I have a general worry about this country that we as a society have lost any sense of empathy for anyone outside of our own little corner of the world. No one seems to care if anything bad happens to anyone else, as long as they have a paycheck, health insurance, heat, and get to take a nice vacation once a year.

River's Edge captures the essence of that very problem. The film opens with a death - the murder already committed. The murder itself is not the point of the film, the reactions or lack of actions of the people who learn about the murder are.

John (portrayed by Daniel Roebuck) is a high school student. He's sitting on the bank of the river next to the naked body of a young woman. John hangs around with a couple of other boys on the fringes, Matt (portrayed by Keanu Reeves) and Layne (portrayed by Crispin Glover). At first they don't believe John when he tells them he killed his girlfriend. After he shows them the body, they can't deny it.

River's Edge is about how they deal with the death, or rather how they don't deal with it. The news that John killed his girlfriend doesn't stop at Matt and Layne, but others in the school and their circle of friends and acquaintances learn about it as well, yet no one calls the authorities. Matt and Layne's girlfriends almost make the call, but back off at the last moment. Matt's conscience does seem to eat away at him a bit, but not enough for him to turn in his friend.

Once the secret is exposed, John hides out with a man by the name of Feck (portrayed by Dennis Hopper). Feck is out there, even moreso than the teens, and creepy to the max.

The story really tells how the teens are unsure of what to do once they learn of the girl’s murder. It’s not that they don’t know her - she was once part of their circle. Yet they seem to feel calling the police is something disloyal to John. Not one of them seems to brush off what he did, but there doesn’t seem to be a definitive way to handle it.

For many of us, the line between right and wrong here is clear. It isn’t to them. The problem is while River's Edge tells a good story, I was more curious as to why these kids would have such a hard time knowing what they should do. It’s made clear they don’t come from the best of homes, especially in Matt’s case. In fact, Matt’s home life is the one that seems to be explored the most and he’s the one who seems to want to make the call to the police most of all. Layne seems to see it only as protecting John from what’s happened and the ramifications. They seem to have difficulty feeling that there should be justice for the murdered girl and worry more about circling the wagons and somehow keeping John a part of their circle.

The acting is top-notch. In recent years, Reeves has been accused of portraying the same character over and over again in films, and without much emotion. His performance in River's Edge shows why he had the accolades he received in his youth even if he never quite lived up to the promise. Matt is probably the deepest character in the film.

I was disappointed in Crispin Glover. He portrays Layne as a typical stoner, and his take on the role is uninspired. He doesn't seem real in the part, or reacting as Layne would react in situations. Instead, he comes off as wide-eyed and at times overacting. This happened particularly at one time when Matt and Layne's girlfriend, Clarissa (portrayed by Ione Skye) get into an argument with Layne. He’s a bit crazy and seems to not be living in the real world. In my opinion, it was a bit much and he lost me with the character.

It was Skye’s first film and she is excellent as well. Her relationship with Matt grows throughout the film as the secret seems to draw them together. Joshua Miller portrays Matt’s younger brother Tim, who’s actions disturb Matt. He sees John as a mirror to what Tim could become. Miller does a terrific job in the role and should have received more accolades for this role as a child actor.

River's Edge is not a happy film, and it’s not something to take lightly. There’s some comic relief when Layne is acting out on the screen, but overall it’s a disturbing commentary on the children and families on the fringes of society, where “right” and “wrong” seem to be something different than what it means to the rest of us.

© 2008 Patti Aliventi