In everyday French, the idiom is most commonly used in the negative: ("Life is not a long calm river"). It serves as a reminder that life is rarely easy or predictable and is often filled with challenges or "rapids".

It seems like you're referencing a French phrase: "La vie est un long fleuve tranquille" which translates to "Life is a long, quiet river." However, I noticed you added "weekend" to the phrase, which doesn't quite fit.

The film the phrase references satirizes the "perfect" middle-class life. Using this phrase today often acknowledges that while we strive for a "quiet river" of peace, the reality is usually a bit more "darkly humorous" and complicated. Why We Chase This Ideal