
. Clear serves as the main deuteragonist
Deuteragonist
In literature, the deuteragonist is the second most important character, after the protagonist and before the tritagonist. The deuteragonist may switch from being with or against the protagonist depending on the deuteragonist's own conflict/plot.-History:Greek drama began with simply one actor,...
in both Final Destination
Final Destination
Final Destination is a 2000 supernatural slasher film written and directed by James Wong. The film was co-written by Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick, both of them having previously worked with Wong in the TV series The X-Files. The film stars Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith and Tony Todd...
and Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural horror film and the sequel to the 2000 film Final Destination and was directed by David R. Ellis. It was written by Jeffrey Reddick, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes and Tony Todd...
. A senior at Mt. Abraham High School, Clear is one of the students aboard Volée Airlines Flight 180. She is the only survivor of the Flight 180 disaster to live through the second film, intervening in the new Death's List. She is the seventh and last survivor of Flight 180, the only character to not die in the original movie.
Early life
Clear Marie Rivers was born in 1982 to a couple from the fictional town of Mt. Abraham, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Her father was murdered in a 7-11 store while buying cigarettes, causing Clear's mother to spiral into depression. Her mother eventually remarried, though they decided to leave Mt. Abraham and Clear behind. Clear Rivers is frequently seen by other classmates at Mt. Abraham High as mysterious and sly, but is very trustworthy. Clear was one of the students to ride Volée Airlines Flight 180 to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Final Destination
In the first film, the seniors at Mt. Abraham High School are flying to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for their school trip. During boarding however, Alex Browning
Alex Browning
Alexander Chance Browning is the protagonist of Final Destination portrayed by Devon Sawa. He is a senior student of Mt. Abraham High and is one of the students aboard Voleé Airlines Flight 180. He is the sixth survivor of Flight 180 to die....
foresees
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
the airliner exploding in mid-air, and warns everyone inside of the accident. Among all passengers of Flight 180, Clear is the only one who believed his statements. Along with Alex and five others, Clear is removed from the plane, which explodes instantly after departure. At the memorial for the flight victims, Clear presents Alex a white rose as gratitude for saving her life, starting their relationship. After the deaths of Tod Waggner and Terry Chaney, Alex and Clear meet William Bludworth
William Bludworth
William Bludworth is a fictional character the the Final Destination film series, portrayed by Tony Todd in Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5...
, who claims about Death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
and its consequences. After Alex's conclusion that Death will claim those lives which should've been lost in the plane, Alex and Clear plot to save the remaining survivors. Still, the pair fails in their attempt, except for Carter Horton. However, after Carter's survival, Clear is attacked by Death by trapping her inside her car with live wires. Alex saves Clear by electrocuting himself, and is revealed to have survived. At the end of the film, the trio finally arrive in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Clear saves Alex from a speeding bus, yet also witnesses Carter's death.
Alternate ending
In the alternate ending of the original film, Alex and Clear had sexSex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
on the beach after meeting Carter and Billy Hitchcock at their school, resulting to Clear's pregnancy. Later on, Alex dies of his electrocution while saving Clear from the car. Nine months later, Clear gives birth to Alexander Chance Browning and reunites with Carter, knowing that they finally defeated Death.
Final Destination 2
In the second film of the seriesFinal Destination 2
Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural horror film and the sequel to the 2000 film Final Destination and was directed by David R. Ellis. It was written by Jeffrey Reddick, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes and Tony Todd...
, Clear is revealed to be the only Flight 180 survivor to have survived a year after the disaster. She has committed herself to the Stonybrook Mental Institution to protect herself from Death. Kimberly Corman
Kimberly Corman
Kimberly "Kim" Corman is the visionary of Final Destination 2, portrayed by A.J. Cook. She is a college student from White Plains, New York, and is one of the survivors of the Route 23 pile-up. She is the seventh survivor of Route 23 to die....
, the film's visionary, asks for Clear's help to save the survivors of the New York State Route 23
New York State Route 23
New York State Route 23 is an east–west state highway in the eastern portion New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 26 in the Central New York town of Cincinnatus to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshire Mountains, where it continues east as...
accident. With the help of William
William Bludworth
William Bludworth is a fictional character the the Final Destination film series, portrayed by Tony Todd in Final Destination, Final Destination 2, and Final Destination 5...
, Clear and Kimberly learn that only new life can defeat Death, and the infant of survivor Isabella Hudson may stop Death. With Officer
New York State Police
The New York State Police is the state police force of over 4,600 sworn Troopers for the state of New York. It was established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not...
Thomas Burke, Clear and Kimberly make a plan to try and save the remaining pile-up survivors. After the deaths of five of the Route 23 survivors, Clear, Kimberly, and Thomas stop the deaths of Isabella and her baby at the Lakeshore Hospital, defeating Death. However, Kimberly has a vision of Isabella's survival from the accident, thus, she wasn't meant to die at all. Understanding the situation, Clear locates Eugene Dix's room at the hospital. Finding him in an oxygenated room, Clear opens the door, loosening the plug of Eugene's defibrillator. The plug completely detaches, creating a spark that caused a huge fire throughout Eugene's room, killing both Clear and Eugene.
Clear's death was shown in the opening credits through X-rays in The Final Destination and briefly appeared in archive footage in Final Destination 5
Final Destination 5
Final Destination 5 is a 2011 supernatural horror film written by Eric Heisserer and directed by Steven Quale. It is the fifth installment in the Final Destination film franchise and stars Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, and Tony Todd .The motion...
.
Casting
Ali Larter
Alison Elizabeth "Ali" Larter is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing the dual roles of Niki Sanders and Jessica Sanders on the NBC science fiction drama Heroes as well as her guest roles on several television shows in the 1990s.Larter's screen debut came in the 1999 film...
, who starred in the 1999 film Varsity Blues
Varsity Blues (film)
Varsity Blues is a 1999 American drama/sport film directed by Brian Robbins that follows a small-town high school football team and their overbearing coach through a tumultuous season. The players must deal with the pressures of adolescence and their football obsessed community while having their...
, was cast as female lead Clear Rivers. Larter defined her role as "that girl who has a lot of loss in her life and has fallen for herself, and had made a life within that. She's an artist, she lives by herself, and she's kinda holding to her grip for what the world has given her."
Reception
Larter's performance in Final DestinationFinal Destination
Final Destination is a 2000 supernatural slasher film written and directed by James Wong. The film was co-written by Glen Morgan and Jeffrey Reddick, both of them having previously worked with Wong in the TV series The X-Files. The film stars Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith and Tony Todd...
earned her the Young Hollywood Award for a Breakthrough Performance by a Female
Young Hollywood Awards
The Young Hollywood Awards is an award presented annually which honors the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults. The award ceremonies also honor rising and promising young aged performers in Hollywood...
and a nomination from Blockbuster Enertainment Awards for Favorite Actress in Horror (Internet Only).
Larter also gathered mixed reviews among critics. Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
said that "Ali Larter plays the only person who believes in [Sawa] - her name is Clear, which sums up the movie's entire philosophy of character development."; while Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
Joseph Patrick Michael "Joe" Leydon is an American film critic and historian. A critic and correspondent for Variety and a contributing writer for MovieMaker Magazine, he is the author of Joe Leydon's Guide to Essential Movies You Must See and a contributing critic for Leonard Maltin's Movie...
of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
claimed that "Larter never seems to be entirely at ease in her part, and it's hard to shake the suspicion that one key scene --- the first one-on-one conversation between Alex and Clear --- is annoyingly jagged because of an attempted editing room salvage job." Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
noted Alex and Clear's relationship: "Larter and Sawa, who becomes more scruffy and wild-eyed as the film progresses, make an appealing pair."; while Dustin Putman of TheMovieBoy.com praised Larter's role:
Ali Larter (1999's "Varsity Blues"), in the other central role, is also effective, as a girl whose life was going well until her father died in a convenience store shooting years before, leaving her stuck with an increasingly uncaring mother who married a loutish man--the exact opposite of her now-deceased father.
Similarly, her performance in Final Destination 2 garnered mixed reviews too. Many critics commented about the lack of use of Larter's role. Robert Koehler
Robert Koehler
Robert Koehler was a German-born painter and art teacher who spent most of his career in the United States of America.-Biography:...
of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said that Larter was "casted little light." However, Robin Clifford of Reeling Reviews was favorable to her performance, saying she was "giving the smart-ass edge her character needs." Alex Sandell of Juicy Cerebellum told that Larter "impressed her with her stronger, less frightened Clear Rivers" and that "the whole Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
/Terminator thing works for her, and for the movie." Andrew Manning of Radio Free Entertainment praised Larter's role, stating:
Ali Later clearly rules this movie. While everyone else is merely a hastily assembled caricature without depth, her character of Clear has a well defined background and history thanks to her appearance in the first film. Final Destination fans will see her as the heroic franchise veteran. Plus, she's got this college woman thing going on now. Although Clear isn't supposed to be much older than Kimberly, she brings that certain vibe of the "experienced older girl" who teaches the younger girl a thing or two about a thing or two--and that's a classic idea that fits well with all sorts of genres, if you know what I mean.