All Episodes

December 6, 2023 82 mins

For this episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Blake Howard, film podcaster extraordinaire and the disruptive innovator behind One Heat Minute productions, to discuss the 1994 action-thriller THE RIVER WILD.

Married couple Gail and Tom Hartman (Meryl Streep and David Strathairn) are in the middle of a relationship crisis and on the verge of separation, when they take their young son Roarke (Joseph Mazello) on a whitewater rafting trip. However, their vacation turns into a nightmare when they encounter Wade and Terry (Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly), two criminals on the lam, who take the family hostage and force them to aid their escape through the notoriously treacherous Idaho rapids.

This is a hugely significant film for multiple reasons. Not only was it one of the first major action movies of the era to have a female lead, but that lead happened to be none other than Meryl Streep!

 The guys start by discussing the film’s ‘Die Hard DNA’, and debate whether it’s actually closer in spirit to DIE HARD or DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE. They also talk about where this movie fits in among the popular 90s subgenre of ‘yuppie in peril’ thrillers, and discuss director Curtis Hanson’s eclectic filmography, along with his mastery of suspense and tension.  

They talk about the gravitas that Meryl Streep brings to this fast-paced ‘divorce drama’, and expound the virtues of David Strathairn, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly, Joseph Mazello and Benjamin Bratt. They dig into what the film is really saying about family dynamics, and how it was ahead of the curve with its exploration of concepts such as gaslighting, toxic masculinity and micro-aggressions. The guys then take their raft down the L.A. river to get to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, before Blake and Liam go mano-a-mano in the ‘Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz’! 


THE RIVER WILD trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWew8lWYhtI

At the time of release, THE RIVER WILD is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, Direct TV, Spectrum TV and all the usual platforms.



Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.