Kaaterskill Falls – (2002) Inspired by Roman Polanski’s Knife in the Water, this indie film takes its time developing a relationship between a young urban couple, Mitchell (Mitchell Riggs) and Ren (Hilary Howard), who have escaped New York City for a romantic weekend with the intention of conceiving their first child, and Lyle (Anthony Leslie) whom they picked up hitchhiking. Tensions develop between Lyle (who grew up in a nearby rural town and who is about to set off for a hike on the entire Appalachian Trail) and the couple over differences in attitude about technological encroachments on the natural landscape, especially cell-phone towers (computer specialist Mitchell depends on his cell phone).

After a night of drinking and smoking and a curious interlude in the woods between Mitchell and Lyle (who doesn’t return until the following morning), together they hike up to Kaaterskill Falls; gradually Ren finds herself attracted to Lyle. Unknown to Mitchell, Lyle shares a secret of his mother’s recent death with Ren, showing her the photograph he keeps of his mother in the hollow hilt of his hunting knife. When Mitchell’s cell phone rings at the top of the falls, he apologizes; but Lyle tosses the phone over the falls. Mitchell then takes Lyle’s knife from Ren, who has been using it to cut meat for their lunch, and starts to throw it after the phone; Lyle grapples for it and slips over the edge. But that’s by no means the end. Music by Steve Tibbetts.

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Copyright © 2007 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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