Remembering River Phoenix on his 50th Birthday
Sunday, August 23, 2020 at 9:00AM 
This Sunday marks what would have been River Phoenix’s 50th birthday. A talent taken away from us much too soon, he went from adorable teenage prodigy to Oscar nominated scene stealer to Volpi Cup winner in less than five years. Seeing the work that other actors of his generation, who also started young, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, have delivered from the mid 90s until now can be heartwrenching. They make it impossible not to wonder what could have been if that fatidic night in 1993 had not happened...
As magnetic as he was mysterious, River had an unique onscreen presence. One of his earliest roles was alongside then newcomer Ethan Hawke in Joe Dante’s Explorers which presented him at his geekiest. He went from that to Chris Chambers in Stand By Me (which I'd argue is his third most defining role). Adapted from Stephen King’s “The Body” and directed by Rob Reiner, River gave such a mature performance that one could wonder (at the time) if it was a product of the editing/directing. Such questioning often happens with child stars, but, following Stand By Me, River gave a string of performances that left no room for doubt in that department.
While he excelled in that one-two punch of boy group adventures, he showed very early on that he could hold his own against Hollywood heavy hitters like Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast and Sidney Poitier in Little Nikita. His range proved remarkable. He could segueway easily from blockbusters like Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, playing Indy himself as a young man, to indie dramas like Dogfight, or ensemble comedies like Sneakers and I Love You To Death.
He did all of that in his short filmography and still had reserves left for his two most important performances. The first, 1988’s Running On Empty had him at his moodiest, playing a kid who was paying for his parents’ mistakes with a life on the run. It was his second movie with co-star and then girlfriend Martha Plimpton and features some his sweetest moments captured on film.
This family drama is often forgotten when people talk about Sidney Lumet’s filmography --masterpieces like Network, 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon naturally lead the discussion. Bt Running on Empty is filled with the honesty of River’s work in a tale of constant new beginnings. The film garnered what was sadly his only Oscar nomination, along with a nomination for Naomi Foner (Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal’s mama) in the Best Original Screenplay category.
I could love someone, even if I, you know, wasn’t paid for it. I love you and… you don’t pay me.”
Only three years after Running on Empty, he gave an iconic performance in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho which Claudio recently discussed. Playing a hustler in search of his mother, River navigated the Shakesperian swerves of the story, surreal Van Sant touches, and gritty naturalism in the same performance. The much talked about campfire scene should have netted him another Academy Award nomination, but it would take a few years for AMPAS to warm up to Van Sant (and he would have to go mainstream for that to happen, as we all remember).
Sadly, it wasn’t long after that when River left us. It’s inevitable that we're still left wondering about what could have been, especially in light of the brilliant career of Joaquin Phoenix and his recent Oscar win. But, as with James Dean and Monty Clift and Heath Ledger, the body work he gave us in such a short amount of time should be appreciated and remembered as one of the greatest that any young actor has ever delivered.
Reader Comments (17)
It's sad to think of all the wonderful performances we could've been blessed with from River.
A tragic loss to the art of cinema
I have to say, I felt the same shock about River dying as I did about Heath. They were both such hugely dynamic, charismatic actors who inhabited their characters and roles in a way that is very rarely seen. And their careers and lives were far too short.
Such a shame he had masses of potential to be a wonderful adult star and actor,I have a feeling he wouldn't have had DiCaprio's career though,he seemed to like the indie scene more.
Top 3
Stand by Me
Running on Empty
My Own Private Idaho.
I remember exactly where I was when I heard River Phoenix had died. No one would believe it because we'd all been sold on him being this clean cut, drug free, vegan. An early lesson in never believing exactly what you read in the papers.
I’ve never wept harder watching a movie than I did during Stand by Me as a young boy, both because I was hopelessly infatuated with him and his talent but also all too aware that I was watching art eerily imitate a life gone too soon. It’s still hard for me to go back to it (and Private Idaho).
I recently rewatched Running on Empty, which is one of my favorite coming of age movies. River Phoenix was just heartbreaking in that movie -- it's so rare that a viewer can just feel the yearning of a character so strongly. (I also loved Christine Lahti and Martha Plimpton, but Judd Hirsch could have toned it way down...But that's another post.). That ending is just so lovely, and he so deserved his Oscar nomination.
Another film that River did that I liked a lot is Dogfight. He plays a soldier where he and a few friends have to find a few ugly girls to take on a date as a joke as he asks Lili Taylor who is unaware of his intentions yet they get to know one another as he re-thinks about what he will do to her. It's an underrated film that more people need to see. My Own Private Idaho is his crowning achievement as it was meant to be a place of things to come from him. It's sad that he's gone but at least there's Joaquin to fulfill those dreams.
Who knows where his career might have gone- he was such a gifted sensitive actor- somebody mentioned Heath Ledger- another tragic loss- but I can imagine River in "Brokeback Mountain"
A terrible loss and a foolish waste. Such great deep reserves of talent.
He and Christine Lahti are astonishing in Running on Empty. I've always thought that the casting director did such a great job with that film. He and Christine favored each other enough to be a believable mother and daughter and the same held true for Judd Hirsch and the boy who played Harry the younger brother making it less of a stretch to accept Judd as River's father. The only thing wrong with his nomination is that he is so clearly the lead in the film he belonged in Best Actor. That film also has one of the few single scene performances that I would have been okay with seeing nominated for Supporting Actor. Steven Hill in the restaurant scene with Christine Lahti is just devastating. The two of them give a master class in acting in under ten minutes.
In regular non-film obsessed world Stand By Me is easily his most iconic role. It's also, from broad anecdotal lifelong feedback, crazy beloved by the public at large. I love that I'm mostly in a film buff bubble where somebody would earnestly state it being his third most defining role, but remember to peek out at the wider world sometimes too.
Anyway, he was an immense talent and surely would've had a huge career.
joel6 -- 1000% agreed on all of this. River should have been nominated in lead (i might have even given him the win) and were I ever to make a list of top 5 performances of all time in a single scene, Steven Hill would be on it. My god, the emotional pull of that scene.
peter -- i begrudgingly admit that you have a point. I guess the mainstream never really went crazy for that Gus Van Sant movie about homeless male prostitutes. lol.
Lol Nathaniel, it may be sad to us, but true. There are legions of people I've encountered who adore Stand By Me and especially River Phoenix, and would immediately draw to mind Chris Chambers when mentioned. Most are mainstream Hollywood lovers, and even more so the hetero dudes. Stand By Me is basically sacred for them ha!
Actually, looking at his filmography, I think alot of those aforementioned hetero dudes probably treat River like Marilyn is treated by the most basic of girls. A symbol revered, yet they mainly only know 1-2 of their many works.
He is devastatingly great in Idaho and should've been the rightful winner for leading actor in 91. The career that could've been is always such a devastating thing with actors who we lose at a young age. Ledger and Hoffman (older but still filled with potential) are the actors who come to mind when I think of titanic talents gone too soon.
What's most devestating is the project River and Joaquin could've made together. Surprisingly a lot of acting siblings never make films together but I do think these two could've made something amazing together.
Dogfight! Yes! See that one people. River and Lily Taylor play beautifully in a sweet, sad little movie.
Stand By Me was the movie I saw right before I left for College, and was based on one of Stephen King's best short stories / novellas. Just watched it again this week, and it still holds all of it's power. The dress money scene should have been his first Oscar nomination.
Rest in Peace. You and Heath and Phillip and Brittany all gone WAY too soon.
I always thought he was special. Such a loss.
Missing River Phoenix so very much.