10 Things to Know About 'The River Rat' (1984)

10 Things to Know About The River Rat

10 Premiered in Paducah, Kentucky

Most major motion pictures get flashy Hollywood premieres but not The River Rat. Shot in and around Kentucky and on the Mississippi River, it was fitting that that the premiere of The River Rat took place on Sepember 13th, 1984, at the Arcade Theater in Paducah, Kentucky. Director Tom Rickman was on hand along with then Kentucky Governor, Martha Layne Collins.

9 A Mississippi River House Boat Trip Brought the Film Together

Just before filming on The River Rat began, writer-director Tom Rickman joined his fellow filmmaker and executive producer of The River Rat, Michael Apted, for a houseboat trip. The two traveled the same river route as the characters in the film from Kentucky to Louisiana, stopping in small towns along the route to soak up the local color. The trip helped give the film’s script a final polish.

8 Martha Plimpton’s Film Debut

Martha Plimpton rose quickly to stardom in the 80s but it took a few months to land her first leading role in a movie. A five month casting search in New York City in 1983 finally culminated with Plimpton winning the role of Jonsy, a role that would kick off a 40 plus year career in Hollywood films, indies, and TV.

7 The Most Expensive Scene Filmed for The River Rat Got Cut

The most expensive scene filmed for The River Rat involved a fully built set for a Boomtown, hundreds of extras, and three days to build the set. When it came time to film, terrible weather made shooting impossible Rickman told reporters in November of 1984 that they managed to capture no usable footage of the Boomtown set before they had to move on to the next days filming schedule.

6 The Santa Cruz Film Festival

By the time The River Rat arrived to play as part of the Santa Cruz Film Festival in Santa Cruz, California, it was already dead in the water. Meeting with reporters at the festival, director Tom Rickman explained that the release strategy for the film, focused on Southern towns along the Mississippi, failed to garner the buzz that the movie needed in order to get seen. Rickman tried to put a positive spin on things but there was an inescapably funereal air to his comments:

“I think it will have a life. I think it will come back. People will want to see it. It seems to be a picture that film buffs will like. But, for now, there’s no arguing with numbers.”

5 Actress Nancy Lea Owen Taught Her Young Co-Star How to Swim

Nancy Lea Owen, a theater pro took the role of Tommy Lee Jones’ mother in The River Rat and her motherly instincts were a boon to many on the set including young co-star Shawn Smith. An avid swimmer, Owen took it upon herself to make sure the 10 year old Paducah resident, appearing in his first film, knew how to swim.

Owen told reporters that she was worried that Smith wouldn’t have known what to do if he fell in the water which, thankfully never happened. It would have been extra dangerous as Smith couldn’t wear life jacket when they were shooting. So, on off days for the two of them, Owen took Smith the swimming pool at her hotel to teach him water safety.

4 Writer-Director Tom Rickman Hated the Title

The original title of the film was Deep River but that title had already been taken by the time The River Rat went into production in September of 1983. River Rats or The River Rat was supposed to be a temporary title until they came up with something better. Director Rickman actually told a reporter in 1983:

“I despise that name. You can bet it will never stick.”

3 Was Set to Open in May of 1984

Post-production on The River Rat dragged on and on as they worked to find a cut that fit the director’s vision and would be approved by producers. Post-Production dragged on so long that opening dates in May and June of 1984 were missed before the film finally opened in the south in September of 1984.

2 Paramount Pictures Executives Told Rickman that the Movie Would Not Make Money

Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle in November of 1984, director Tom Rickman shared an unbelievable anecdote regarding Paramount Pictures. According to Rickman, he received a call from Paramount Executives who were ecstatic about the daily rushes of the film they were getting back in L.A. While on the call with Paramount execs, one voice on the line told Rickman:

“We love the rushes and we’re happy to be financing the film even though we don’t expect it to make a dime.”

1 The Final Day of Shooting

Filming on The River Rat came to an end on November 13th, 1983. And, in a moment of kismet, when the line producer yelled out ‘That’s a wrap on The River Rat the skies over New Orleans opened up and soaked the entire set and crew who had to run for cover. After having battled weather throughout the difficult three month shoot, the rain holding off just long enough for the film to get its final scene in the can, seemed fitting.