Undertow (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

David Gordon Green

Writers (WGA):

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

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 | Urination Scene | Dead Mother | TV Dinner | Model Airplane

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

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:

Devon Alan's (Tim) monologue about "Chiggars" was not in the script and was totally improvised by the 11 year old.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the movie when Deel is choking Chris, Deel's hands alternate between being wrapped around Chris's neck and grabbing his face.

Quotes:

Tim Munn: Knock-knock.
Chris Munn: Who's there?
Tim Munn: Interrupting Cow.
Chris Munn: Interrup -...
Tim Munn: Mooooo!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Under the Undertow (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Monster in the Canyon

The "Dukes of Hazzard" Go to Hell

Taking a pop-culture icon and flipping it on its head is a favorite pastime of young film directors. In 1986 David Lynch took his boy-scout memories and essentially, in his own words, sent "The Hardy Boys" to hell with "Blue Velvet." Likewise, with a bit of Terrance Malick inspired poeticism, director David Gordon Green sends the good old Duke Boys to hell with "Undertow." Josh Lucas is effectively menacing in a "Night of the Hunter" kind of way as the recently released from prison brother of the stoic Dermot Mulroney, who has secluded himself and his two sons from the rest of the world on a hog farm following the death of his wife (whom was previously involved with Lucas' character). Some family folklore involving a hidden stash of gold coins sends Lucas' ex-con on a rampage that ends with the tracking of the young brothers on the run through rural American Gothic hell on earth. There's a lot to fault in a film like this, but also a lot to treasure if you give it the time. Jamie Bell and Devon Alan as the two brothers are very convincing and easy to route for, and some directorial flourishes from Green and nice character acting from Lucas keep the film fresh and original even as it channels past classics from Malick ("Badlands"), Lynch ("Blue Velvet"), and the "Night of the Hunter." There's also a score from my favorite minimalist composer Philip Glass. All in all, not a bad way for a film buff to spend their evening.