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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
James Cameron (written by)
Release Date:
9 August 1989 (USA) more
Tagline:
There's everything you've ever known about adventure, and then there's The Abyss. more
Plot:
A civilian diving team are enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(43 articles)
'Avatar' Controversy: Did James Cameron Steal the Story?
(From Cinematical. 26 October 2009, 4:10 PM, PDT)
'Avatar' Director James Cameron Has A Way With Words And People
(From MTV Movies Blog. 21 October 2009, 8:00 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Superb sci-fi action adventure more (323 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Ed Harris | ... | Virgil 'Bud' Brigman |
 | Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio | ... | Lindsey Brigman |
 | Michael Biehn | ... | Lt. Hiram Coffey |
 | Leo Burmester | ... | Catfish De Vries |
| Todd Graff | ... | Alan 'Hippy' Carnes |
 | John Bedford Lloyd | ... | Jammer Willis |
| J.C. Quinn | ... | Arliss 'Sonny' Dawson |
 | Kimberly Scott | ... | Lisa 'One Night' Standing |
| Captain Kidd Brewer Jr. | ... | Lew Finler (as Capt. Kidd Brewer Jr.) |
| George Robert Klek | ... | Wilhite |
 | Christopher Murphy | ... | Schoenick, SEAL Team Member |
 | Adam Nelson | ... | Ensign Monk, SEAL Team Member |
| Dick Warlock | ... | Dwight Perry (as Richard Warlock) |
| Jimmie Ray Weeks | ... | Leland McBride |
 | J. Kenneth Campbell | ... | DeMarco |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for language and some scenes of action. (special edition)
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
138 min | USA:171 min (special edition)
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Colour (DuArt)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (special edition) (2000) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (special edition) (2000) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original cut) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (also special edition) | Portugal:M/12 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | USA:PG-13 (Certificate #29764) | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Iceland:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 (special edition) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL (special edition)
Filming Locations:
Harbor Star Stage, San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA more
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The first feature film to have used an early version of Adobe Photoshop. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: The steel pipes that Coffey reaches behind to get a duffel bag full of guns shift as he brushes them with his shoulder. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
USS Montana Captain:
Sixty knots? No way, Barnes. The Reds don't have anything that fast.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Dawson's Creek: The Abby (#5.22)" (2002) more
Soundtrack:
The Walk To The Gas Chamber more
FAQ
I've heard that the set with the Deepcore rig still exists; is this trueWhat are the differences between the theatrical version and the extended version of the movie?
Why did they delete the alternate ending (with the tidal wave) from the theatrical version? That was exactly the point that the aliens in the movie were trying to make!
more
more (323 total)
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The Abyss is one of the best sci-fi action/adventure movies ever made. Besides the "usual" ingredients of excitement, characterization and great narrative technique, the movie really scores on the wonder factor. The amazing, jellyfish-like aliens and their manipulation of water... A superb story incorporating the use of a then-recent SFX breakthrough to absolute perfection. A timeless story with great actors, great characters, great emotional substance.
The story is fabulous. It is about the very survival of humanity, drawing on that time-honored science fiction trope: will we be so stupid and disorganized that we cause our own destruction, or will love and reason prevail, inaugurating a great and harmonious future for our species? In thinly veiled symbol terms, this movie demonstrates how we will reach the brink of destruction due to our own folly, but can be redeemed if we rediscover the love and wonder that we once lost.
My rating: A clear 10 out of 10.
P.S. Coffey's first name is... Hiram?!?! BWAAAH-HA-HA-HA!!!!