Undertow (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

David Gordon Green

Writers (WGA):

Lingard Jervey (story)
Joe Conway (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 December 2004 (Greece)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The Munns, father John and sons Chris and Tim, recede to the woods of rural Georgia. Their life together...

Plot Keywords:

Uncle | Family Life | Young Boy | Eating Disorder | Blood

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jamie Bell	...	Chris Munn
Kristen Stewart	...	Lila
Robert Longstreet	...	Bern
Terry Loughlin	...	Officer Clayton
Dermot Mulroney	...	John Munn
Devon Alan	...	Tim Munn
Josh Lucas	...	Deel Munn
Eddie Rouse	...	Wadsworth Pela
Patrice Johnson	...	Amica Pela
Charles 'Jester' Poston	...	Hard Hat Dandy
Mark Darby Robinson	...	Conway
Pat Healy	...	Grant the Mechanic
Leigh Hill	...	Muriel the Cashier
Alfred M. Jackson	...	Dock Worker
William D. Turner	...	Dock Worker
Michael Bacall	...	Jacob
Shiri Appleby	...	Violet
Carla Bessey	...	Violet's Friend
Damian Jewan Lee	...	Gus
Bill McKinney	...	Grandfather
Michael Gulick	...	Old Shirtless Man
David Blazina	...	Watch-Guard (as Dave Blazina)
Carlos DeLoach	...	Big Bad Cop
George Smith	...	Milk Man
H.G. Green	...	Newscaster
Jesse Scott Nelson	...	Retardoe
Craig Zobel	...	Bridegroom
Sophia Lin	...	Mail-Order Bride
Anne Marie Dove	...	Tattoo Girl
Thelma Louise Carter	...	Grandmother
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Grace Tootle	...	Hispanic Mother (uncredited)

Directed by
David Gordon Green

Writing credits (WGA)
Lingard Jervey		(story)
Joe Conway		(screenplay) and
David Gordon Green		(screenplay)

Produced by
Alessandro Camon	....	executive producer
Saar Klein	....	executive producer
Sophia Lin	....	line producer
Terrence Malick	....	producer
Lisa Muskat	....	producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	producer
John Schmidt	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Philip Glass

Cinematography by
Tim Orr		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Zene Baker
Steven Gonzales

Casting by
Mali Finn

Production Design by
Richard A. Wright		(as Richard Wright)

Set Decoration by
Summer Eubanks

Costume Design by
Jill Newell

Makeup Department
Persefone Karakosta	....	hair stylist
Persefone Karakosta	....	makeup artist
Gene Witham	....	hair stylist
Gene Witham	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David C. Cook	....	post-production supervisor
Craig Zobel	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Blazina	....	second assistant director
Heather Daniels	....	second second assistant director
Paul Epstein	....	first assistant director (as Paul Samuel Epstein)
Craig Zobel	....	second unit director

Art Department
Jeffrey J. Barrows	....	art department coordinator
Patrick Fuhrman	....	set dresser
Scott A. Lawson	....	art department coordinator (as Scott Lawson)
Jeff Peixoto	....	art department intern
Gregg Perez	....	lead man
Jonathan Rudak	....	set dresser
Peter Sattler	....	on-set dresser
Elizabeth Steinfels	....	scenic artist
Jeffrey Thompson	....	property master (as Jeffrey C. Thompson)
Jeffrey Thompson	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Betancourt	....	foley mixer
Larry Blake	....	sound re-recording mixer
Larry Blake	....	supervising sound editor
Dan Bora	....	sound engineer (as Dana Bora)
Matt Coby	....	sound editor
Hunter Curra	....	sound department intern
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	consultant: Dolby Stereo
Dawn Fintor	....	foley artist
Jay Gallagher	....	sound editor
Christof Gebert	....	production sound mixer
Christof Gebert	....	sound editor
Patricia Gorman	....	sound editor
Nicolas Mindreau	....	assistant sound engineer
Ichiho Nishiki	....	assistant sound engineer
John Stanka	....	assistant sound engineer
Joey Stephens	....	boom operator (as Joseph Stephens)
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Chris Walldorf	....	additional boom operator

Visual Effects by
Bill Coffin	....	digital artist: Post Logic Cinema Digital

Stunts
Cal Johnson	....	stunt coordinator
Lonnie R. Smith	....	stunt player (as Lonnie Smith)
Cal Johnson	....	stunt double: Josh Lucas (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Travis Bell	....	additional grip
Michael Burke	....	loader
Clark Caldwell	....	assistant lighting technician
Matthew Craig	....	additional chief lighting technician
Eric Felland	....	electric
Gordon Gee	....	grip intern
Lisa Marie Gleeson	....	company electrician
Melissa Guimaraes	....	second company grip
Matthew Hale	....	key grip (as Matthew D. Hale)
Chris Keohane	....	camera department intern
Deidre Lally	....	assistant lighting technician
Marcus Lehmann	....	company grip
Louis Normandin	....	additional electric
Felipe Perez-Burchard	....	camera department intern
Craig Pressgrove	....	first assistant camera
Dale Robinette	....	still photographer
Linda Slater	....	second assistant camera
Adam Stone	....	director of photography: second unit
Justin Whitaker	....	additional grip
Karey Williams	....	still photographer
Kenneth Wilson II	....	camera operator: second unit (as Kenneth Wilson)
Aaron Wong	....	grip intern

Casting Department
Lee Futch	....	extras casting
Lyndsey Gayer	....	casting associate
Jonathan Leeder	....	casting associate (uncredited)
David Rapaport	....	casting associate (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amy R. Burt	....	wardrobe supervisor
Anne Marie Cabri	....	wardrobe assistant
Britton Elliott	....	wardrobe assistant
Heather Shiver	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Kris Santa Cruz	....	scanner: Post Logic Cinema Digital (as Kris Santa Kruz)
Matthew W. Johnson	....	IQ artist
Jane Rizzo	....	assistant editor
Michael Underwood	....	digital intermediate color timer: Post Logic Cinema Digital
Cassandra Wiltshire	....	digital intermediate producer: Post Logic Cinema Digital
Royce Smith	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Kara Bilof	....	music production manager
Jim Keller	....	executive music producer
Michael Linnen	....	composer: additional music
Nico Muhly	....	assistant conductor
Nico Muhly	....	chorus preparation: Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Kurt Munkacsi	....	music producer
Adam Plack	....	musician: didgeridoo
Michael Riesman	....	music conductor
Mark Wike	....	music supervisor
David Wingo	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Zene Baker	....	script supervisor
Henry Ball	....	film recordist: Post Logic Cinema Digital
Neil Bareish	....	post-production accountant
David Barnes	....	craft service
Kris Baucom	....	clearances coordinator
Kris Baucom	....	product placement coordinator
Kris Baucom	....	production office coordinator
Carrie Beitzel	....	office intern
Dianne Berkun	....	artistic director: Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Ben Best	....	consultant: Mr. Green
Kara Bilof	....	studio manager
Renee Bombardier	....	office intern
Cat Celebrezze	....	assistant director: Dunvagen Music Publishers
Ryan Demler	....	assistant: Mr. John Schmidt
D. Tobias Denney	....	additional production assistant (as Dewayne Tobias Denney)
Renee Derossett	....	animal coordinator (as Renee De Rossett)
Jorge Diaz	....	accounting assistant
Marc Diener	....	documentation: Minor's Court
Emmy Ellison	....	production assistant: first team
Tim Gallegos	....	digital dirt removal: Post Logic Cinema Digital
Matthew H. Giordano	....	set production assistant (as Matthew Healey Giordano)
Frida P. Glucoft	....	immigration legal (as Frida P. Glucoft, Esq.)
Lauren Guilmartin	....	key set production assistant
James A. Janowitz	....	production legal counsel: Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn
Phyllis Kaufman	....	production legal counsel: Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn
Trish Kazak	....	office production assistant
Albert Krause	....	production accountant
Kristina Lankford	....	dialect coach
Cassie Larcade	....	office intern
Brian Levin	....	production intern
Devin Maurer	....	set production assistant
Phillip Montgomery	....	assistant: Mr. Edward R. Pressman
Jack Munn	....	set medic
Lori Nobleza	....	end credits: Post Logic Cinema Digital
Melissa Palmer	....	production office assistant
Karen Robson	....	production legal counsel: Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn
Christian Rutledge	....	resource manager
Howard Samuelsohn	....	dialect coach
Megan Schlaack	....	assistant: Mr. Camon
Jason J. Scott	....	set production assistant (as Jason Scott)
Ryan Shelor	....	office intern
Mira Shin	....	assistant: Mr. Edward R. Pressman
Ryan Sterritt	....	office production assistant
Alexander Tovar	....	intern (as Alex Tovar)
Kimberly Waid	....	office intern
Karey Williams	....	set tutor
Scott Clackum	....	location manager (uncredited)
Brendan MacDevette	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Joe Monroe	....	data management (uncredited)
Adam Paroo	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Markus Rutledge	....	location intern (uncredited)
Gregory G. Woertz	....	production executive: Sunflower (uncredited)
Andrew J. Young	....	location scout (uncredited)

Thanks
Russell Ackerman	....	thanks
Jeff Bens	....	thanks
Mary Buie	....	thanks
Blanca Camacho	....	thanks
Manny Centeno	....	thanks
Michael Chaney	....	thanks
Stephanie Conway	....	special thanks
Lloyd Daugherty	....	thanks
Reed Dulany III	....	thanks: Dulany Aviation and Hatcher
Jordan Fox	....	thanks
Jon Katz	....	thanks
Patrick Kietsrichart	....	thanks
Karen Kimball	....	thanks
Darrell Kirkland	....	thanks
Alexandra Malick	....	special thanks
Nate Meyer	....	thanks
Millie Miller	....	thanks: St. Joseph's Candler Immediate Care
Sally Milner	....	thanks
Nancy Moffett	....	thanks
Erin O'Rourke	....	thanks
Annie Pressman	....	special thanks
Harvey Ray	....	thanks
Michael Roban	....	thanks
Jay M. Self	....	thanks: Savannah Film Commission (as Jay Self)
Jim Sheehan	....	thanks: Club SCAD
Steve Simpson	....	thanks
Marc Singer	....	thanks
Jasmine Stodel	....	thanks
Dee Templeton	....	thanks
Rex Templeton	....	thanks
Lou Thomann	....	thanks
Derrick Tseng	....	thanks
Onur Tukel	....	thanks
Douglas Tulley	....	thanks
Michael Tully	....	thanks
Gus Van Sant	....	thanks
Will Wallace	....	thanks
Gregory G. Woertz	....	thanks (as Greg Woertz)
John Wright	....	thanks
Sonnie Wright	....	thanks
Robert Zarem	....	thanks (as Bobby Zarem)
Martin Zoller	....	thanks
Walter Zoller	....	thanks

Production Companies

• United Artists (presents)
• Muskat Filmed Properties LLC (presents)
• Sunflower Productions (as Sunflower)
• ContentFilm (copyright owners)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Compañía General de la Imagen (CGI) (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Gateno Films (2005) (Peru) (theatrical)
• United Artists (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (An MGM Company)
• Bac Films (France)
• ContentFilm International (2004) (worldwide) (all media) (sales agency) (as ContentFilm)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation (MGM) (2004) (USA) (all media) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distribution Co.)
• Punto Zero (2009) (Italy) (all media) (as Enjoy Movies)
• Sony Pictures Television (????) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Bass Shoes  the producers wish to thank
• Birkenstock  the producers wish to thank
• Black Tail Magazine  the producers wish to thank
• Brooklyn Youth Chorus  choir
• Carhartt  the producers wish to thank
• Carolina Rent-A-Car  trucks
• Caterpillar Footwear  the producers wish to thank
• Chatham County Georgia Sheriff's Department  the producers wish to thank (as Chatham County Police Department)
• Chatham County Police Driving Training Department  the producers wish to thank
• Cinevideo Tech  underwater camera
• Club SCAD  the producers wish to thank
• Cora Bett Thomas Management Company  the producers wish to thank
• Corrigan & Johnson  casting
• Critters-to-Go  the producers wish to thank
• Culligan Water Conditionng  the producers wish to thank
• Double A Films  the producers wish to thank
• Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc.  publisher: Philip Glass music published by
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car  cars and vans by (as Enterprise Car Rental)
• Foto-Kem  unspecified (as FotoKem)
• Inman Park Properties  the producers wish to thank
• Inter-American Products  the producers wish to thank
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  unit publicist (as Jeremy Walker & Associates)
• Joe Dunton Cameras America  eymo camera (as Joe Dutton Camera)
• Kodak  motion picture film
• Lightnin' Truck Rentals  trucks (as Lightnin' Rentals)
• Looking Glass Studios  music recorded and mixed at (as Looking Glass Studios, New York, NY)
• MAC Cosmetics  the producers wish to thank
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative cutters
• Minnetonka Moccasins  the producers wish to thank
• Mulberry Inn, The  the producers wish to thank
• NT Audio Visual  optical sound track (as NT Audio)
• Oatland Island Educational  the producers wish to thank (as Oatland Island Education Center)
• Panavision Orlando  cameras provided by
• Post Logic Studios  digital intermediate (as Post Logic Cinema Digital)
• Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn  production legal counsel (as Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn)
• Random House  the producers wish to thank
• Red Wing Shoes  the producers wish to thank
• Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises  the producers wish to thank (as Rolloff Evangelistic EnterprisesP)
• Ryder Truck Rentals  trucks (as Ryder Rentals)
• Savannah Film Commission  the producers wish to thank
• Savannah Theater, The  the producers wish to thank
• St. Joseph's / Candler Immediate Care  the producers wish to thank
• Sunbelt Rentals  the producers wish to thank
• Swelltone Labs  sound editing and re-recording
• TFN Lighting  lighting grip and dolly equipment
• Tai Audio  audio equipment
• The Valentino's  catering
• Thomas Ray Enterprises  the producers wish to thank
• Tom's Saw Shop  the producers wish to thank
• Twentieth Century Fox  foley recorded at
• Ultrathon Insect Repellent  the producers wish to thank
• Urban Outfitters  the producers wish to thank
• Wrangler Jeans  the producers wish to thank (as Wrangler)

Also Known As:

The Undertow (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (one scene) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:MA | Argentina:16 | Brazil:16 | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40628) | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Savannah, Georgia, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

During their fight scene, Josh Lucas actually blacked out while being choked by Dermot Mulroney.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Chris and Deel go for a drive, the lock button on Deel's door alternates between up and down.

Quotes:

Lila: Let me see your knife. Can I carve my name in your face?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Under the Undertow (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Pistols of Gold

a Terence Malick production of a David Gordon Green film... so you know the stakes

David Gordon Green explores the story in Undertow with an intention to tell the story, but there's also an intention to explore the spaces his actors inhabit, or run to, or from, and occasionally with the lyricism of a grungy street poet. This isn't to say the film is pretentious; it can be enjoyed by those who just want a good, harrowing chase movie. Yet it asks a little more for an audience complacent with the norm in Hollywood, used to the conflict being simplistic with respect to the characterizations. Its presentation calls attention to a director attempting to find the thematic beats through what could otherwise be a conventional ride. It's also no mistake to make the connection to films of the 70s, or specifically Terence Malick's austere visual approach; Malick is credited as producer, so it's bound to have some informal mark of his own somewhere.

It's really a tragedy of the rural family, where a single father (Mulroney) raising two kids (Bell and Alan), the older one something of a troublemaker, constantly brought in to the cops. When the father's brother (a perfect antagonist in Lucas) gets out of prison and comes to visit, it's more than a friendly family call; greed and vengeance bring him there, and a horrible incident occurs that sends the two children running away, now with their uncle in tow. He's after some valuable old gold coins- family heirlooms or sacred Mexican lot, depending on what story is to be believed- and nothing will stop him. Meanwhile, the two kids (the younger of the two pretty sick most often) are left to their own devices, looking for work, hiding in junkyards, or with the help of fellow underworld travelers.

Aside from that, which is the basic plot, a lot of Undertow sways between tense and taut drama and action, with a couple of really visceral fights and bits of violence, and an understated character study. There's the performances that feel right in the thick of it, with Bell giving it all in a breakout role. But it's just... hard to explain the sensibility that gives this an edge over other dramas out there. The setting is one thing, where for the most part (with a few exceptions) Green doesn't succumb to total clichés with these southern hobos and backwoods folk (or, at the least, there's a humanism caught by having what would appear to be non-actors in roles like convenience store clerks and tow-truck drivers). And also it's the cinematography, which is clear and cool and hand-held for some subjective impact, plus the eerie, unusual score by Philip Glass.

All of these punctuations on a story that is dark and compelling are abound, but it's also this bond between the two brothers, and the memories that they share and how memories in general work into the narrative, that score Green success. It's about mood as much as plot, about sorrow and anger and fear and all these things, and it's never something to scoff as too artsy-fartsy. It's just about right.