A River Runs Through It (1992)

As an actor, Robert Redford became a Hollywood heartthrob during the 1970s. As a director, he passed the baton to an alluring up-and-comer named Brad Pitt via the period drama A River Runs Through It (1992). Inspired by the Paul Maclean memoir, this atmospheric film focuses on the sons — Paul (Vann Gravage) and Norman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — of a Presbyterian minister (Tom Skerritt) and his wife (Brenda Blethyn). Even though one is a wild child and the other is a square, the brothers manage to find common ground in their shared love of fly fishing in Montana. As they grow into young men, Norman (Craig Sheffer) goes to college at Dartmouth, while Paul (Pitt) stays behind and becomes a hard-drinking newspaper reporter. Alas, the road the latter brother takes turns out to be a literal dead end. In addition to being a hit at the box office, the movie received critical praise and industry accolades. Cinematographer Philippe Rousselot won an Academy Award for his work on the picture — proving director Redford is adept at capturing the beauty and majesty of the story’s rural setting. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he spices up the flick with lasting images of Stephen Shellen’s skin. As Neal Burns, Mr. Shellen displays his naked T&A while sleeping next to his gal at the 01:17:35 mark. If that’s not hot enough, he steams up the screen when he bares his back and sunburned buns. Looks like this pic should’ve been called A Crack Runs Through It!