Sometimes, actors are their own worst critics. Even if they’ve won Academy Awards, there are plenty of Hollywood stars who critique themselves as harshly (if not more harshly) than their own critics. Brad Pitt is no stranger to this mentality either, though you may be surprised by which of his performances he despises. Before he returns to theaters this fall with the upcoming Heart of the Beast, you ought to revisit his memorable performance in A River Runs Through It — the famed Robert Redford picture he thought he did poorly in.
Brad Pitt Was Quite Critical of His Work on ‘A River Runs Through It’
It’s been over 30 years since Redford made A River Runs Through It, an American period drama based on the memoir of the same name by Norman Maclean. But despite all the praise and attention at the Oscars that the film garnered, Pitt struggled with his performance as the troubled Montana reporter Paul Maclean. Back in 2011, the star spoke with Entertainment Weekly about his career highlights at the time, noting that, despite Redford’s best directorial efforts, he didn’t believe that he was ultimately “skilled” enough for the role.
“I think I could have done better. Maybe it was the pressure of the part, and playing someone who was a real person — and the family was around occasionally — and not wanting to let Redford down.”
While Pitt also admitted that it had been a long time since he’d seen the film, his feelings remained the same after nearly 20 years. Of course, anyone who has had the pleasure of enjoying this visual memoir of a bygone era of the American West will gladly note that Pitt is fantastic on the screen. More than that, he’s easily one of its defining features; indeed, Pitt truly makes the movie. Sure, Craig Sheffer is fantastic as Norman, and Tom Skerritt‘s performance as the Reverend Maclean is quite profound, but the youthful energy Pitt brings to the role of Paul was undoubtedly a career-making performance. Pitt’s carefree younger Maclean boy — who is somehow as charismatic as he is emotionally reserved — understandably earned the high praise of critics everywhere.
Although Pitt would revisit the world of early 20th century Montana later in the romantic drama Legends of the Fall (which, ironically, saw him playing a fairly similar character who was also a bootlegger during the Prohibition), the truth of the matter is that A River Runs Through It is an excellent picture that is only made better by Pitt being in it. In fact, one might even argue that it’s because of Pitt that the entire thing lands. The stark contrast between Paul and his older brother Norman only works because of Pitt’s on-screen charisma, and the two often stand antithetical to one another as brothers often do. Some may consider it one of Pitt’s most underrated features, but perhaps the best way to describe it is underappreciated.
‘A River Runs Through It’ Is a True American Classic
There are few movies that capture such a distinct yet beautiful time in American history better than A River Runs Through It. Set in Montana at the turn of the 20th century, it chronicles not just the boyhood of Norman and Paul, but how their paths diverged in adulthood. Redford — in one of his greatest works of cinematic art — was able to do the impossible here by constructing a truly breathtaking snapshot in time, pulling directly from the first-hand accounts of the real-life Norman that float right off the page. The film is no different, as it evokes nostalgic feelings for a time that one did not live through, and provides a call to adventure towards the simple outdoors. It’s hard to describe just how A River Runs Through It can touch deep into one’s soul, which is perhaps why Taylor Sheridan honored the idea himself in The Madison.
It’s hard to imagine why Brad Pitt can’t bring himself to see what so many others have regarding this picture, but the best way to appreciate it is by revisiting the film. A River Runs Through It has long been considered an essential Robert Redford movie, one that proves his strengths behind-the-camera as he evokes provocative and powerful performances from his stars. Pitt may not be able to appreciate what he was able to achieve on the big screen, but we certainly do.
A River Runs Through It is available to rent digitally on Prime Video.
