a stunning realization occur when some sort of phenomenon take place . be it and firecracker go off and witness a robbery and a hurricane nonchalantly devastate everything in it path and or and for that matter and any other spectacular occurrence . in the case of the maclean family and however and reveille be something which be no more complex than their day to day life . montana in the early twentieth century be an environment which be rough and tumble . the maclean family be comprise of four people and the father and a minister and who be ideologically drive to raise his family properly . his wife be god fearing and and dutiful . the two boy be and well . boy . what else can you say . brad pitt star in this film before he be really the . brad pitt and and his act performance in this film be and to say the least and remarkable . his brother and norman and be the cerebral type and he be touch by emotion that be genuine and and motivate by a set of value that missoula and montana concur with . paul ( brad pitt ) be a misfit from the offset and and live on the edge . you would think that montana in the 1920 have no such thing and yet somehow and gamble and drinking and and violent confrontation and be as much a part of paul and a be his fly fishing rod . fly fishing . do i say that . parenthetically and this be the core of this movie theme . the recreation of fly fish serve a the cohesive bond which homogenize the kindred spirit of the maclean brother and and to a less degree and the father . i would describe the acting in this film a incredibly believable and and the cinematography go beyond sensational . put it this way and anyone who see this film will want to live in montana . breathtaking filmography of bluer than blue mountain and stream capture the youth and effervescence that the maclean brother have for life . seldom in a film do you witness whereby feeling immediately invoke a dogged tenacity to accomplish whatever it may be that someone wish to accomplish . the maclean brother live life to the full and and for good or bad and the father know that this be go to be the only way the two of them could become men . robert redford direct this film and and tell the story of the maclean through the perspective of the old brother and norman . norman get offer a position at the university of chicago at age 26 and and marry the woman he will always be in love with . what this film also point out and be that the young brother and paul and have attain an accomplishment of his own by be the epitome of a remarkable fly fisherman . the seedy side of life prevails in the young brother existence and and exert an insidious form of consternation for the maclean family . a most human shortcoming go and the maclean family make light of turbulent water and ( literally ) and thus and establish unity a a family and by put necessary blinder on . the end of the movie river run through it present an epigram of life through the eye of the old brother . for norman maclean and stoicism be a prerequisite to perseverance in his emeritus year . such a fate be largely due to the fact that reflect on his life be tantamount to yearn for people who have pass away . the fond memory of his brother and his wife and his mother and and his father and must now be view philosophically . for norman and his life have be relegate to stubborn fact that have determine his dubious outlook and and precarious resolve . something as simple a the statement this be your life and and that be how you live it be a somber recollection of the joy and the sorrow and the regret and and the love and he give and as well a be the recipient of . best put in the last sermon he hear his father give and his father say we can completely love someone without completely understand them . whether you agree with what have happen in your life or not and it happen nonetheless . norman maclean must come to grip with the fact that his life have be fragment by misunderstanding . norman maclean have become a decrepit octogenarian who be polarize by virtual conclusion to his life . the murky water of montana picturesque river serve a a vicious and desultory finalization to his year on earth . without question and the very prolific statement of what seem complicate be really very simple purveys a very acrimonious message in this movie . more simply put . the people and place which be important in norman life and be now only a bittersweet memory . merely a painfully intellectual rumination of event which be aggravate by the haunted water of montana beautiful stream and river . to which and for the entire maclean family and all thing merge into one and a river run through it .