Lost Movies: White Water Summer
Posted by blister-in-the-pun@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 38 comments

I’m a huge cinephile, and I find that more often than not, I’ll remember movies that nobody else really remembers or cares about.
I think there are a host of movies from like 1984 - 1992 that are more popular / well-remembered by Xennials because of our ages during that period. Maybe it’s cause we’d stay home sick and catch them on tv or what not.
I present one such movie: White Water Summer. Even when I watch this now, I feel like I am having a complete out of body nostalgia experience where I can still see my living room where I grew up, smell the fresh cut lawn when I’d ride my bike, etc.
The movie itself is so good, and never gets the love other 80s films do. It’s got that perfect angsty kid thing and Kevin Bacon starting to play “bad” guys was like 🤯 at the time.
Also, if not for this movie, many of us would never have even heard this fire lost 80s track. I can’t even hear this without thinking of the movie. https://youtu.be/kCFPKt2jzlk?si=1UXWDncY7CODL3oc
Anyone else? What does this movie conjure up for you?
APladyleaningS@reddit
Omg that song!
DadSnare@reddit
So, this isn’t The River Wild? I have no memory of this film. Where can I watch it?
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
Tubi is the answer in 80% of cases. Their obscure movie library game is strong
DadSnare@reddit
Any other lost gems from this era you recommend? I like ambitious movies with misunderstood directors that were before their time, not necessarily ahead of it lol
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
I’m thinking of posting some others that are like this one from this era. Stay tuned. I have a pretty vast library of movies in my brain lol
DadSnare@reddit
Nice! I got this white water movie pulled up. Going to watch tonight. Will report back haha
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
Curious what you think once you’ve watched it!
DadSnare@reddit
Just finished it up and oh man, what a treat! I remember the last scene where he says “not this puppy” before the credits, so I must have seen at least part of it before, but otherwise it was a brand new experience. It’s right up my alley. Went to a rugged summer camp in CO where we did all that stuff. Slide show at someone’s house…the whole bit. The music definitely makes it better. I went to a Bruce Hornsby concert in 96 cause my friend’s date was a huge dead head (look that up if it doesn’t make sense haha.) All in all this movie was meant to find me and I appreciate the recommendation!
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
That’s awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. I think I’m gonna have to get it on disc before it becomes obsolete
DadSnare@reddit
As far as the movie goes, it’s super solid. I feel like I could analyze kevin bacons character for a while because it really fits into a time a place back then. There were some camp counselors who were like him that were really good at the outdoors but in hindsight it was a little questionable about what if any other employment they had during the year, or how they viewed society. I know a few of them just kept backpacking around the US and Canada. This was only a couple of years after the movie came out.
thotuthot@reddit
The end of the movie where Sean Astin reveals that the woods he was narrating from is Central Park blew my little mind. How could a big city park be so big?
terriblystupidjoke@reddit
Rented the fuck out of it. One of my childhood favs.
trustme1maDR@reddit
This movie COMPLETELY fucked me up as a kid. When the campers turn on Kevin Bacon and attack him...really dark stuff.
DustedGorilla82@reddit
My older sister loved this movie and you get to watch Sean Astin go through puberty to boot
oakomyr@reddit
How many movies have Kevin Bacon in a kayak? More than one?
TK-385@reddit
Of course there is the game, "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon".
aerodeck@reddit
Canoe.
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
Two, at least. Let’s find more
TK-385@reddit
Wasn't there one with Meryl Streep around '93 or '94. I think she was playing white water rafting instructor who was trying to escape a killer who was posing as a student.
zoozoo4567@reddit
I think I first saw this on TBS… I really liked it.
I remember there being a similar movie with Marc-Paul Gosselaar around 1993.
bud_4z0@reddit
How the eF did I miss that one?
jtho78@reddit
Not this puppy.
DoubleThinkCO@reddit
The fourth wall breaking parts are what sticks in my brain.
Johnykbr@reddit
There were an oddly high number of white water rafting movies around then.
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
I feel like it was when adventure vacationing really took off as family things. The Great Outdoors is same year I think.
TickleWitch@reddit
I remember watching this on HBO all the time as a kid and always wondering "what the fuck is Kevin Bacon's damage", it's the mystery that drew me back in. Why is he such an asshole to Sean Astin?
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
Yeah this could be a Mandela Effect in either direction. Whichever channel, it was on cable A LOT when we were kids
TickleWitch@reddit
My father only stole HBO, sir. He had standards damn it!
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
lol! Best comment 👏🏻
Blaze_556@reddit
one of my favorite movies when I was a kid
skywalkerRCP@reddit
I've watched this movie wayyyy too many times in my life. Watched it a few months ago. Still rocks.
Quenzayne@reddit
If Kevin Bacon had applied what he learned to The River Wild he’d have saved himself a lot of trouble.
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
😂 this is facts.
Suave_sunbeam@reddit
Wow, they really made Sean a lot taller on the poster.
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
Haha! He actually filmed the bookend parts of the movie after filming wrapped and he’d grown and aged quite a bit. I’m guessing the promotional materials were made then too
Tony_Tanna78@reddit
I remember seeing this movie a lot on HBO and Cinemax back in the day. It is a good solid movie that made me apprehensive about camping.
Lemmy_Axe_U_Sumphin@reddit
It’s one of the reasons I love camping, backpacking, and the outdoors in general.
blister-in-the-pun@reddit (OP)
Yes! Weirdly I actually think it used to play on Showtime a lot too. I think watching it as a kid, it made me fearful of like “scared straight” type camp counselors lol