Undertow (film)

Infobox Film
name = Undertow


image_size =
caption =
director = David Gordon Green
producer = Terrence Malick
Lisa Muskat
Edward R. Pressman
writer = Lingard Jervey
Joe Conway
David Gordon Green
narrator =
starring = Jamie Bell
Dermot Mulroney
Josh Lucas
Devon Alan
music = Philip Glass
cinematography = Tim Orr
editing = Zene Baker
Steven Gonzales
distributor = MGM
released = October 22, 2004
runtime = 108 min.
country = United States
language = English
budget =
gross = US$143,597
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:307407
imdb_id = 0360130

"Undertow" is a 2004 thriller film directed by David Gordon Green, 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. "Undertow" is Green's third feature film. It met with a mixed response from critics, ranging from admiration to derision. [ rotten-tomatoes|id=undertow|title=Undertow. ] [ metacritic film|id=undertow|title=Undertow. ] The film received special recognition for excellence in filmmaking from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. [ cite web
title = IMDB: Awards for "Undertow" (2004)
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360130/awards
accessdate = June 2008 ] [ cite web
title = The National Board of Review: Awards for 2004
url = http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/past.cfm?year=2004
accessdate = June 2008 ] In addition, Jamie Bell and Devon Alan won Young Artist Awards for their roles in the film. [ cite web
title = IMDB: Awards for "Undertow" (2004)
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360130/awards
accessdate = June 2008 ] [ cite web
title = 26th Annual Young Artist Awards
url = http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms26.htm
accessdate = June 2008 ]

Plot

The protagonist is Chris Munn (Jamie Bell), a troubled and restless teen. His family consists of his younger brother Tim (Devon Alan) and their father John (Dermot Mulroney). They live in an isolated rural house in Georgia. The story of the film is one of greed and family hatred. It begins when John's brother Deel (Josh Lucas) visits the Munn family, stirring up unease among them. It turns out that Deel wishes to reclaim a hoard of gold coins from John. He eventually finds them hidden behind John's family portrait. John refuses to give them up. In the ensuing struggle, Deel murders him. He tries to kill Chris and Tim too, but they escape him and run away from home. Chris brings the gold coins along with him.

On the run, the boys meet an assortment of fairytale-like characters. Deel pursues them, eventually catching up. Wading into a river, Chris throws away the gold coins into the water. Enraged by their loss, Deel struggles with Chris and tries to drown the boy. In turn, Deel receives a fatal stab wound in the chest. Rendered unconscious by the struggle, Chris wakes up in hospital. There, he is reunited with Tim and their grandparents, who have found them.

Cast

* Jamie Bell - Chris Munn
* Kristen Stewart - Lila
* Robert Longstreet - Bern
* Terry Loughlin - Officer Clayton
* Dermot Mulroney - John Munn
* Devon Alan - Tim Munn
* Josh Lucas - Deel Munn
* Eddie Rouse - Wadsworth Pela
* Patrice Johnson - Amica Pela
* Charles 'Jester' Poston - Hard Hat Dandy
* Mark Darby Robinson - Conway
* Pat Healy - Grant the Mechanic
* Leigh Hill - Muriel the Cashier
* Alfred M. Jackson - Dock Worker
* William D. Turner - Dock Worker
* Michael Bacall - Jacob
* Shiri Appleby - Violet
* Carla Bessey - Violet's Friend
* Damian Jewan Lee - Gus
* Bill McKinney - Grandfather
* Michael Gulick - Old Shirtless Man
* David Blazina - Watch-Guard
* Carlos DeLoach - Big Bad Cop
* George Smith - Milk Man
* H.G. Green - Newscaster
* Jesse Scott Nelson - Retardoe
* Craig Zobel - Bridegroom
* Sophia Lin - Mail-Order Bride
* Anne Marie Dove - Tattoo Girl
* Thelma Louise Carter - Grandmother

Trivia

"Undertow" is the third feature film directed by David Gordon Green, following "George Washington" (2000) and "All the Real Girls" (2003). [ imdb name|id=0337773|name=David Gordon Green. ] It is one of his more mainstream films in that it deals with a more accessible story than his earlier, more personal films.fact|date=June 2008 It is also the first in which he used a full cast of well-known actors.fact|date=June 2008 One of the film's influences was Terrence Malick,fact|date=June 2008 who was also one of its producers.

This is the second film in which Dermot Mulroney and Kristen Stewart have worked together. The first being The Safety of Objects.

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from film critics, whose responses ranged from admiration to derision. [ rotten-tomatoes|id=undertow|title=Undertow. ] [ metacritic film|id=undertow|title=Undertow. ] In Rotten Tomatoes, it earned ratings of 56% based on 108 reviews and 60% based on 30 top critics. [ rotten-tomatoes|id=undertow|title=Undertow. ] In Metacritic, the film earned a metascore of 63% based on 30 reviews. [ metacritic film|id=undertow|title=Undertow. ]
Roger Ebert praised the film, giving it a full four stars in his review. [ cite web
last = Ebert
first = Roger
title = "Movie Reviews: "Undertow" (R)"
date = 22 Oct 2004
url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041021/REVIEWS/40923002/1023
accessdate = June 2008 ]

Awards

Notes

References

Reviews

* cite web
last = Ebert
first = Roger
authorlink = Roger Ebert
title = "Movie Reviews: "Undertow" (R)"
work = Chicago Sun-Times
date = 22 Oct 2004
url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041021/REVIEWS/40923002/1023
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = Gleiberman
first = Owen
authorlink = Owen Gleiberman
title = "Movie Review: "Undertow" (2004)"
work = Entertainment Weekly
date = 20 Oct 2004
url = http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,726371,00.html
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = Hoberman
first = J.
authorlink = J. Hoberman
title = "Tracking Shots: Film"
work = The Village Voice
date = 12 Oct 2004
url = http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0442,hoberman3,57691,20.html
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = Holden
first = Stephen
authorlink = Stephen Holden
title = "Runaways Loose in the Gothic South"
work = The New York Times
date = 2 Oct 2004
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/02/movies/02unde.html
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = Hunter
first = Stephen
authorlink = Stephen Hunter
title = "Undertow": Oh, Brother, It's Quite a Thriller"
work = The Washington Post
date = 29 Oct 2004
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7923-2004Oct28.html
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = McDonagh
first = Maitland
authorlink = Maitland McDonagh
title = "Undertow" (2004, Movie)"
work = TV Guide
date = 2004
url = http://www.tvguide.com/movies/undertow/review/137678
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = Morris
first = Wesley
authorlink = Wesley Morris
title = "Undertow" is a mood piece that lacks meaning"
work = The Boston Globe
date = 29 Oct 2004
url = http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=7114
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = Reed
first = Rex
authorlink = Rex Reed
title = "Walk Like a Man, Talk Like a Man: Good Men Are Hard to Find"
work = The New York Observer
date = 10 Oct 2004
url = http://www.observer.com/node/49864
accessdate = June 2008
* cite web
last = Thomson
first = Desson
authorlink = Desson Thomson
title = "Caught In Its Own 'Undertow'"
work = The Washington Post
date = 29 Oct 2004
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6095-2004Oct28.html
accessdate = June 2008

External links

*imdb title|id=0360130|title=Undertow
*amg movie|id=1:307407|title=Undertow
*rotten-tomatoes|id=undertow|title=Undertow
*metacritic film|id=undertow|title=Undertow
*mojo title|id=undertow|title=Undertow