Undertow [Blu-ray]

Director: David Gordon Green David Gordon Green

Overview

Chris (Jamie Bell of Billy Elliot) is a volatile teen who lives with his father, John (Dermot Mulroney), and his little brother, Tim (Devon Alan). After the death of Chris' mother, his reclusive father moved the family to a shack in backwoods Georgia, where they raise hogs. Tim has an unusual eating disorder. He is constantly making himself sick by eating things like dirt and paint. One day, John's estranged brother, Deel (Josh Lucas), gets out of prison and shows up on the farm. John is less than thrilled to see him, but agrees to let him stay with the family as long as Deel helps him look after his boys. Chris is drawn to his wild-man uncle, but it soon becomes clear that Deel has more on his mind than a family reunion. Greed and years of resentment lead to violence, and Chris finds himself on the run, towing his sickly brother along, with Deel in pursuit. Undertow is writer/director David Gordon Green's third feature film, and features many of the same crew as his previous films, George Washington and All the Real Girls, including cinematographer Tim Orr. Green, who co-wrote the script with Joe Conway, has cited the influence of filmmaker Terrence Malick, who is credited as a producer. Green was also influenced by low-budget regional films of the 1970s (like Macon County Line and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and by Charles Laughton's classic The Night of the Hunter. Undertow was selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center for inclusion in the 2004 New York Film Festival.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/22/2016
UPC:	0887090118309
Original Release:	2004
Rating:	R
Source:	Olive
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:48:00
Sales rank:	18,833

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jamie Bell	Chris Munn
Joshua Lucas	Deel Munn,Deel
Devon Alan	Tim Munn
Dermot Mulroney	John Munn
Shiri Appleby	Violet
Pat Healy	Grant the Mechanic
Bill McKinney	Grandfather
Kristen Stewart	Lila
Robert Longstreet	Bern
Terry Loughlin	Officer Clayton
Devon Allen	Actor
Eddie Rouse	Actor
Mark Darby Robinson	Actor
Michael Bacall	Actor
Michael Linnen	Composer
Philip Glass	Composer
David Wingo	Composer

Technical Credits

David Gordon Green

Lingard Jervey

Joe Conway

David Gordon Green	Director,Screenwriter
Lingard Jervey	Screenwriter
Joe Conway	Screenwriter,Screenwriter
Terrence Malick	Producer
Lisa Muskat	Producer
Edward R. Pressman	Producer
Alessandro Camon	Executive Producer
John Schmidt	Executive Producer
Sophia Lin	Producer
Saar Klein	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

David Gordon Green's Undertow opens with a bang -- a rollicking, psychedelic action credit sequence, complete with split screens, negative images, zooms, and freeze-frames, that could have come out of a 1970s action B-movie like Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry. It's a head rush, a kinesthetic marvel completely unlike anything in the director's previous work, though the snatch of dialogue it follows, with a teen girl sweetly asking her boyfriend, "Can I carve my name in your face?" could probably only have come from Green. Not only does that chase sequence suggest the heretofore hidden depths of Green's talent (and that of his superb DP, Tim Orr, and editors, Zene Baker and Steven Gonzales), but it has thematic resonance. Unlike a typical chase sequence, in this one, it's never quite clear who's chasing Chris (Jamie Bell), but it's clear that his running is hopeless. He's essentially trying to outrun himself, which pretty much sums up the theme of Undertow, as Chris must know, deep down, that he'll eventually have to face his belligerent uncle, Deel (Josh Lucas), along with his own demons. After the opening credits, the film settles down into a more menacing version of Green's typical swampy Southern romantic lyricism. Rooted in boys' adventure stories, with clear allusions to classics from Huck Finn to The Night of the Hunter, Green's take on the thriller is uniquely his, and it's occasionally an unwieldy mix of bluntly efficient storytelling with poetic dialogue and imagery. The film certainly has its odd, awkward scenes, and it doesn't come together quite with the seamless loveliness of George Washington or All the Real Girls, but it's still memorable, and offers more evidence of the filmmaker's prodigious talent. As one character points out, "Sometimes it's the strange moments that stick with you."

All Movie Guide - Josh Ralske