The River Rat
Encyclopedia
The River Rat is a 1984 independent family film starring Tommy Lee Jones
and Martha Plimpton
(in her second film and first starring role). Filmed in Kentucky
, it is set on the banks of the Mississippi River
. Plimpton portrays a young teenage daughter who meets her father (Jones), an ex-con just released from prison, for the first time. The two slowly forge a relationship as they rebuild a boat named "The River Rat." But the father cannot escape his criminal past as he is blackmailed by the prison
psychiatrist (Brian Dennehy
), who believes he knows the location of a large amount of cash stolen before imprisonment.
Father and daughter take "The River Rat" on a picturesque trip down the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee
in an effort to find the money and elude the prison doctor. Along the way, they learn about each other's lives and create a family bond.
The film was written and directed by Thomas Rickman, who had been nominated for an Academy Award in 1980 for his screenplay to Coal Miner's Daughter
, also starring Tommy Lee Jones.
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
and Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton
Martha Campbell Plimpton is an American actress and singer and former model. Plimpton is a screen, stage and television actress. She first appeared as Jonsy in the feature film River Rats before rising to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies portraying the character Stef...
(in her second film and first starring role). Filmed in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, it is set on the banks of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Plimpton portrays a young teenage daughter who meets her father (Jones), an ex-con just released from prison, for the first time. The two slowly forge a relationship as they rebuild a boat named "The River Rat." But the father cannot escape his criminal past as he is blackmailed by the prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
psychiatrist (Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
), who believes he knows the location of a large amount of cash stolen before imprisonment.
Father and daughter take "The River Rat" on a picturesque trip down the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in an effort to find the money and elude the prison doctor. Along the way, they learn about each other's lives and create a family bond.
The film was written and directed by Thomas Rickman, who had been nominated for an Academy Award in 1980 for his screenplay to Coal Miner's Daughter
Coal Miner's Daughter
Coal Miner's Daughter is a 1980 American biographical film which tells the story of country music icon Loretta Lynn. It stars Sissy Spacek in her Academy Award for Best Actress winning role, Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo and Levon Helm, and was directed by Michael Apted.-Background:The film was...
, also starring Tommy Lee Jones.