Where to Watch
Checking availability in your country…
Cast
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1980
Runtime1h 55m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresMusic, Drama, TV Movie
Votes1
DirectorPeter H. Hunt
WritersPhilip H. Reisman Jr.
TypeFeature Film
Rating9.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsLife on the Mississippi
About Life on the Mississippi
Most mid-19th-century Mississippi River boys dreamed of occupying that pinnacle of power and glamour, the pilot house of a riverboat. In a riot of local color, this film tells how, unlike many, Sam's dream comes true. A callow teenager, he talks the tough but consummate Horace Bixby into making him his apprentice on the "Paul Jones," eventually following him to the much finer "Aleck Scott." Meanwhile, he is already spinning fantastic yarns to everyone from awe-struck lads ashore, to fellow "cub pilots", to young lady passengers who catch his eye. Things temporarily take a turn for the worse when Bixby must attend a meeting and leave Sam to work under Brown, a dour tyrant with a grudge against him.
Directed by Peter H. Hunt, Life on the Mississippi leans on a strong ensemble — Robert Lansing, David Knell, James Keane — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about music titles of 1980.
Read More on the BlogYou Might Also Like
More like Life on the Mississippi, picked from what people are watching
6.8Ray Donovan: The Movie
2022 6.8
A showdown decades in the making brings the Donovan family legacy full circle. As the events that made Ray who he is today finally come to light, the Donovans find themselves drawn back to Boston to face the past. Each of them struggles to overcome their violent upbringing, but destiny dies hard, and only their fierce love for each other keeps them in the fight.
Ray Donovan: The Movie
2022
6.7The Color of Friendship
2000 6.7
Mahree Bok lives on a farm in South Africa. Her father is a policeman who cannot hide his joy when activist Steve Biko is caught by the South African authorities. Piper Dellums is the daughter of a US congressman from California and who lives in a nice home in Washington DC. When Mahree is chosen to spend a semester at the Dellums' house, she doesn't expect that her host family would be black. Nor do her hosts suspect that she is not a black South African.
The Color of Friendship
2000
6.7Girl in the Box
2016 6.7
The true story of 20-year-old Colleen Stan, a hitchhiking woman abducted by a young couple and held captive for seven years, during which time she's tortured and forced to live as a slave to her captors.
Girl in the Box
2016
6.3TalhotBlond
2012 6.3
Thomas Montgomery, a married father of two young daughters, gets seduced by the world of online gambling and chat rooms where a virtual romance and sexual obsession ultimately leads to the murder of an innocent man.
TalhotBlond
2012
6.5Hounddog
2008 6.5
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Hounddog
2008
6.3Cheaters
2000 6.3
In the fall of 1994, a teacher at Chicago's run-down Steinmetz High conspires with the school's academic decathlon team to cheat on an academic competition.
Cheaters
2000
User Reviews
9.0
Community rating
Loading reviews…
From the Blog
All Posts
News
Michael OTT Release Date: The Michael Jackson Biopic Streams August 29
The Michael Jackson biopic arrives on JioHotstar on August 29, 2026. Here is where to watch it, what you need, and why it is one of the year’s biggest music films.
News
Jana Nayagan OTT Release Date: When Vijay’s Film Streams on ZEE5
Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan is headed to ZEE5 for its digital premiere. Here is the latest on its OTT release date and where to watch, updated as news is confirmed.
News
Cocktail 2 OTT Release: Now Streaming on Netflix
The wait is over. Cocktail 2 premiered on Netflix on August 14, 2026. Here is how to watch it tonight, which languages it streams in, and what you need.