There’s plenty of fresh water in this river.

I didn’t know what to expect in “The Bend in the River,” other than it being a river movie before I saw it. And after my viewing, I’ve learned it is actually an expected conclusion to a trilogy of documentaries directed by Robb Moss. There was the 30 min doc “River Dogs” in 1978 and “The Same River Twice” in 2003. And for those of you unfamiliar with his friends, they were nudists who lived happy and free on the Grand Canyon. They wear some clothes, but mostly, we see them naked climbing on rocks and even rafting in the river. But there also comes a time when they need to grow up and live in society again. This is where “The Bend in the River” goes.

The movie opens by saying that Robb left for the East, while his friends stayed West, and he filmed them as a way of staying in touch with them. And he also allow them to speak about what life is like for them in clothes.

We meet the married couple Barry and Deborah, who started a family; Jim, who was considered to be a “river deity” by his friends; Danny, who has better faith in herself as she gets older and becomes a Zumba instructor; the once happy couple Cathy and Jeff, who were in love once but Jeff’s bad choices destroyed that; and Jim the one man of the bunch who still lives close to nature. 

Among the friends we can get notes on, Jim lives on a trailer in the woods, as he hoards stuff, loves getting himself wet, and admits that his adventure days are behind him. And Jeff has been running for state senator, and wants to atone for his unfaithfulness and how he disrespected women, especially when a video threatens his career. 

The archival footage of the people is enhanced and looks great, like a documentary that knows what footage to introduce, instead of scrapping clips from the bottom of the barrel. They exist to show us these people in their youth and free spirits without worry about the struggles of everyday life. And there are some funny moments, like how Barry had to change his son’s diaper, and threw one at him. 

“The Bend in the River” isn’t a perfect doc, because of how its pacing seems to move a bit fast and doesn’t really take it time for us to get to know more about these people. It does run for 82 minutes, although my cousin thought it was 2 hours long and she might be right about it cutting back a little bit. But it is a worthy addition to Moss’ filmography, because of how he shows us his friends in their age of prime and what life had in store for them. There are good and bad moments in their lives, but this doc isn’t negative or cynical. It’s like taking a road trip, and coming across these people and wanting to get to know them. And it’s a nice little trip.

In Select Theaters This Friday