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?

---

Plot Keywords:

dead body | murder investigation | death of lover | neo noir | teenage boy | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

i5 Films Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bleu profond

Filming Locations:

Tahoma, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$141,852, 12 August 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$8,821,782, 23 December 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

i5 Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is a remake of the 1949 Columbia film, The Reckless Moment, starring Joan Bennett and James Mason, directed by Max Ophuls. Both films were based on the story "The Blank Wall" by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding.

---

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.

---

Quotes

Margaret Hall: We don't have the money.
Alek 'Al' Spera: You have to get the money. Is that not clear enough?
Margaret Hall: It's $50,000. It is not the kind of thing that everyone can just go out and get.
Alek 'Al' Spera: Have you spoken with your husband?
Margaret Hall: He can't be reached. He's on a carrier somewhere in the nor - This is truly none of your business.
Alek 'Al' Spera: What about the old man? Well, you have to try harder.
Margaret Hall: "Try harder?"
Alek 'Al' Spera: I don't think you're really trying.
Margaret Hall: Really?
Alek 'Al' Spera: Yes.
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

Jack Livesey Jack Livesey

---

Connections

Featured in Anatomy of a Scene: The Deep End (2001)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Too much control!

Who came up with the summary, "spirals out of control"? Margaret, is, if anything, too much in control! One waits throughout the movie for her control to break. Who put her in charge of her son's destiny? Why is she willing, even at the moment she "speaks the truth" in all but this one respect, to specify HERSELF as the one responsible for her son's lover's death? She'll do anything to help him go on to college as a music major, but she won't be able to shield him always from the consequences of his own bad judgment. And perhaps her horrified expression as she watches the video reflects this realization as much as it does her visceral horror at the activity taking place. He is the one who is "spiraling out of control"--HER control. She is trying, presumably at her husband's behest before he shipped out, to make & keep the world safe for her family. But their domestic tranquility is built on a foundation of corruption--that of nearby Reno & its gambling enterprises & related criminal activities. Perhaps at the end when she breaks down & weeps, she is finally letting go of her "sense of control," along with her innocence, which has been compromised much more deeply than that of her son.