A rural couple (Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek) battle against nature and the machinations of a local landowner (Scott Glenn) in this well-shot, but fairly inconsequential drama from director Mark Rydell. Besides the pretty scenery, the film is chiefly of interest for a pre-super stardom Gibson, taking the kind of unsympathetic role that would give studios heartburn nowadays. He offers a strong performance, but is hampered by a superficial script that gives the protagonists an unlikely "love rivals" backstory. If you like water, however, you won't be disappointed.

Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to stop a selfish land developer and a local corporation from foreclosing on their farm. While Mae stays at home to care for their children and tend to the crops, Tom finds work as a scab at a steel mill to preserve his family's property.