The River Within (2009) User Reviews

Heaven help us all.

[BrettErikJohnson · 1/10 · 17 November 2009]

Some Christian films are simply films which are family-friendly and keep the moralizing to a minimum while still promoting their values. Then you have those sorts of films which bash you over the head with their overtly religious pablum. Sadly, "The River Within" is one of the latter.

**SPOILER ALERT** As usual, the one main character who is non-religious is an immoral heathen. He impregnated his girlfriend and then hightailed it out of there. Luckily, he has a really good Christian friend to help him see the light. Soon he is being prayed for and is informed that his life will turn around with the help of God. Next thing you know, he insists on being baptized, proposes marriage to his girlfriend and follows his dream of acting. His life is a bed of roses once he allows God into his heart. **END SPOILER**

Unfortunately, this film is almost impossible for a secular person to enjoy. I have actually seen Christian movies that entertained me on a certain level. Those, however, did not spend their time preaching about their supposed moral superiority. This is more along the lines of Christian propaganda than an actual movie with a concrete plot. If you are secular/agnostic/atheist… don't say I didn't warn you! :)

This is Christianity at its very core: deep, refreshing and vital.

[jrongin · 9/10 · 18 November 2009]

"The River Within" lays out a thick, rich plot filled with the everyday events that define our lives, from the joy of a simple kickball game to the panic of an unplanned pregnancy. Yet the film is not about any of those singular events. It is about the fabric of lives intersecting on a journey of Christian discovery.

Josh, a 20-something student, has returned home to northern Arkansas to study for his bar exam. He is on track to become a lawyer even though he doesn't have the passion for it. He is welcomed by old friends who all ask, "What are you doing here?" Josh is wondering the same thing. Adrift and conflicted, he stumbles into helping as a youth pastor, all the while sending the wrong message to his former girlfriend, Layla, who is now engaged. After a rough beginning, Josh finds he has a gift for working with young people. Not only does the church's youth group benefit from his friendship, but Josh also begins to feel a sense of worth, a sense of purpose.

"The River Within" is driven by characters who are presented as real people with genuine attributes and realistic faults. The cast consists of unpolished actors who haven't been layered with the Hollywood patina that defines almost all commercial films. These actors - most of whom were not paid for their work in the project - give startling and refreshing performances that feel absolutely real. Audiences might want to apologize for eavesdropping into these private lives.

The production budget for the film was less than $40,000, about the same price as a new mini van with a few bells and whistles. In terms of return for the dollars spent, writer- director Heath has created a very moving and powerful film. While the film's unwavering Christian message is the foundation for the movie, the mechanics and the details of the message are stripped away to focus on how faith in God affects the daily lives of these characters. This is Christianity at its very core: deep, refreshing and vital.

And then there is the river - at once a life force that nourishes both the body and the soul but is capable of great destruction, too. The director keeps returning to the metaphor of the river to signal a balance between respect, admiration, power and mystery. A baptism scene at the river cements the metaphor and allows members of the audience to compare their own inner river with that offered by belief in the film's message.

"The River Within" offers a unique opportunity for audiences to see a fine writer-director at the start of his career. Heath deserves a bigger budget to tell his stories. Thinking audiences deserve a film like "The River Within." It is a fine film that deserves attention.