Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writer (WGA):

Steven Soderbergh (written by)

Release Date:

18 August 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A sexually repressed woman's husband is having an affair with her sister. The arrival of a visitor with a rather unusual fetish changes everything.

Plot Keywords:

Affair | Sex | Interview | Yuppie | Trust

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

James Spader	...	Graham Dalton
Andie MacDowell	...	Ann Bishop Mullany
Peter Gallagher	...	John Mullany
Laura San Giacomo	...	Cynthia Patrice Bishop
Ron Vawter	...	Therapist
Steven Brill	...	Barfly
Alexandra Root	...	Girl on Tape
Earl T. Taylor	...	Landlord
David Foil	...	John's Colleague

Directed by
Steven Soderbergh

Writing credits (WGA)
Steven Soderbergh		(written by)

Produced by
John Hardy	....	producer
Morgan Mason	....	executive producer
Robert F. Newmyer	....	producer (as Robert Newmyer)
Nancy Tenenbaum	....	executive producer
Nick Wechsler	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Cliff Martinez

Cinematography by
Walt Lloyd

Film Editing by
Steven Soderbergh

Casting by
Deborah Aquila

Art Direction by
Joanne Schmidt

Set Decoration by
Victoria Spader

Makeup Department
Sabrina Lopez	....	hair stylist
James Ryder	....	makeup artist
Amanda Schuler	....	hair stylist

Production Management
John Hardy	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Dempsey	....	first assistant director (as Michael Dempsey)
Alexandra Root	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bonnie Amos	....	artwork
Amy Archinal	....	artwork
Bill Cancienne	....	swing crew chief
Aaron Glascock	....	property master

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist (as Vanessa Ament)
Larry Blake	....	sound editor
Larry Blake	....	sound re-recordist
Scott Chandler	....	foley recordist
David W. Gray	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Paul Ledford	....	production sound mixer
David E. Stone	....	foley editor (as Dave Stone)
Stephen Tyler	....	boom operator
Ben Williams	....	sound assistant
Ron Bartlett	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Matthew C. Beville	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Oscar Mitt	....	sound (uncredited)
Dave Moreno	....	weddington recordist (uncredited)
Steven Soderbergh	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Steven Soderbergh	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Beard	....	gaffer
Tony Brignac	....	second assistant camera
Buddy Carr	....	electrician
Gilly Charbonnet	....	grip
Michael Charbonnet	....	first assistant camera
Jonathan Coney	....	grip
Diana Gary	....	still photographer
David Jensen	....	best boy
Bennie Robertson	....	generator operator
J.D. Streett	....	key grip

Casting Department
Philip Jostrom	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amanda Moore	....	wardrober
James Ryder	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Scott Hill	....	negative cutter
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer
Steve New	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Larry Blake	....	music recordist
Mark A. Mangini	....	musician: acoustic guitar (as Mark Mangini)
Sharal Churchill	....	soundtrack consultant (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Susan Bonfils	....	driver
Ross Neill	....	driver

Other crew
Howard Behar	....	legal services
Melissa Benedetto	....	production assistant
Jim Brannon	....	caterer
Billy Collins Jr.	....	production accountant
Davis Guggenheim	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
John Kao	....	production executive
Louis Koerner	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Lambert	....	script supervisor
Nancy Mcintosh	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Harris M. Miller II	....	legal services (as Harris Miller)
Robert Mintz	....	completion bond
Rusty Smith	....	caterer
Harold Welb	....	production consultant

Thanks
Anne Dollard	....	dedicatee (as Ann Dollard)
John Dunn	....	special thanks
Mark A. Mangini	....	special thanks (as Mark Mangini)

Production Companies

• Outlaw Productions (I)
• Virgin

Distributors

• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• AMLF (France)
• BDM Distribution (1990) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Concorde Filmverleih (Germany)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Miramar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Miramax Films
• Pathé (France) (video)
• Transmundo Films (Argentina)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (Argentina) (video)

Other Companies

• Completion Bond Company  completion guarantee
• Precision Film Cutting  negative cutting
• Sprocket Systems  foley recording
• Telecine Tech  film-to-tape transfer
• Ten Twenty Catering  catering
• Truman Van Dyke Company  production insurance
• Virgin Records  soundtrack (as Virgin Movie Music)
• Weddington Productions  post-production sound services
• Weiman Baucher Kuchel & Silber  legal services

Also Known As:

Sex, Lies... (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:10 (1989) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:7 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Outlaw Productions (I)

Trivia:

David Duchovny and David Hyde Pierce both auditioned for the parts of Graham and John.

Goofs:

Continuity: When John watches Anne's tape, it doesn't match what we saw when she recorded it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ann: Garbage. All I've been thinking about all week is garbage. I mean, I just can't stop thinking about it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Step by Step: Sex, Lies and Videotape (#6.3)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Garbage

Exquisitely crafted, honest, minimalist and an almost perfect product

It is a film about relationships, dilemma, courage and more. What works in life and what does not. Honesty does and (crudely speaking) at a very basic level that is the message. At the very heart are the three protagonists who are stuck. The therapist is spectacularly wrong in his interpretation to the apparently frigid wife: 'If you think about it ...you are obsessed about things you have no control over'. But she demonstrates at the end that she did have the control. All she needed was a better, more 'intimate' therapist; a catalyst : Graham ; who ends up uncluttering the cheating sister in law's mind and forces the husband to confront his problems in the process. It is a remarkably optimistic film in its content and therefore perhaps slightly unrealistic.

It is a film about masterful use of contrasts; the two women and the two men could not have been more opposite in every possible respect. In a way Graham is also a perfect contrast to the imperfect Psychoanalyst. This helps the director bring out the message clearly.

The whole film is crafted in a minimalist way, flows smoothly and does not carry much 'garbage'! Music, camera and the narrative are almost perfect in that they are almost invisible. So are the actors, especially James Spader and to a large extent Andie MacDowell. Gallegher is probably less than perfect but very good nonetheless. Laura Giacomo portrays a rather difficult character really well. It treats the audience with respect as the message is subtle and very personal, as it should be. My only grievance is the last office scene involving Gallegher was probably unnecessary.

Sex and the videotapes are incidental to the storey and perhaps misnomers therefore.

It is like reading a rather well written short storey and I would recommend 'Days And Nights In The Forest' (perhaps slightly more realistic and understated than this film) by Satyajit Ray to those who have enjoyed this film.

My rating 8/10.