| | | Hell hath no fury...
Features: DVD
An intense and sexually-charged drama of repression, love, and loss, in the past and in the present, The Weight of Water tells the story of a contemporary woman whose obsession with a notorious unsolved crime from the 1800s leads her to confront devastating truths in her own life. Jean (Catherine McCormack), a photographer working on a magazine story about the case, and her husband, Thomas (Sean Penn), a troubled poet, view their trip to New Hampshire's picturesque Isles of Shoals, the scene of the crime, as a respite from their ongoing marital problems. But as Jean immerses herself in the details of the murders--an outburst of passion that resulted in the deaths of two women--she enters precarious emotional territory. Jean's two obsessions--the murders and her deteriorating marriage--collide in explosive and unexpected ways. During a sudden storm at sea, Jean's overwhelming feelings of jealousy, frustration, and rage illuminate the terrible truth about the killer and the killings. She has a flash of insight, finally understanding what really happened the night of the murders.
Editor's Note
Two stories unravel simultaneously in this dark and suspenseful film. The first story, set in the present day, concerns a photographer, Jean (Catherine McCormack). She is working on an article for a magazine about a pair of bloody murders that happened 200 years before on the Isle of Shoals, just off the coast of New Hampshire. To get the pictures she needs she must visit the location of the murders, and so her husband, Thomas (Sean Penn), arranges a yachting trip with his brother, Rich (Josh Lucas), and Rich's girlfriend, Adaline (Elizabeth Hurley). The foursome pal around, enjoying the sea and the sun, while Adaline shamelessly seduces Thomas. Meanwhile, Jean is reliving the Isle of Shoals murders in her head, which is where the second story comes in. Maren (Sarah Polley) is a Norwegian woman who has recently immigrated to America with her husband. When her sister (Katrin Cartlidge) and sister-in-law (Vinessa Shaw) are brutally bludgeoned to death with an axe, she is the sole survivor, and thus the only one who knows the truth about what happened. THE WEIGHT OF WATER draws a parallel between these two tense episodes, as the surf swirls menacingly, foretelling imminent disaster.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 | | Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Trailer |
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
| | Studio: Lions Gate |
| Release Date: 4/27/2004 |
| Running Time: 113 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2002 | | Catalog ID: 8097-D | | UPC: 00658149809727 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
|
| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...THE WEIGHT OF WATER is certainly sexy..." 11/01/2002 p.E14USA Today
"...The cast is in good form, and the 19th-century half gets more interesting as it goes..." 11/01/2002 p.10E Movieline's Hollywood Life
"...[Polley] gives a stunning performance..." 11/01/2002 p.30-1 Entertainment Weekly
"...The movie maneuvers skillfully through the plot's hot brine..." 11/15/2002 p.109 Sight and Sound
"...Bigelow's adaptation of Anita Shreve's novel is intriguing..." 02/01/2003 p.67 Premiere
"[Polley] is spectacularly fierce." 04/01/2004 p.99 |
| |
|
|
|
