Undertow (2004 film)

Last updated
Undertow
Undertow (film poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by David Gordon Green
Screenplay byJoe Conway
David Gordon Green
Story by Terrence Malick
(as Lingard Jervey)
Produced byTerrence Malick
Edward R. Pressman
Lisa Muskat
Starring
Cinematography Tim Orr
Edited byZene Baker
Steven Gonzales
Music by Philip Glass
Production
company
Distributed by MGM Distribution Co.
Release dates
  • September 2004 (2004-09)(Deauville)
  • October 22, 2004 (2004-10-22)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$157,000 [1]

Undertow is a 2004 American psychological thriller film co-written and directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jamie Bell, Devon Alan, Dermot Mulroney and Josh Lucas. Taking place in Georgia, the film tells the story of two boys pursued by a murderous uncle.

Contents

The film premiered at the 2004 Deauville Film Festival, [2] and released on October 22, 2004 in the United States. [3] Met with a mixed response from critics, the film received special recognition for excellence in filmmaking from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.

Plot

Following the death of his wife Audrey, John Munn (Dermot Mulroney) moves with his two sons, mid-teen Chris Munn (Jamie Bell) and adolescent Tim Munn (Devon Alan), to a pig farm in rural Drees County, Georgia, where they lead a reclusive life. Chris is a rebellious, troubled teen, resulting in frequent contact with police.

John's brother Deel (Josh Lucas) visits the family. The two boys are surprised; they do not even know of his existence. Deel wants a hoard of gold coins from John that their father left them. Deel eventually finds them. John refuses to give them to Deel. In the ensuing struggle, Deel murders him. He tries to kill Chris and Tim as well, but they escape and run away from home with the coins.

On the run, the boys meet an assortment of fairytale-like characters. Deel pursues them, eventually succeeding. Wading into a river, Chris throws away the gold coins into the water. Enraged by the loss, Deel struggles with Chris, attempting to drown him. However, Deel is fatally stabbed in the chest.

Chris appears to wake up in the hospital. There, he is reunited with Tim and their grandparents.

Cast

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 54% based on 120 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Undertow's gently fantastical elements are balanced by fully realized characters and a story with genuine, steadily accumulating emotional weight." [4] On Metacritic, the film earned a score of 63 out of 100 based on 30 reviews. [5]

Among the critics who gave the film a positive review were Roger Ebert, who praised the film, giving it a full four stars. He wrote of the director, "Green has a visual style that is beautiful without being pretty. We never catch him photographing anything for its scenic or decorative effect." [6] Ebert would later place the film tenth on his list of the best films of 2004. [7] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a favorable review, calling it an "art film posing as a backwoods gothic thriller." [8] Eric Harrison of the Houston Chronicle wrote: "From its opening lines and first enigmatic image, everything about Undertow is both dreamlike and real, artfully elusive and matter-of-fact." [9] James Berardinelli gave it three out of four stars, giving praise to the performances, writing: "Those going to Undertow expecting a thriller will find the proceedings slow going. However, those who are seduced by the characters and the setting will find that the 105 minutes pass quickly." [10] The Washington Post 's Stephen Hunter thought the film conjured up the 1955 thriller The Night of the Hunter , and wrote, "the movie builds slowly to its grinding climax, and the suspense – the standard by which a thriller must primarily be judged – is first-rate." [11]

Awards and nominations

EventAwardRecipientResult
2004 National Board of Review Awards [12] Special Recognition For Excellence In FilmmakingUndertowWon
2004 Deauville American Film Festival [13] Grand Special PrizeDavid Gordon GreenNominated
2005 Young Artist Awards [14] Best Performance in a Feature Film:
Leading Young Actor
Jamie BellWon
Best Performance in a Feature Film:
Supporting Young Actor
Devon AlanWon
Best Performance in a Feature Film:
Supporting Young Actress
Kristen StewartNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judd Nelson</span> American actor (born 1959)

Judd Asher Nelson is an American actor. His acting roles include Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie, John Bender in The Breakfast Club, Alec Newbury in St. Elmo's Fire, Alex in Cybermutt, Joe Hunt in Billionaire Boys Club, Nick Peretti in New Jack City, Billy Beretti in Empire, and Jack Richmond in the television series Suddenly Susan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McTiernan</span> American filmmaker

John Campbell McTiernan Jr. is an American retired filmmaker. He is best known for his action films, including Predator (1987), Die Hard (1988), and The Hunt for Red October (1990). His later well-known films include the action-comedy-fantasy film Last Action Hero (1993), the action film sequel Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), the heist-film remake The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), and The 13th Warrior (1999). His last completed feature film was the mystery-thriller Basic, released in 2003.

<i>The Peacemaker</i> (1997 film) 1997 American political action thriller film by Mimi Leder

The Peacemaker is a 1997 American political action thriller film starring George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Marcel Iureș and Aleksandr Baluev and directed by Mimi Leder. It is the first film by DreamWorks Pictures. While the story takes place all over the world, it was shot primarily in Slovakia with some sequences filmed in New York City and Philadelphia.

<i>After the Sunset</i> 2004 film

After the Sunset is a 2004 American heist action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Pierce Brosnan as Max Burdett, a master thief caught in a pursuit with FBI agent Stan Lloyd, played by Woody Harrelson. It was shot in the Bahamas. The film was met with negative reviews and flopped at the box office.

<i>Fresh</i> (1994 film) 1994 American crime film directed by Boaz Yakin

Fresh is a 1994 American crime drama film written and directed by Boaz Yakin in his directorial debut, and produced by Randy Ostrow and Lawrence Bender. It was scored by Stewart Copeland, a member of the Police. The story revolves around a preteen boy named Michael, nicknamed Fresh, who runs drugs for gangsters. Inspired by the chess lessons of his father, an alcoholic speed-chess master, Fresh devises and executes a brilliant plan to extricate himself and his drug-addicted sister from their hopeless lives.

<i>Pacific Heights</i> (film) 1990 film by John Schlesinger

Pacific Heights is a 1990 American psychological thriller film directed by John Schlesinger and written by Daniel Pyne. The film stars Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, and Michael Keaton.

James Berardinelli is an American film critic and former engineer. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ReelViews. Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of reviews of movies on DVD and video. He is also a fantasy novelist, publishing a trilogy from 2015 through 2016 known as The Last Whisper of the Gods.

<i>Munich</i> (2005 film) 2005 historical film directed by Steven Spielberg

Munich is a 2005 epic historical drama film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, co-written by Tony Kushner and Eric Roth. It is based on the 1984 book Vengeance by George Jonas, an account of Mossad assassinations following the Munich massacre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Moseley (actor)</span> British actor (born 1987)

William Peter Moseley is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of the fictional character Peter Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia (2005–2010) trilogy, which won him a Kids' Choice Award, in addition to nominations for a Saturn Award and a Young Artist Award. He also played Prince Liam in the E! series The Royals (2015–2018).

<i>Copycat</i> (1995 film) 1995 thriller film by Jon Amiel

Copycat is a 1995 American psychological thriller film directed by Jon Amiel and starring Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, and Dermot Mulroney. The score was composed by Christopher Young. The film follows a criminal psychologist and a homicide detective who must work together to find a serial killer who is committing copycat crimes modeled after notorious murderers.

<i>Denise Calls Up</i> 1995 film

Denise Calls Up is a 1995 American comedy film written and directed by Hal Salwen. It has an ensemble cast which includes Liev Schreiber, Timothy Daly, and Alanna Ubach. The plot revolves around a group of friends in New York City who, while working at their PCs and laptops and keeping in touch by phone and fax, never seem to be able to get together. The film won the Jury Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival and a Special Mention for the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Instinct</i> (1999 film) 1999 American film by Jon Turteltaub

Instinct is a 1999 American psychological thriller film, directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding Jr., George Dzundza, Donald Sutherland, and Maura Tierney. It was very loosely inspired by Ishmael, a novel by Daniel Quinn. In the United States, the film had the working title Ishmael. In 2000, the film was nominated for and won a Genesis Award in the category of feature film. This was the first film produced by Spyglass Entertainment.

<i>Death Sentence</i> (2007 film) 2007 film by James Wan

Death Sentence is a 2007 American vigilante action thriller film directed by James Wan and starring Kevin Bacon as Nick Hume, a man who takes the law into his own hands after his son is murdered by a gang member as an initiation ritual; Hume must then protect his family from the gang's resulting vengeance. The film is loosely based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Brian Garfield; although the novel is a sequel to Garfield's Death Wish, the film is unconnected to the previous Death Wish film series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Gibson filmography</span>

Mel Gibson is an American actor, director, and producer, who made his acting debut on the Australian television drama series The Sullivans (1976–1983). While a student at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, he was given an uncredited role in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and subsequently appeared as a leading actor in the micro budget surf drama Summer City. Gibson rose to prominence during the Australian New Wave cinema movement in the early 1980s, having appeared in his breakthrough role in George Miller's dystopian action film Mad Max (1979), portraying the eponymous hero. He reprised the role in its sequels, Mad Max 2 (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). He appeared in Peter Weir's war drama Gallipoli (1981) and the romantic drama The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Five years later he played Martin Riggs in the buddy cop action comedy Lethal Weapon alongside Danny Glover—a role he later reprised in its sequels Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).

<i>Contraband</i> (2012 film) Film by Baltasar Kormákur

Contraband is a 2012 action thriller film directed by Baltasar Kormákur, starring Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Caleb Landry Jones, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas, Diego Luna and J. K. Simmons. The film is a remake of the 2008 Icelandic film Reykjavík-Rotterdam which Baltasar Kormákur starred in. It was released on January 13, 2012 in the United States by Universal Pictures.

Mitchell Y. McDeere is a fictional character and the protagonist of John Grisham's 1991 novel The Firm. Mitch McDeere is a Harvard-educated tax lawyer who has a certified public accountant credential. He is also the husband of Abby McDeere, a Western Kentucky University–educated elementary school teacher. The character was portrayed by Tom Cruise in the 1993 film adaptation of the novel, and most recently by Josh Lucas for Entertainment One Television's show also named The Firm.

<i>Stoker</i> (film) 2013 psychological thriller film by Park Chan-wook

Stoker is a 2013 psychological thriller film directed by Park Chan-wook, in his English-language debut, and written by Wentworth Miller. The film stars Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulroney, and Jacki Weaver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandre O. Philippe</span> Swiss film director

Alexandre O. Philippe is a Swiss film director whose films include the documentaries Doc of the Dead, The People vs. George Lucas, and 78/52. Philippe is Creative Director and co-owner of Denver-based Cinema Vertige and his most recent commissioned work for the City of Denver garnered four Heartland Emmy Awards.

<i>The Blazing World</i> (film) 2021 film by Carlson Young

The Blazing World is a 2021 American fantasy horror-thriller film written and directed by Carlson Young and co-written by Pierce Brown. The film stars Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, Young and Edith González in her final film role before her death in 2019. The film is loosely inspired by Margaret Cavendish's 1666 work of the same name. In 2018, Young wrote, directed and starred in the short film of the same name, prior to expanding the basis and ideas for the full-length film. It is the first in a planned trilogy of films entitled Saturn Returns.

<i>Barbarians</i> (2021 film) 2021 British thriller film

Barbarians is a 2021 horror film written and directed by Charles Dorfman and starring Iwan Rheon, Tom Cullen, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Inès Spiridonov. It follows a group of four at a dinner party which is derailed by masked invaders.

References

  1. "Undertow". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  2. Nesselson, Lisa (August 19, 2004). "Deauville announces line-up". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. Lehmann, Megan (October 22, 2004). "Brothers Cry Uncle In Southern Gothic Tale". New York Post. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  4. "Undertow (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  5. "Undertow (2004) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  6. Ebert, Roger (22 October 2004). "Movie Reviews: Undertow (R)". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved June 1, 2008.
  7. Ebert, Roger. "The Best Films of 2004". rogerebert.com. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  8. Gleiberman, Owen (October 20, 2004). "Undertow (2004)". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  9. Harrison, Eric (5 November 2004). "Undertow". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 22, 2011 via chron.com.
  10. Berardinelli, James. "Undertow". reelviews.net. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  11. Hunter, Stephen (October 29, 2004). "'Undertow': Oh, Brother, It's Quite a Thriller". Washington Post . Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  12. "The National Board of Review: Awards for 2004". Archived from the original on 2010-08-13. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  13. "Awards for Undertow (2004)". IMDB.com. Internet Movie Database . Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  14. "26th Annual Young Artist Awards" . Retrieved June 9, 2008.