The Deep End (2001)

A woman spirals out of control while trying to keep her son from being found culpable in a murder investigation.

Directors:

Scott McGehee (as Scott Mcgehee), David Siegel

Writers:

Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (novel), Scott McGehee (as Scott Mcgehee)

Stars:

Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic, Jonathan Tucker

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tilda Swinton	...	Margaret Hall
Goran Visnjic	...	Alek Spera
Jonathan Tucker	...	Beau Hall
Peter Donat	...	Jack Hall
Josh Lucas	...	Darby Reese
Raymond J. Barry	...	Carlie Nagel (as Raymond Barry)
Tamara Hope	...	Paige Hall
Jordon Dorrance	...	Dylan Hall
Heather Mathieson	...	Sue Lloyd
Holmes Osborne	...	Loan Officer
Richard Gross	...	Deputy Sheriff
Kip Martin	...	BVD
Frankie Loyal	...	Barrish Brother (as Franco Delgado)
Kip Ellwood	...	Male Nurse
Margot Krindel	...	Jackie

Storyline

With her husband perpetually away at work, a mother raises her children virtually alone. Her teenage son is testing the waters of the adult world, and early one morning she wakes to find the dead body of his gay lover on the beach of their rural lakeside home. What would you do? What is rational and what do you do to protect your child? How far do you go and when do you stop?

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Plot Keywords:

gay teenager | gay | dead body | murder investigation | death of lover | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and language, and for a strong sex scene

Did You Know?

Trivia

Set and predominantly filmed at Lake Tahoe.

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Goofs

In one scene Beau can be heard off camera practicing his trumpet then immediately ceases to appear on camera to speak with his mother. A bottle of valve oil is in his hand and one valve of his trumpet has been removed, presumably to oil. However, the time that elapses between his playing and appearance on camera is way too short for him to remove a valve from his trumpet.

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Quotes

[forcing Margaret to watch a video of Beau and Darby having sex]
Alek 'Al' Spera: Like movies?

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Crazy Credits

Jack Livesey Jack Livesey

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Connections

Referenced in Micmacs (2009)

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Soundtracks

En Forme de Habanera
Written by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Nelson Padgette (piano) and Ronnie Buttacavoli (trumpet)

User Reviews

Give this film another chance . . .

I saw this film last summer in the theaters and while it didn't do much for me at the time, something in it stayed with me. I rented it again and watched it twice more and am now convinced it is a terrific film.

A lot has been said about Swinton's portrayal of a frustrated housewife and she is brilliant, she carries the film with a head-on intensity.

But the screenplay should also be lauded. Yes, this is straight out of 1940's noir, but it all works.

A lot has been said about the sex and sexuality switch of Swinton's son, but it works perfectly. One might ask . . . why doesn't she ask her son about the body before she dumps it? But that would involve TALKING to her son about his sexuality. She'd rather bury the evidence, than ever admit to herself that her son is gay.

Over the course of the film, Swinton begins to understand her son better, she realizes that everyone has their secrets and desires. Her son also realizes the worry he has put his mother through. The last shot, of mother and son huddled together on the bed is of two strong-willed people finally understanding each other as equals. It's a wonderfully telling moment.

Be sure to watch this film more than once . . . it can be taken on many levels.

james

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Deep End

Filming Locations:

Tahoma, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$141,852, 12 August 2001

Gross USA:

$8,823,109

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,031,529

Company Credits

Production Co:

i5 Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1