The River Rat

For the river in Suffolk, England, see River Rat.

The River Rat
File:River rat poster.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Thomas Rickman
Produced by	Michael Apted Bob Larson
Written by	Thomas Rickman
Starring	Tommy Lee Jones Brian Dennehy Martha Plimpton
Release dates	1984
Country	United States
Language	English

The River Rat is a 1984 independent family film starring Tommy Lee Jones and Martha Plimpton. Filmed on location in Kentucky, on the banks of the Mississippi River. Plimpton portrays a teenager who meets her father (Jones), just released from prison, for the first time. The two slowly forge a relationship as they rebuild a boat named "The River Rat." The father cannot escape his criminal past, being 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 ride "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 and grow closer.

The film was written and directed by Thomas Rickman, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 1980 for his screenplay of Coal Miner's Daughter, also starring Tommy Lee Jones. The film was produced by Bob Larson (executive producer of Coal Miner's Daughter) and Michael Apted (who directed Coal Miner's Daughter) served as executive producer. The film was a Larson/Rickman Production in association with the Sundance Institute. The original music was composed by Mike Post.

External links

• The River Rat at IMDb
• Thomas Rickman at the Internet Movie Database