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The Abyss (1989)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
James Cameron (written by)
Release Date:
9 August 1989 (USA)
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Tagline:
There's everything you've ever known about adventure, and then there's The Abyss. more
Plot:
A civilian diving team are enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Submarine
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Underwater
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Abyss
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Ocean
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Estranged Couple
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Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 4 wins
&
12 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(50 articles)
James Cameron On Past And Future Plans To Shoot In Outer Space
(From MTV Movies Blog. 14 December 2009, 2:00 PM, PST)
A Cameron Cornucopia – The Value of James Cameron
(From Screen Rant. 13 December 2009, 6:37 PM, PST)
(From MTV Movies Blog. 14 December 2009, 2:00 PM, PST)
A Cameron Cornucopia – The Value of James Cameron
(From Screen Rant. 13 December 2009, 6:37 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Breathtakingly beautiful
more (323 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Ed Harris | ... | Virgil 'Bud' Brigman | |
| Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio | ... | Lindsey Brigman | |
| Michael Biehn | ... | Lt. Hiram Coffey | |
| Leo Burmester | ... | Catfish De Vries | |
| Todd Graff | ... | Alan 'Hippy' Carnes | |
| John Bedford Lloyd | ... | Jammer Willis | |
| J.C. Quinn | ... | Arliss 'Sonny' Dawson | |
| Kimberly Scott | ... | Lisa 'One Night' Standing | |
| Captain Kidd Brewer Jr. | ... | Lew Finler (as Capt. Kidd Brewer Jr.) | |
| George Robert Klek | ... | Wilhite | |
| Christopher Murphy | ... | Schoenick, SEAL Team Member | |
| Adam Nelson | ... | Ensign Monk, SEAL Team Member | |
| Dick Warlock | ... | Dwight Perry (as Richard Warlock) | |
| Jimmie Ray Weeks | ... | Leland McBride | |
| J. Kenneth Campbell | ... | DeMarco |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for language and some scenes of action. (special edition)
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
138 min | USA:171 min (special edition)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (DuArt)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) |
Dolby SR (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (special edition) (2000) |
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) |
Canada:AA (Ontario) (special edition) (2000) |
Canada:G (Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Ontario) (original cut) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba) (also special edition) |
Portugal:M/12 |
Malaysia:U |
South Korea:12 |
USA:PG-13 (Certificate #29764) |
Brazil:Livre |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-14 |
France:U |
Iceland:12 |
Norway:15 |
Peru:14 |
Singapore:PG |
Spain:13 (special edition) |
Sweden:15 |
UK:15 |
West Germany:12 |
Netherlands:AL (special edition)
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Director Trademark: [James Cameron] [title fade]at the beginning of the movie, the blue "Y" from the opening credits extends and then fades to the underwater scenery with the submarine.
more
Goofs:
Factual errors: No military service would ever describe a course as oh-six-five. "O" is an alphabet letter. All courses with a "0" digit are called out "zero".
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Quotes:
[first lines]
USS Montana Captain: Sixty knots? No way, Barnes. The Reds don't have anything that fast.
more
USS Montana Captain: Sixty knots? No way, Barnes. The Reds don't have anything that fast.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of 'Star Wars' (2004) (V)
more
Soundtrack:
WILLIN'
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FAQ
Why did they delete the alternate ending (with the tidal wave) from the theatrical version? That was exactly the point that the aliens in the movie were trying to make!Why did Coffey go crazy?
After Lindsey drowns, isn't it impossible for her to still be alive after having her heart stop for so long?
more
more (323 total)
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When we think about aliens in the movies, I guess everybody immediately thinks about the series of "Alien" - movies, but there are some other fine examples and "The Abyss" may well be the best alternative I can come up with. Even though this was made by James Cameron, the same director who gave us "Aliens", both movies are very hard to compare.
When an American nuclear submarine is attacked during the cold war and crashes, the navy is convinced that it was the work of the Russians. They want to salvage the wreckage as soon as possible, because a storm is coming, but they aren't able to send a diving crew of their own that quickly. That's why they contact a group of workers of a nearby underwater oil rig, who reluctantly accept the job. They are joined by some navy SEALS who will help them to locate and investigate the cause of the crash. But they do not only find the crashed sub, they also find out that there is more down there in the deep than what they had ever expected to see.
What I liked so much about this movie was that this time the aliens didn't feel threatening at all. It was something completely different from what we were used to see and it worked perfectly. This was a beautiful, well-crafted movie with some very fine acting and with some excellent special effects. Even though this movie was created in 1989, the computer animations were still marvelous and breathtaking. In fact, this entire movie is breathtaking. It is very touching and powerful at the same time and I'm sure that many people will have a lot of difficulties not to show any emotions while watching it. I give this movie an 8/10. It sure doesn't deserve any less.