Compare And Contrast A River Runs Through It

The book version and film adaptation of A River Runs through It have a great deal of similarities, but also obvious differences. For the reader to understand and admire the undeniable beauty of both the film and book they must be considering plot and themes.

Norman Maclean's coming of age novella A River Runs Through It is a heartwarming semi-biography about Maclean’s upbringing in Montana during the early 20th century (between 1905- 1930). The reader learns that a compassionate, but also strict Presbyterian minister headed the Maclean household. Rev. Maclean’s ministerial background caused his son's childhood to be based on traditional religious values (also called family values), with a heavy emphasis on morality, personal responsibility/duty,

and an appreciation for nature This played a significant role in guiding Norman and his younger brother Paul’s development as they grew into men. The most important passion that Rev. Mclean passed on to his sons was the deep love of fly-fishing along “Blackfoot, [where Rev. Mclean] found his soul restored and imagination stirred”(a biblical reference to Psalm 23). This inspired his boys to also to find “solace and refreshment” in their “family river “.
Rev.

Maclean’s affection and his “[perception of] fly fishing as symbolic of the rhythms of life that all [people] need to discover” caused him to give more hours of teaching on fly fishing than on “all other spiritual matters”(Washington Post). This may lead the readers to conclude that in the Maclean family ‘there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing”, and believe that aided the forging of a unbreakable bond between Rev. Mclean and his two sons (Paul and Norman); even when Rev. Mclean’s authoritarian personality alienated his sons, their common love for fly fishing brought always them together again. Knowing this the reader can believe that in the Maclean family fly-fishing was an important activity that symbolized “ an integrated and healthy spirituality pervading of the [human] life” (Chicago

Tribune).
The similarities are extensive between the film and movie and very noticeable. The settings where Rev. Maclean is teaching his sons the proper technique (four count rhythm) for casting is in both the film and novel. Paul unlike Norman was able to develop his own style of casting (shadow casting) later in life. Paul’s gambling habits that started in his childhood were a source of conflict in both the book and the movie. For instance, Paul risks his life by going over a waterfall in the rowboat with his brother; foreshadowing future events. Later in life Paul tries to get out of debt by participating in high stakes poker games. This leads to his violent death as he was “ beaten to death by the butt of a revolver and his body [was] dumped in an alley” . The most apparent similarity is the stand down between Rev. Mclean and Paul that many call the “Battle of the Oatmeal”. In this scene, young Paul refuses to eat the oatmeal that his mother prepared for him. Rev. Maclean then proceeds to tell Paul that he can’t leave the table until he finishes his oatmeal this standoff last for hours.
Another glaring similarity is when the Maclean boys go fishing and Paul uses his hatband to store flies and Neal uses a fly box. When Neal is late for fishing with Norman and Paul uttered that “ [There are] three things we’re never late for in Montana church, work, and fishing”. After the Maclean men go out fishing Paul says, “Three years before I can think like fish”. Both versions of the story have a scene where Norman has to go down to the police station to pick-up his brother after a fistfight. The director, Robert Redford, was dedicated to in making sure the movie resembles the novel. For example, the movie copied the book to describe the events surrounding Paul’s untimely death. Word for word both adaptations of the story end with Norman expressing that he was” haunted by waters” a simple, but powerful metaphor about his life.
The book and novel vary mostly in the chronology of events.

For example Norman and Jesse are married way before Norman meets Neal (Jesse’s brother). In the movie Norman meets Neal while is he still courting Jesse. This brings forth another difference Norman doesn’t date Jesse in the book. When Jesse is first introduced, she is already married to Norman. A viewer of the movie who has read the book might also notice that when Norman is never offered a job to teach at Chicago University in the novel. Another big difference between the movie and the novel is the role that Norman’s mother plays, she is a very lively, dynamic character in the book, but in the film she is depicted to a flat character. Paul and Norman have equal fly-fishing skills, but in the movie Norman is just a mere amateur compared to Paul. Rev. Maclean expresses displeasure with Paul's decision to change the spelling of the family name in both version of the story. Someone who might have read the book may believe that the movie didn’t do the book justice when showing Paul’s struggle with his alcohol and gambling addictions. Norman offers to help Paul out with is personal struggles when he is driving Paul and his girlfriend home after a long night of drinking. The offer to help in the novel is done when Paul and Norman go fishing. Some other differences are Rev. Maclean’s personally is almost completely lost in the movie and his most important line “you can love completely without complete understanding” (a

reference to Paul’s death) was delivered to the audience in a different way; in the movie it was in a sermon and in the book it was expressed directly to Norman.
The film A River Runs Through It was a wonderful adaption for the novel. The movie may have many differences from the book, but the it does a fabulous job conveying the themes and main ideas of the novel. For Example, the most important main idea someone might notice is that sometimes the people we love elude us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love them completely “ [even] without completely understanding”. Although, the movie provided less insight into the characters backgrounds and motives it still very faithful to the book.