導演勞勃瑞福(Robert Redford)以作者第一人稱敘事的方式，描述長老教會麥克雷牧師在蒙大拿州大黑腳河旁，撫育教導兩個兒子關於宗教(藝術)，釣魚與人生的故事。
牧師某方面是嚴謹的，包括釣魚的方式都要求釣竿的甩動必須在十點鐘到二點鐘方向範圍內，並拿節拍器以四拍方式學習，甚至認為不懂釣魚的人釣上魚，是對魚的一種侮辱。但牧師也常帶兩兄弟沿著河岸散步，教導兩人傾聽上帝的聲音。哥哥諾曼理性成熟，依父親的教誨學習「假蠅飛釣」（Fly fishing）的釣鱒魚技巧，以及簡明的寫作方式。成年後前往東岸達瑪斯大學讀書六年後返鄉，最後取得芝加哥大學的文學教職，成就家族的驕傲。弟弟保羅因為深愛釣魚，寧願待在故鄉就讀當地大學，畢業後擔任記者，由於個性灑脫奔放，總是吸引父母親較多的關懷。
諾曼學成返鄉后，兄弟兩人相偕前往大黑腳河重溫兒時之釣魚樂趣。諾曼因為疏於練習試圖找回往日的釣魚手感之際，弟弟保羅卻展現飛出父親規範的假蠅技巧，自創投影拋線釣法，那空中飛舞的繩索與節奏，看的諾曼目瞪口呆，也是兩兄弟命運從此大不相同的開端。
有次保羅無視於鄉親與論的壓力，執意帶著印第安女友進入酒吧，並展獻火辣的貼身舞藝，可見其豪邁的性格。而在好不容易齊聚的家庭餐會時，牧師夫婦剛開始仍習慣的把焦點放在保羅身上，沒想到哥哥諾曼宣佈接獲大學聘書的好消息時，全家先是一陣沉默，麥克雷牧師點頭直說：「我很高興 我很高興」，牧師太太更是以手掩嘴露出滿心的笑眼，接著攝影師捕捉保羅先是一怔又瞬間化為高興的鏡頭，兄弟兩人的鮮明對比揭然若出。
另一場戲，保羅想要緩和因為無法答應諾曼勸阻到露露賭場的尷尬，提議父子三人一起釣魚，保羅剛開始運氣不佳，後來改換釣區與假蠅後，有條超大紅鱒上鉤，但拉力奇大，保羅只好全身浸透隨著河水起伏力戰大鱒魚，這段過程讓人不得不停下呼吸，完全被他鮮明的個性吸引。麥克雷牧師不禁讚起兒子：「不受任何限制，像件藝術品」
保羅最後被印地安人報復打死，年輕美麗的生命就此殞落，當然令人不忍。麥克雷牧師頻頻詢問諾曼有關保羅的事，深怕有些遺漏，諾曼才警覺到除了知道保羅是位天才釣手外，其他卻是一無所知，深深遺憾未能幫助保羅脫離困境。麥克雷牧師當然也意識到了，回味整部片子，也終於了解牧師夫婦為什麼特別關注保羅了，那是一種想幫忙卻又不知如何著手的無力反射，諾曼相對就無庸如此費心了，麥克雷牧師最後在教堂講道說了下面這段話，
如果這裡每個人至少能夠有一次，去看一個需要幫忙的朋友，問他這個問題：「上帝啊！我們願意幫忙。」但是，如果我們有缺失呢? 我們常無法幫助週遭的親人，因為我們不知自己能奉獻什麼，或是不知道自己該奉獻什麼；他們拒絕別人幫忙。那些最親近我們的人，通常是我們最摸不透的；但是，我們仍然可以愛他，我們可以全心全意去愛我們不了解的人。
這種遺憾，導演其實也同樣在諾曼女友潔西保恩的哥哥尼歐身上流露，也隱約訴說者家家都有同樣的困境，即使牧師曾說信仰潔西家人教會的人較有智慧。尼歐是個在加州都會區慘澹經營的男子，回鄉時無論如何也要打腫了臉充胖子，諾曼形容他下火車時像個網球冠軍，然而這一切卻逃不過親妹妹的法眼，當諾曼辯護無法為她哥哥的醜態維護時，這位智慧的女子，悠悠淡淡的說了句話：「為何最需要被幫助的人，都不願被幫?」似乎有著遙遙呼應的味道。
小時候，牧師曾教導二兄弟背詩，而劇中諾曼與父親共同背誦的詩，也許就是這部電影的最佳縮寫。
雖然過去美妙的時光不能挽回
我們不會嘆息 要在剩下的時間中找出力量
深深的憐惜不能再有的過去
安慰的想到
從人的痛苦中 產生看穿死亡的信心
感謝使人活著的心 感謝它的柔軟、興奮和恐懼
對我而言
最有意義的花 可以使人想起流淚的事情
片尾，老年的諾曼矗立在大黑腳河，邊扎假蠅邊述說著所有經歷過的環境與人物，最後都容成了河流，也開始穿插放映兩兄弟的一些過往照片，
說的沒錯，這正是一條時間的大河，如史詩一般的秀麗。
A River Runs Through It (1992)
利文斯頓的天堂山谷（Paradise Valley）以「飛釣」(Fly Fishing)鱒魚出名，
產量高的溪流每英哩有多達3,000隻魚悠游其中，
這也正是電影「大河戀」拍攝地點。飛釣的特別之處，在於魚鉤不傷魚，
因為鉤是用羽毛、頭髮、麋鹿毛、薄塑膠片做成蚱蜢、飛蠅的樣子，
釣者站在深及腿部的水中，將釣魚線規律的在水面上拋甩，
模仿蟲類在水面上跳躍，假魚鉤在水面規律地激起陣陣漣漪，
使魚兒誤認假飛蟲為釣餌而上鉤。
...........................................................................................................................................
Older Norman: [narrating] My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things - trout as well as eternal salvation - came by grace; and grace comes by art; and art does not come easy.
Paul: Oh, I'll never leave Montana, brother.
Older Norman: [narrating] In my family, there was no clear division between religion and fly fishing.
Norman: Truth is, I'm not sure I want to leave.
Jesse: Montana? Why? It'll always be here.
Norman: Not Montana.
Jesse: Then what? WHAT?
Norman: I'm not sure I want to leave you.
Norman: Dear Jesse, as the moon lingers a moment over the bitterroots, before its descent into the invisible, my mind is filled with song. I find I am humming softly; not to the music, but something else; some place else; a place remembered; a field of grass where no one seemed to have been; except a deer; and the memory is strengthened by the feeling of you, dancing in my awkward arms.
[last lines]
Older Norman: [narrating] Like many fly fishermen in western Montana where the summer days are almost Arctic in length, I often do not start fishing until the cool of the evening. Then in the Arctic half-light of the canyon, all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River and a four-count rhythm and the hope that a fish will rise. Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.
Older Norman: [narrating] It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us.
Rev. Maclean: Each one of here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing help, Lord, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding.
Jesse: Why is it the people who need the most help... won't take it?
Rev. Maclean: [walking away from the river] The Lord has blessed us all today... It's just that he has been particularly good to me.
Older Norman: And I knew just as surely, just as clearly, that life is not a work of art, and that the moment could not last.
Norman: You're late, Neal.
Neal Burns: Yeah, yeah, I didn't get in until late.
Paul: Well, I didn't get in at all but I was here.
Norman: Neil, Paul. Paul, Neil.
Paul: Neal, in Montana there's three things we're never late for: church, work and fishing.
Paul: Couldn't you find him?
Norman: The hell with him.
Paul: Well, I thought we were supposed to help him.
Norman: How the hell do you help that son of a bitch?
Paul: By taking him fishing.
Norman: He doesn't like fishing. He doesn't like Montana and he sure as hell doesn't like me.
Paul: Well, maybe what he likes is somebody trying to help him.
Norman: I'm in deep trouble.
Paul: Yep. Want me to come over and protect you?
Paul: Hello, Jess.
Jesse: Hey, Paul.
Paul: How's your brother?
Jesse: You both left him alone.
Paul: Well, I'm sorry about that. That was my fault.
Jesse: Well, you're not forgiven.
Paul: Was Norman forgiven?
Jesse: Norman's not funny.
Older Norman: [narrating] As time passed, my father struggled for more to hold on to, asking me again and again: had I told him everything. And finally I said to him, "maybe all I know about Paul is that he was a fine fisherman." "You know more than that," my father said; "he was beautiful." And that was the last time we spoke of my brother's death.
Older Norman: [narrating] They were Methodists, a denomination my father referred to as Baptists who could read.
Norman: My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night. But ah my foes, and oh my friends - it gives a lovely light.
[first lines]
Norman: [narrating] Long ago, when I was a young man, my father said to me, "Norman, you like to write stories." And I said "Yes, I do." Then he said, "Someday, when you're ready you might tell our family story. Only then will you understand what happened and why."
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