Based on the novel Winterkill, by William Judson, Cold River is the story of an Adirondack guide who takes his young daughter and step-son on a long camping trip in the fall of 1932. When winter strikes unexpectedly early (a natural phenomenon known as a 'winterkill' - so named because the animals are totally unprepared for a sudden, early winter, and many freeze or starve to death), a disastrous turn of events leaves the two children to find their own way home without food, or protection from the elements.
Practical Effects
Genuine Adirondack locations, actual cold — no soundstage safety here.
Acting
Child performances that feel authentically terrified, not precocious.
Cinematography
Bleak autumn beauty that turns hostile before your eyes.
Director
Fred G. Sullivan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Fred G. Sullivan was a regional filmmaker who shot this near his actual Adirondack home; most of the 'winterkill' animal footage was captured during a real early freeze in 1981.
Robert Earl Jones (father of James Earl Jones) plays The Trapper — his few scenes were reportedly added after test audiences found the children's solo journey too psychologically brutal.
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