The River Whyis an independent film based on the 1983 Sierra Club novel of the same name by David James Duncan .

The film stars Zach Gilford , William Hurt and Amber Heard and is directed by Matthew Leutwyler .

Showtime broadcast the film in August 2011.The film is being screenedin the USA in the fall of 2011 as a benefit for fish and river conservation groups and will be released on DVD/VOD/blueray on Nov 8, 2011.

The River Whyis an adaptation of the 1983 Sierra Club novel by David James Duncan. The coming-of-age tale centers on a young man named Gus Orviston ( Zach Gilford ) and his quest for an elusive rainbow trout, which is a metaphor for the man's internal search for self-knowledge. Amber Heard plays his love interest, a tomboy fly-fisher named Eddy.

Set on the banks of a wild river, The River Why is the story of 20 year old Gus Orviston, the Mozart of flyfishing, who leaves his big city home in rebellion from his family to live in a secluded cabin on the banks of a wild river. Instead of finding fishing bliss, his desolation drives him on a reluctant quest for self-discovery. In the process he comes in contact with an assortment of eccentric characters who help him in his journey to adulthood