History Film / TheRiverWild

* ChekhovsGun: Because Gail's dad is deaf, the whole family knows sign language. [[spoiler: Tom draws signs on a trunk visible from the river, which tips Roarke and Gail off.]]

* VillainBall: When Wame thinks Gail's gun is empty, he instantly decides to kill them all out of spite. [[spoiler: As it turns out the gun is not entirely empty.]]

* ChekhovsGun: Because Gail's dad is deaf, the whole family knows sign language. [[spoiler: Tom draws sings on a trunk visible from the river, which tips Roarke and Gail off.]]

* DefensiveFailure: Subverted- Wade tries to kill Gail after she chooses to fire what he thinks is the pistol's last bullet into the air instead of shooting him. [[spoiler: Turns out, she had two bullets and kills him with the actual last one.]]

* AxCrazy: Wade. Like most real life psychopats he at first he's very good at hiding it. Once his true nature is exposed he reveals himself to be a merciless murderer.

* BadBoss: Wade frequently insults Terry for his mistakes. He even slaps him for having let Tom escape in one scene.
* BigBad: Wade.
* BondOneLiner: "He got to ride 'The Gauntlet' after all".
* ChekhovsGun: Because Gail's dad is deaf, the whole family knows sign language.

* TheDragon: Terry, though he reluctantly goes along with Wade's leadership.

* FatalMethodActing: Meryl Streep nearly drowned while filming a rafting scene.

* KickTheDog: Wade attempts to shoot the family's dog during the film because he considers it expendable. [[spoiler: The dog gets away unharmed]].
** He also slaps Roarke for having tell his parents about his gun.
* MarriedToTheJob: Tom is obsessed with his designs.

* RedHerring: Roarke throws his camera in the river to keep it away from Wade. Johnny finds it... and returns it to them.
* SceneryPorn
* TheSociopath: Wade shows signs of this. He kills people without remorse, even joking about it at some point, and everyone, his followers included, are just pawns he uses for his personal gain.

* SkinnyDipping: Gail takes a bath in the river.
** OutdoorBathPeeping: A really creepy looking Wade watches her.
* VillainBall:
** Wade [[spoiler: murders Ranger Johnny, but fails to take his gun despite only having 2 bullets left.]]
** When he thinks Gail's gun is empty he instantly decided to kill them all out of spite. As it turns out she faked it...]]
* WasntThatFun?: After riding and surviving the feared "Gauntlet" with no injuries.

* VillainBall: Wade [[spoiler: murders Ranger Johnny, but fails to take his gun despite only having 2 bullets left.]]

''The River Wild'' is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Creator/CurtisHanson and starring Creator/MerylStreep, Creator/KevinBacon, David Strathairn, Creator/JohnCReilly, and Creator/JosephMazzello. The story involves a family on a whitewater rafting trip who encounter two violent criminals in the wilderness.

* AffablyEvil: Wade qualifies for this, period.
** FauxAffablyEvil: But as soon as he's unmasked, he drops the friendly facade.

* Chekhov's gun: Because Gail's dad is deaf, the whole family knows sign language.

* WouldHurtaChild: Wade outright orders Terry to kill both Tom and Roarke after finding that Gail has no bullets in the gun. [[spoiler: Or so he thought.]]

''The River Wild'' is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Creator/CurtisHanson and starring Creator/MerylStreep, Creator/KevinBacon, David Strathairn, Creator/JohnCReilly, and Joseph Mazzello. The story involves a family on a whitewater rafting trip who encounter two violent criminals in the wilderness.

''The River Wild'' is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Creator/CurtisHanson and starring MerylStreep, Creator/KevinBacon, David Strathairn, Creator/JohnCReilly, and Joseph Mazzello. The story involves a family on a whitewater rafting trip who encounter two violent criminals in the wilderness.

* AffablyEvil - Wade qualifies for this, period.
* BigBad - Wade.
* BondOneLiner - "He got to ride "The Gauntlet" after all".
* TheDragon - Terry, though he reluctantly goes along with Wade's leadership.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard - At the climax of the film, [[spoiler: Gail kills Wade with the very same gun he was using against them for the duration of the movie]].
* KickTheDog - Wade attempts to shoot the family's dog during the film because he considers it expendable. [[spoiler: The dog gets away unharmed]].
* MeaningfulName - ''Wade'' can't swim...

* WasntThatFun? - After riding and surviving the feared "Gauntlet" with no injuries.

''The River Wild'' is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Creator/CurtisHanson and starring MerylStreep, KevinBacon, David Strathairn, John C. Reilly, and Joseph Mazzello. The story involves a family on a whitewater rafting trip who encounter two violent criminals in the wilderness.

''The River Wild'' is a 1994 American thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson and starring MerylStreep, KevinBacon, David Strathairn, John C. Reilly, and Joseph Mazzello. The story involves a family on a whitewater rafting trip who encounter two violent criminals in the wilderness.

* VillianBall: Wade [spoiler: murders Ranger Johnny, but fails to take his gun despite only having 2 bullets left.]