The Abyss (1989)

A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Director:

James Cameron

Writer:

James Cameron

Stars:

Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 13 nominations.

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	...	'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
Adam Nelson	...	Ensign Monk
Dick Warlock	...	Dwight Perry (as Richard Warlock)
Jimmie Ray Weeks	...	Leland McBride
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	DeMarco

Storyline

Formerly married petroleum engineers who still have some issues to work out. They are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL with a top-secret recovery operation: a nuclear sub has been ambushed and sunk, under mysterious circumstances, in some of the deepest waters on Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

submarine | underwater | alien | ocean | estranged couple | 

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Taglines:

There's everything you've ever known about adventure, and then there's The Abyss.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and some scenes of action

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Abyss

Filming Locations:

Harbor Star Stage, San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$69,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$54,222,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Pacific Western, Lightstorm Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min 171 min (special edition)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (DuArt)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Cameron's brother, Mike Cameron, plays a dead crewman inside the sunken submarine. To accomplish this he had to hold his breath under 15 feet of water while also allowing a crab to crawl out of his mouth.

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Goofs

The Explorer has its name written on its side in some shots, but not in others.

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Quotes

[first lines]
USS Montana Captain: Sixty knots? No way, Barnes. The Reds don't have anything that fast.

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Crazy Credits

In the cast list, Super Seal Rover is credited as Big Geek and Mini Rover Mk II is credited as Little Geek. These are the actual models used for the unmanned submarines.

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Connections

Featured in Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects (1994)

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Soundtracks

Too Much Pressure
(uncredited)
Written by N. Davies
Published by Fairwood Music Ltd.
Performed by The Selecter
Courtesy of EMI Records Group/Chrysalis Records, Inc.
By Arrangement with CEMA Special Markets

User Reviews

Superb sci-fi action adventure

The Abyss is one of the best sci-fi action/adventure movies ever made. Besides the "usual" ingredients of excitement, characterization and great narrative technique, the movie really scores on the wonder factor. The amazing, jellyfish-like aliens and their manipulation of water... A superb story incorporating the use of a then-recent SFX breakthrough to absolute perfection. A timeless story with great actors, great characters, great emotional substance.

The story is fabulous. It is about the very survival of humanity, drawing on that time-honored science fiction trope: will we be so stupid and disorganized that we cause our own destruction, or will love and reason prevail, inaugurating a great and harmonious future for our species? In thinly veiled symbol terms, this movie demonstrates how we will reach the brink of destruction due to our own folly, but can be redeemed if we rediscover the love and wonder that we once lost.

My rating: A clear 10 out of 10.

P.S. Coffey's first name is... Hiram?!?! BWAAAH-HA-HA-HA!!!!