The Shape of Water (2017)

At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.

Director:

Guillermo del Toro

Writers:

Guillermo del Toro (screenplay by), Vanessa Taylor (screenplay by)

Stars:

Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon

Won 4 Oscars. Another 132 wins & 351 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sally Hawkins	...	Elisa Esposito
Michael Shannon	...	Richard Strickland
Richard Jenkins	...	Giles
Octavia Spencer	...	Zelda Fuller
Michael Stuhlbarg	...	Dr. Robert Hoffstetler
Doug Jones	...	Amphibian Man
David Hewlett	...	Fleming
Nick Searcy	...	General Hoyt
Stewart Arnott	...	Bernard
Nigel Bennett	...	Mihalkov
Lauren Lee Smith	...	Elaine Strickland
Martin Roach	...	Brewster Fuller
Allegra Fulton	...	Yolanda
John Kapelos	...	Mr. Arzoumanian
Morgan Kelly	...	Pie Guy

Storyline

From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes THE SHAPE OF WATER, an otherworldly fable set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Doug Jones.

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Plot Keywords:

underwater scene | mute woman | creature | interspecies romance | sign language | 

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Taglines:

A Fairy Tale for Troubled Times

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Karen Glave (African American Wife) and Morgan Kelly (Pie Guy) have both appeared in the TV show 'Killjoys'. They played Marlene/Maylene and Alvis Akari respectively.

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Goofs

A WWII era sign is shown, "Loose lips sink ships". It would make sense for a government institution to still be using surplus posters from the war, as they are still trying to discourage the sharing of secret information.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Giles: If I spoke about it - if I did - what would I tell you? I wonder. Would I tell you about the time? It happened a long time ago, it seems. In the last days of a fair prince's reign. Or would I tell you about the place? A small city near the coast, but far from everything else. Or, I don't know... Would I tell you about her? The princess without voice. Or perhaps I would just warn you, about the truth of these facts. And the tale of love and loss. And the monster, who tried to ...

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits roll over footage of a flooded apartment.

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Connections

Spoofed in Robot Chicken: Molly Lucero in: Your Friend's Boob (2019)

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Soundtracks

Babalu
Written by Margarita Lecuona
Performed by Caterina Valente and Silvio Francesco
Courtesy of Universal Music GmbH
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Real love under unreal circumstances.

To communicate or not to communicate. Sometimes is just out of fear that we don't come close to the ones who can give us exactly what we need. They're different, let's stay away. Sally Hawkins in a magical but beautifully real performance invites us to try, to dare. Guillermo del Toro takes us through the paces with extraordinary delicacy and clarity of vision. Thank you.

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight Official Facebook

Country:

USA Canada Mexico

Language:

English American Sign Language Russian French

Release Date:

22 December 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Shape of Water

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$19,400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$166,564, 3 December 2017

Gross USA:

$63,859,435

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$195,333,312

Company Credits

Production Co:

Double Dare You (DDY), Fox Searchlight Pictures, TSG Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1

Color:

Color Black and White (dream sequence)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1