(Pretty strong argument against drinking and diving, eh?)
CAST: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Todd Graff, Kimberly Scott, Christopher Murphy.
DIRECTOR: James Cameron
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and soggy CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND antics straight ahead…
In 1989, I remember reading in a magazine a list of upcoming films for that summer. One of them was the much-heralded underwater adventure, THE ABYSS. The magazine described its plot as: “The crew of an oil drilling platform on the ocean floor is terrorized by an underwater monster.” Given that there had already been two films that year dealing with “a crew terrorized by an underwater monster” in DEEP STAR SIX and LEVIATHAN, this news was about as provocative to me as the news that Sylvester Stallone was about to star in another cheesy action movie. In other words: yawn.
But THE ABYSS is directed by James Cameron - and if there’s anything that James Cameron does not do, it is march with the crowd. I just couldn’t picture him releasing a film like any other film - let alone two other films from the same year. It just didn’t seem possible that Cameron would trot out the same “ALIEN underwater” tropes that DEEPSTAR SIX and LEVIATHAN were peddling, however good (the former) or average (the latter).
Sure enough, it became clear that THE ABYSS would not feature a rampaging monster. While the characters would indeed grapple with an unknown “something” down in the abyssal trenches of the ocean, it would not be a slimy creature killing them one by one. As I had thought, Cameron had other plans…
THE ABYSS revolves around the efforts of the U.S. Navy to conduct a rescue operation on a downed nuclear submarine, the USS Montana. The Montana encountered some sort of marine anomaly that sent it crashing down into an abyssal trench. Perched precariously on a ledge, the sub is just one fish fart away from tumbling over the edge and going bye-bye for good.
The DOD learns of an underwater oil drilling platform called DeepCore that isn’t too far from where the Montana went down. Before you know it, the company that owns DeepCore has lifted its skirt for the DOD and spread its legs. In other words, the platform is the U.S. Navy’s to use as a base to conduct the rescue operation.
Bud Brigman (Ed Harris), DeepCore’s chief, is one of those blue-collar boy-next-door types that is your basic nice guy. He pretty much agrees to the whole thing and advises his crew that, for the time being, they are the Navy’s bitches. Bud’s orders are to maneuver the platform to the edge of the trench where the Montana’s wreck is lodged. And those orders are being given Lt. Coffey (Michael Biehn), a sort of liaison/Navy Seal sent onto DeepCore, along with four other goons, to monitor the situation.
Someone who is not pleased with the DeepCore being commandeered by the DOD for the operation is Lindsay Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). The platform’s architect, she sees the whole things as belonging to her - and not the company on whose dime it was built. You try explaining it to her, though. Because as the crew themselves put it, she’ the “Queen Bitch of the Universe.”
Oh, and the surname similarity between Bud and Lindsay isn’t a coincidence. They’re married, folks. But not for long, as far as Lindsay is concerned. Yes, it’s the “D” word that has allowed certain individuals to walk away with a lot of moolah. And I don’t mean “Dancing With The Stars.” Oh… that’s not a word? Sorry.
Anyhow, I’m talking about “divorce.” Yup. In addition to having to worry about the five Navy Seal goons on-board and their Top Secret rescue operation, Bud also has to contend with a seriously pissed-off Lindsay. Which, despite her beauty, is not a pretty sight. There are hurricanes that are less deadly.
Speaking of hurricanes, one conveniently shows up to force the support ships up top to skeddadle to the nearest port with a bunch of titty bars. Leaving DeepCore and its squabbling denizens cut-off for is really only about 12 hours, but must feel like an eternity if you’re trapped onboard with five hulking goons and a bickering couple who are about to embark on that great adventure called… alimony.
I know you’re probably thinking that things couldn’t possibly get any worse. Oh, how wrong you’d be…
See, all of a sudden, the crew starts experiencing - ahem - sightings of strange glowing crafts. Right now you’re likely going: “Now, what is this horseshit? How can there be UFO sightings underwater? Are they amphibious?” Well, dear blog reader, you are more right than you know. Just think of them as “Underwater Flying Objects,” as one such rocket scientist crew member hypothesizes.
So… what is going on three miles under the sea? What is in hiding in the abyss below? What have Lindsay, Bud, and the crew been seeing? Are they Russian spy submersibles? Or something else? Will World War 3 break out topside? What is Coffey’s master plan for the Montana? Why is acting so squirrelly? Could he have the dreaded “shakes” that everyone seems to live in fear of on DeepCore? If so, what will he do? Will he go apeshit and kill everyone? Will he try to destroy the UFOs? Will he dress up like Arielle from THE LITTLE MERMAID and prance around the pool room like the world’s least believable drag queen?
I’d pay to see that.
BUT, SERIOUSLY: If there was ever a movie that wasn’t done any favors by its hype, it’s THE ABYSS. With trailers that features breathless behind-the-scenes footage and a poster tagline that boasted, “There’s everything you know about adventure, then there’s THE ABYSS,” the film set up a monumental sense of expectation. It didn’t help that director James Cameron’s last film was the 1986 smash ALIENS, which redefined the sci-fi-action genre with its combo of breathlessly kinetic pace and touching emotional core. In other words, THE ABYSS had some big shoes to fill.
So, did THE ABYSS deliver? Well, no… and yes.
On one hand, THE ABYSS was considered a disappointment, if not an outright failure in some quarters. It’s telling that in the trailers for AVATAR last year, THE ABYSS was not one of the titles flashed onscreen along with the rest of Cameron’s stellar output. This was probably due to the fact that the film didn’t have the impact at the box-office that it should have. Audiences expecting another slam-bang roller-coaster ride with killer creatures in the vein of ALIENS were severely disappointed. What they got was something else.
As I wrote before, Cameron doesn’t march with the crowd. He follows his instincts and does his own thing. Everyone thought he was crazy for making TITANIC, but it became the highest-grossing film in the history of cinema - until it was surpassed recently by a little film called AVATAR… also by James Cameron. Bottom line is the guy is a genius. He is a master at combining pulse-pounding techno-thriller plots with touching, human-scale storylines that emotionally anchor each film.
With THE ABYSS, this is exactly what we get: a suspenseful film that is, on the surface, about a dangerous underwater rescue operation that encounters something unexpected in the depths. But at its heart, THE ABYSS is about love and sacrifice - about a man and a woman who feel deeply for each other but are afraid to show it. When push comes to shove, however, each would die for the other.
THE ABYSS is not as lightning-fast as ALIENS. Because much of the action takes place underwater, the film has a certain hypnotic, surreal, sensual quality to it that may put off more restless viewers. Those who do not mind this, however, are in for a treat. Very few films capture the other-worldly feel of being underwater as THE ABYSS does. James Cameron is an experienced scuba diver and his passion for the realm of “inner space” comes through. Especially in some of the action sequences - which rival those of ALIENS in excitement. Like I said, though… the action of THE ABYSS is more of a graceful nature than the visceral barrage that ALIENS was.
Equally compelling are the central characters. Bud Brigman is obviously meant to be an easygoing everyman whose likability and decency make him the perfect leader - someone who clearly cares more about his people than he does for himself. Ed Harris is the perfect actor to bring these qualities to the fore - he’s the perfect combo of good looks, down-to-earth humility, and steely backbone. Brigman is clearly smarter than even he gives himself credit for.
They say opposites attract, and if that’s the case, Bud is perfectly matched with Lindsay. Described by another character as the “Queen Bitch of the Universe,” she is intense, driven, direct, and knows exactly what she wants. Not sure if she’s deserving of this title, because she doesn’t behave any differently from the hard-charging men around her. Only no one’s calling them names. In any case, the hauntingly beautiful Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio perfectly captures all of Lindsay’s soft and hard sides, making her one of Cameron’s best heroines.
Mastrantonio and Harris also make a potent couple. Whether bickering and arguing for real, or in a way that is almost like flirting, or just giving each other hidden looks of tenderness, its clear that Bud and Lindsey still love each other despite their impending divorce. The evolution of their relationship from hostile and combative at the beginning, to grudgingly conciliatory, to warmly cooperative, and, finally, to caring and self-sacrificing is what keeps THE ABYSS from being just another action film, however well-made.
There are a couple of wrenching scenes towards the end where Bud and Lindsay must each make a difficult but noble choice in order to make sure that the other lives. These scenes perfectly illustrate that while love is about many different things, in the end it boils down to one key thing: sacrifice. Would you let yourself drown just to ensure that the person you love survives? The answer to that question - and to Bud and Lindsay’s conflict - has a direct impact on the outcome of the film’s other events.
See THE ABYSS to find that answer. It’s clear that this film was just ahead of its time. It also suffered from comparison to the much more kinetic ALIENS from a few years earlier. This doesn’t change the fact that THE ABYSS is just as terrific as that film, and deserved to be mentioned in the AVATAR trailer as well.
In time, I’m sure THE ABYSS will be re-discovered by a new generation for the stellar, suspenseful, moving film that it is.
Way to go, James!
