Brad Pitt’s Forgotten Breakthrough Is Now Streaming On Netflix
One of Brad Pitt's earliest breakout star roles is almost entirely forgotten, but you can stream it right now on Netflix.
If you’re a fan of Brad Pitt, now is your chance to stream one of the films that helped launch him into the public eye and start his illustrious career in Hollywood. That film would be A River Runs Through It, a masterfully shot and quiet period of peace that relies on the talents of its cast and the strength of its music and cinematography to create an engaging film. It’s currently streaming on Netflix.
A River Runs Through It is an often overlooked Brad Pitt role that is nonetheless worth your time. It tells the story of two young brothers who grow up in Montana. Pitt plays Paul Maclean and Craig Sheffer plays Norman. The two spend most of their time fly fishing before they are split up when Norman goes away to college When Norman returns home, the two boys discuss their time apart and their paths forward while fishing. Tom Skerritt plays their minister father. The cast also includes strong performances from Brenda Blethyn, Emily Llyod, Edie McClurg, Stephen Shellen, Nicole Burdette, Susan Traylor, Michael Cudlitz, William Hootkins, Vann Gravage, and even a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The movie is directed by Robert Redford and based on a novella of the same name by Norman Maclean. Richard Friedenberg penned the screen adaptation.
The film did relatively well at the box office despite being an intimate period drama. It managed to bring in $66 million when it was released in 1992. The movie was met with warm critical and audience reception. Currently, on Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 80% critic score and an 83% audience score. According to reviews, the best aspects of the movie are the performances, the direction by Redford, the music, and the gorgeous cinematography. Brad Pitt’s performance in particular is one of the best parts of the movie. The story is a little slow for some, so if you’re expecting an action blockbuster, you may want to look elsewhere. The movie would go on to be nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Music/Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Philippe Rousselot would take home the award for Best Cinematography.
Though Thelma & Louise could be considered Brad Pitt’s breakthrough role, A River Runs Through It would continue his streak. This time, he was truly a lead role, instead of just a supporting role like in Thelma & Louise. Pitt would continue to increase his popularity in movies like True Romance, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Legends of the Fall, and Se7en. After those films, Brad Pitt was a full-on Hollywood A-lister and could go on to have an incredibly successful career. Brad Pitt is still staying plenty busy these days with his acting career, but his producer role for his Plan B Entertainment has kept him even busier. He has producer credits on a wide variety of TV shows and movies that are coming out in the next year. Of course, if you’re a big fan of Brad Pitt’s acting, his most recent role you can check out is in The Lost City which stars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.
We should have another Brad Pitt movie to enjoy before the year is done. Bullet Train is slated to come out on July 29, 2022. Bullet Train tells the story of five assassins on a train to complete a mission. The movie is directed by David Leitch and also stars Sandra Bullock, Zazie Beetz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Joey King, Karen Fukuhara, Michael Shannon, Logan Lerman, Bad Bunny, Andrew Koji, and more. Once the new year hits, we won’t have to wait very long at all to see another Brad Pitt project, as he’s set to star in the next Damien Chazelle movie Babylon which is due to be released on January 6, 2023. Plot details for Babylon are being kept under wraps, but it’s rumored to be a Hollywood period piece. The star-studded cast also includes Olivia Wilde, Margot Robbie, Samara Weaving, Tobey Maguire, Jean Smart, Eric Roberts, and more.
In the meantime, there is plenty of Brad Pitt content to revisit. If you want to do a Brad Pitt career retrospective, A River Runs Through It could be a great place for you to start. Check it out on Netflix while you can!
