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. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Review
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." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Jill Newell - Costume Designer, Paul Epstein - First Assistant Director, David Gordon Green - Director, R. Craig Zobel - Second Unit Director, Steven Gonzales - Editor, Zene Baker - Editor, Alessandro Camon - Executive Producer, Saar Klein - Executive Producer, John Schmidt - Executive Producer, Philip Glass - Composer (Music Score), David Wingo - Composer (Music Score), Michael Linnen - Composer (Music Score), Mark Wike - Musical Direction/Supervision, Richard A. Wright - Production Designer, Tim Orr - Cinematographer, Terrence Malick - Producer, Edward R. Pressman - Producer, Lisa Muskat - Producer, Chris Gebert - Sound/Sound Designer, Lingard Jervey - Screen Story, David Gordon Green - Screenwriter, Joe Conway - Screenwriter, Adam Stone - Second Unit Camera, Larry Blake - Supervising Sound Editor, Summer Eubanks - Set Decorator
The protagonist is Chris Munn (Jamie Bell), a troubled and restless teen. His family consists of his younger brother Tim (Devon Alan) and their father John (Dermot Mulroney). They live in an isolated rural house in Georgia.
The story of the film is one of greed and family hatred. It begins when John's brother Deel (Josh Lucas) visits the Munn family, stirring up unease among them. It turns out that Deel wishes to reclaim a hoard of gold coins from John. He eventually finds them hidden behind John's family portrait. John refuses to give them up. In the ensuing struggle, Deel murders him. He tries to kill Chris and Tim too, but they escape him and run away from home. Chris brings the gold coins along with him.
On the run, the boys meet an assortment of fairytale-like characters. Deel pursues them, eventually catching up. Wading into a river, Chris throws away the gold coins into the water. Enraged by their loss, Deel struggles with Chris and tries to drown the boy. In turn, Deel receives a fatal stab wound in the chest.
Rendered unconscious by the struggle, Chris wakes up in hospital. There, he is reunited with Tim and their grandparents, who have found them.
The film received mixed reviews from film critics, whose responses ranged from admiration to derision.[7][8] On Rotten Tomatoes, it earned a rating of 56% based on 108 reviews and 60% based on 30 top critics.[9] On Metacritic, the film earned a metascore of 63% based on 30 reviews.[10]
Roger Ebert praised the film, giving it a full four stars in his review.[11]
