The Weight of Water (film)

The Weight of Water
File:Weight of Water, The- 2000.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kathryn Bigelow
Produced by	A. Kitman Ho Sigurjón Sighvatsson Janet Yang
Screenplay by	Alice Arlen Christopher Kyle
Based on	The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
Starring	Elizabeth Hurley Catherine McCormack Sean Penn Sarah Polley
Music by	David Hirschfelder
Cinematography	Adrian Biddle
Production company	StudioCanal
Distributed by	Lions Gate Films
Release dates	September 9, 2000 (2000-09-09) (TIFF) July 31, 2002 (2002-07-31) (France) November 1, 2002 (2002-11-01) (US)
Running time	113 minutes
Country	France United States
Language	English
Budget	$16 million
Box office	$321,279

The Weight of Water is a 2000 French-American mystery thriller film based on Anita Shreve's 1997 novel of the same name. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film stars Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn, and Sarah Polley. The film was shot in Nova Scotia. Although it premiered at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival, it was not released in the United States until November 1, 2002.

Plot

A newspaper photographer, Jean Janes, travels to the Isles of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast with her husband Thomas, an award-winning poet; his brother Rich, and Rich's girlfriend Adaline. She is researching the murders of two immigrant women in 1873. In a twist of fate, Jean discovers archived papers that appear to give an account of the murders. According to the papers, a third woman, a Norwegian immigrant named Maren Hontvedt, survived the attack by Louis Wagner.

The plot unfolds the narrative of the papers and Hontvedt's testimony against Wagner. Jean privately struggles with jealousy as Adaline openly flirts with Jean's husband; and he openly appreciates Adaline's beauty, and her interest in his work.

Cast

• Elizabeth Hurley as Adaline Gunne
• Catherine McCormack as Jean Janes
• Sean Penn as Thomas Janes
• Sarah Polley as Maren Hontvedt
  • Rita Kvist as young Maren
• Josh Lucas as Rich Janes
• Ciaran Hinds as Louis Wagner
• Ulrich Thomsen as John Hontvedt
• Anders W. Berthelsen as Evan Christenson
  • Jan Tore Kristoffersen as young Evan
• Katrin Cartlidge as Karen Christenson
• Vinessa Shaw as Anethe Christenson
• Richard Donat as Mr. Plaisted
• Adam Curry as Emil Ingerbretson
• Karl Juliusson as Mr. Christenson
• Michele Maillet (uncredited) as Mrs. Ingerbretson

Reception

The film received mixed reviews, with many feeling that Bigelow had not achieved as much weight with the fictional story of the present against her portrayal of the events of the past. Stephen Holden of The New York Times said, "There is so much to admire in The Weight of Water, Kathryn Bigelow's churning screen adaptation of a novel by Anita Shreve, that when the movie finally collapses on itself late in the game, it leaves you in the frustrating position of having to pick up its scattered pieces and assemble them as best you can." Holden felt the two stories "never mesh".

Accolades

• 2000: Nominated - San Sebastián International Film Festival – Golden Seashell for Kathryn Bigelow
• 2001: Winner - Film by the Sea International Film Festival – Film and Literature Award for Kathryn Bigelow

External links

• The Weight of Water at IMDb
• The Weight of Water at Box Office Mojo
• The Weight of Water at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Weight of Water at Metacritic