Hi everyone,
reading this discussion forum, I often wondered how (for many people here), this interest and nearly obsession about River, was born.
I mean, why this extreme interest in a person (and mostly in his death)who you didn't know personally?
No accusation but it's just a curiosity: did you reflect upon the reason about your love and passion for River ?

Take care,
Akragas

Well, I know, it is odd that we become obsessed with some people. It is hard to explain. I think some people just appeal to us. I know I've never had the fasicination with Tom Cruise or like Heath Ledger, they didn't do it for me, but River did and Joaquin certainly does. I think I really appiciated his love of life. That's the only thing I can think of, he wasn't as attractive as some guys in hollywood right now so he must have had something else to him. I do know that as a child I had heard of the Phoenix family and loved their names. When Sears came out with those Yeti stuffed toys, I got them all and named them all after the Phoenix family, Only I didn't know all their names so I sort of made them up. I have River, Summer, Rainbow, Waterfall, and Sunshine. Then I became a Joaquin fan before a River fan, although I had known of River before Joaquin, but I was thinking of Christian Slayter not River because I had always thought River was the guy in Robin Hood that fights Kevin Costner with the long sticks. So it went in a big circle for me, and now I hope I like him because I relate with his beliefs on life. Being a Vegan, caring about the environment, Rainforests, all that kind of stuff. Don't know if this is the answer you were looking for, it doesn't make much sense, but that's my answer.
Cheers !!

River had something so special about him i cant explain. I make a strong connection to him. I cxant expalin it. He saves me.

I actually kind of got to know River,i would definitely not say well,cause it happened the same year he died and i think just in that short time,he inspired me in a very creative way with my ambition and work,in more ways than one...

I like him because he was such a great Humanbein, his views on everything on this planet was so logical, why kill animals, Human rights, etc.

i love river because he was so unique in hollywood...he went out of his way to be different and not like a sex symbol (even though he was gorgeous).......he was not cocky on anything...he just seemed real genuine.....and he wanted to be himself all the time (minus the drugs of course)..........no one could be close to becoming like him...........there was just one river phoenix and there always will be.......i wish he could still be around today.......but unfortunately he is not......

"he just seemed real genuine"

Well, except for the fact that he advocated clean living and claimed that he lived a clean life himself..... when in fact he was doing a stunning amount of drugs that ultimately killed him. That's not just deceptive but two-faced to claim to be one thing when you're in fact the complete opposite. Not genuine at all if you ask me. I think he wanted to be a genuine person, but he chose to let the drugs take him down a wildly different path.

yeah thats what i basically meant.............