The Vacation Is Over

Starring: Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, Joseph Mazzello, John C. Reilly, Stephanie Sawyer, Benjamin Bratt, Thomas F. Duffy

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Then go ahead. Don't keep telling me how tough you are, Wade, just show me." - Gail

Why watch this? Meryl impresses with her portrayal of a bad-ass whitewater rafting guide.

Plot Summary: A family, seeking to mend their fractured relationships, embarks on a white-water rafting trip down a treacherous river. Their trip takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a pair of potentially dangerous individuals who insert themselves into their journey. The family, including the experienced rafter mother, must then navigate not only the dangerous river, but also the escalating tension and threats posed by the strangers.

Dad's Preview: When two bank robbers hijack a whitewater rafting guide, Gail, and her husband and son, the action begins as they work their way down Idaho's Salmon River's raging rapids. Gail has to walk the thin line between angering the kidnappers and keeping her family safe. What awaits them is a nasty stretch of churning water called "The Gauntlet". Streep is strong, wry, capable, and very much a lioness who will do anything to defendher own. David Strathairn, as the family's father, once again proves that he can act alongside the best of them.   

Turman-Foster Company; Universal Pictures