The Deep End (film)

Infobox Film
name = The Deep End


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Scott McGehee
David Siegel
producer =
writer = Scott McGehee
Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (novel)
starring = Tilda Swinton
Goran Višnjić
Jonathan Tucker
Josh Lucas
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Fox Searchlight Pictures
released = August 8, 2001 (US)
December 14, 2001 (UK)imdb title|id=0250323|title=The Deep End URL last accessed September 11, 2006.]
runtime = 101 minutes
country = United States
awards = BSFC award
Sierra award
Cinematography award
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0250323

"The Deep End" was a film written and directed by the team of David Siegel and Scott McGehee, released in 2001. It stars Tilda Swinton, Goran Višnjić, Jonathan Tucker and Josh Lucas and was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The film was adapted from the novel "The Blank Wall" by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (previously adapted in Max Ophüls' film "The Reckless Moment"). The film premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Best Cinematography award (for cinematography by English cinematographer Giles Nuttgens).

Plot

Margaret Hall (Swinton) lives a seemingly serene middle-class life in Tahoe City, California. Her husband, Tom, is a pilot on the aircraft carrier USS Constellation. She is startled to discover that her son Beau, a high school senior, has been having a sexual affair with 30 year-old Reno, Nevada night club owner Darby Reese (Lucas). The affair becomes apparent when a drunken Beau wrecks his car returning from Reno one night. The next day, Margaret visits Darby's nightclub, The Deep End, to demand that he stay away from her son. Darby offers to stay away for $5,000. Margaret attempts to engage her son about his orientation to no avail. The two have an argument which culminates with Margaret forbidding Beau from visiting Reno again.

That night, Darby secretly visits Beau and the two meet in the boat house. Beau confronts Darby about asking his mother for money. The two argue, eventually coming to blows. As Beau flees back to the house, Darby leans on a railing which collapses. Darby falls below, impaling himself on an anchor.

The next morning, Margaret discovers Darby's body on the beach. She deduces that Beau and Darby had an altercation which resulted in Darby's death. In a panic, Margaret decides to get rid of the body by dumping it in a cove. The body is soon discovered and the police investigate it as a homicide. Soon after, Alex Spera confronts and blackmails Margaret with an illicit tape that Darby recorded of one of his sexual encounters with Beau. Alex demands $50,000 in 24 hours or he and his partner will turn the tape over to the police which would implicate Beau in Darby's "murder".

References

External links

*Imdb title|id=0250323