| Undertow | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | David Gordon Green |
| Produced by | Terrence Malick Edward R. Pressman Lisa Muskat |
| Written by | Lingard Jervey Joe Conway David Gordon Green |
| Starring | Jamie Bell Dermot Mulroney Josh Lucas Devon Alan Kristen Stewart |
| Music by | Philip Glass |
| Cinematography | Tim Orr |
| Editing by | Zene Baker Steven Gonzales |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | October 22, 2004 |
| Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $143,597 |
Undertow is a 2004 thriller film directed by David Gordon Green, starring Jamie Bell, Devon Alan, Dermot Mulroney and Josh Lucas. Taking place in Georgia, the film tells the story of two boys pursued by a murderous uncle.
Undertow is Green's third feature film. Met with a mixed response from critics,[1][2] the film received special recognition for excellence in filmmaking from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.[3][4] In addition, Jamie Bell and Devon Alan won Young Artist Awards for their roles in the film.[3][5]
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The protagonist is Chris Munn (Jamie Bell), a troubled and restless teen. His family consists of his younger brother Tim (Devon Alan) and their father John (Dermot Mulroney). They live in an isolated rural house in Georgia.
The story of the film is one of greed and family hatred. It begins when John's brother Deel (Josh Lucas) visits the Munn family, stirring up unease among them. It turns out that Deel wishes to reclaim a hoard of gold coins from John. He eventually finds them hidden behind John's family portrait. John refuses to give them up. In the ensuing struggle, Deel murders him. He tries to kill Chris and Tim too, but they escape him and run away from home. Chris brings the gold coins along with him.
On the run, the boys meet an assortment of fairytale-like characters. Deel pursues them, eventually catching up. Wading into a river, Chris throws away the gold coins into the water. Enraged by their loss, Deel struggles with Chris and tries to drown the boy. In turn, Deel receives a fatal stab wound in the chest.
Rendered unconscious by the struggle, Chris wakes up in hospital. There, he is reunited with Tim and their grandparents, who have found them.
The film received mixed reviews from film critics, whose responses ranged from admiration to derision.[1][2] On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently holds a "rotten" rating of 55% based on 116 reviews and 60% based on 30 top critics.[1] On Metacritic, the film earned a metascore of 63% based on 30 reviews.[2]
Among the critics who gave the film a positive review were Roger Ebert, who praised the film, giving it a full four stars. He wrote of the director, "Green has a visual style that is beautiful without being pretty. We never catch him photographing anything for its scenic or decorative effect." [6] Ebert would later place the film 10th on his list of the best films of 2004.[7] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a favorable review, calling it an "art film posing as a backwoods gothic thriller."[8] Eric Harrison of the Houston Chronicle wrote, "From its opening lines and first enigmatic image, everything about Undertow is both dreamlike and real, artfully elusive and matter-of-fact."[9] James Berardinelli gave it three out of four stars, giving praise to the performances, and writing, "Those going to Undertow expecting a thriller will find the proceedings slow going. However, those who are seduced by the characters and the setting will find that the 105 minutes pass quickly."[10] The Washington Post's Stephen Hunter thought the film conjured up the 1955 thriller The Night of the Hunter, and wrote, "the movie builds slowly to its grinding climax, and the suspense – the standard by which a thriller must primarily be judged – is first-rate."[11]
| Event | Award | Winner/Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 National Board of Review Awards[12] | Special Recognition For Excellence In Filmmaking | Undertow | Won |
| 2004 Deauville American Film Festival[3] | Grand Special Prize | David Gordon Green | Nominated |
| 2005 Young Artist Awards[13] | Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actor |
Jamie Bell | Won |
| Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actor |
Devon Alan | Won | |
| Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actress |
Kristen Stewart | Nominated | |
| 2005 Chlotrudis Awards[14] | Best Director | David Gordon Green | Nominated |
| Best Original Screenplay | Lingard Jervey Joe Conway David Gordon Green |
Nominated |
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