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The Weight Of The Water Details

2000 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 50
  • from 989 members

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. .. Read more

Starring Catherine McCormack, Sarah Polley, Sean Penn, Elizabeth Hurley
Director Kathryn Bigelow
Genres Drama

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The Weight Of The Water

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.

Starring Catherine McCormack, Sarah Polley, Sean Penn, Elizabeth Hurley, Ciarán Hinds, Katrin Cartlidge, Ulrich Thomsen, Anders W. Berthelsen, Joshua Lucas, Vinessa Shaw
Director Kathryn Bigelow
Studio Optimum
Run time DVD: 1 hr 49 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Collections 100 Top Thrillers
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 16 Jun 2003
Production year: 2000
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (5) of The Weight Of The Water

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    As Hollywood's only female action director, Kathryn Bigelow is more fêted for such high-octane material as Point Break, Blue Steel and K-19: the Widowmaker. Which is perhaps the reason why this more downbeat, more character-driven drama bypassed British cinemas and went straight to video here. It's actually rather better than it sounds, despite its mild delusions of grandeur and confused and confusing ending. The split-level plotline involves a grisly murder 100 years earlier of two young girls that has a resonance and ramifications for two couples on a present-day yacht trip. Sean Penn, Catherine McCormack and Sarah Polley head a quality cast. Liz Hurley also stars, wisely spending most of the film in her bikini.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • "...The cast is in good form, and the 19th-century half gets more interesting as it goes..."

    • USA Today
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of The Weight Of The Water

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  • 9 out of 9 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    < < Compelling movie > >

    Found the storyline very compelling to watch, especially with the history of the island which the research was taking over Jeans life. The more she found out about the murders on the island the more she was thinking about the past. Overall a good movie

      • A customer from Wales
      • Posted 18 May 2004 13:35

  • Most recent members' review of The Weight Of The Water

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  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Nae Bad

    Some one recommended this and apart from Liz hurleys wooden acting ... i thought this was a pretty good film .. with an interesting plot

      • A customer from Kennington,London
      • Posted 27 May 2004 14:38

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Rating breakdown

989 Member ratings
  • 100
12
  • 90
26
  • 80
63
  • 70
108
  • 60
183
  • 50
173
  • 40
173
  • 30
115
  • 20
97
  • 10
39

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      • 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 ...