.gif)
Deepwater (film)
Encyclopedia
Deepwater is a 2005 neo-noir
film
directed and written (screenplay
) by David S. Marfield. It is based on a novel of the same name written by Matthew F. Jones
. It was screened at the Seattle International Film Festival
on June 9, 2005 and the München Fantasy Filmfest in Germany
on June 28, 2005. The film was shot in Clearwater
and Little Fort in B.C., Canada.
) is a hitch-hiker whose dream is to open an ostrich farm in Wyoming
. Early in the trip, he gets in a fight at a truck-stop bar and in the ruckus, takes his opponent's car keys, stealing his sports car. Continuing the journey, he finds a stranger (Peter Coyote
) trapped in an overturned vehicle. He rescues him just as the car is completely destroyed by an incoming truck. Grateful for saving his life, the stranger, Herman Finch, hires Nat as the handyman for his motel. Nat soon learns that Finch runs a criminal network, acting in collusion with the police. Most of the locals are also in league with Finch. And everyone who irritates or opposes him soon turns up missing. They are then found dead.
Finch's young, attractive wife Iris (Mía Maestro
) soon hatches a plan to run off with Nat, planning to steal Finch's ill-gotten gains. Soon, Finch begins manipulating Nat when the latter begins questioning him about all the mysterious activities that had been taking place. Finch challenges Nat to a boxing match. If Nat won, he would be free to leave and take his car as well as the salary that he had made as Finch's handyman.
Nat shows up to the fight after training himself to tip-top shape. When he steps into the ring, Finch suddenly reveals that the fight was a joke. Finch actually never intended Nat to leave; Nat had been too good of a worker and had learned about too many dark secrets. Enraged, Nat attacks Finch, and then rushes to the motel. There, he grabs Iris and tells her that they had to leave. It is at this time that Nat finally learns that she had been loyal to Finch all along and helped manipulate Nat into not leaving by pretending to love him. Even faced with this fact, Nat is too deeply in love with Iris to escape alone. He kidnaps her and speeds away. Unsure of where to go in the night, Nat follows Iris' directions. However, Iris deceives Nat to drive to the barn where he had seen Finch for the fight. In a final fit of frustration, Nat drives off into the water. He swims out to find Finch and the police waiting for him.
It is only later discovered that Nat was a schizophrenic who had multiple personalities. The film had only focused on his noble personality. Not only did he fix Finch's motel, Nat also helped Finch murder his enemies. His personalities were likely entirely unaware of each other. Nat is sent to a mental hospital where he falls deeper into mental illness, whimpering about the baby ostriches that he would now never have the chance to raise.
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed and written (screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
) by David S. Marfield. It is based on a novel of the same name written by Matthew F. Jones
Matthew F. Jones
Matthew F. Jones is an American novelist. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in upstate New York, he now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. His 1999 novel Deepwater was adapted for a 2006 film of the same title, starring Lucas Black and Peter Coyote...
. It was screened at the Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
on June 9, 2005 and the München Fantasy Filmfest in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on June 28, 2005. The film was shot in Clearwater
Clearwater, British Columbia
Clearwater is a district municipality in the North Thompson River valley in British Columbia, Canada, north of Kamloops. The largest community in the valley, with a population of 4,960, Clearwater is predominantly employed by the forestry industry. Tourism is also a major industry, with Wells Gray...
and Little Fort in B.C., Canada.
Synopsis
Nat Banyon (Lucas BlackLucas Black
Lucas York Black is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the CBS television series American Gothic as well as roles in films such as Sling Blade, Jarhead, Friday Night Lights, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Legion, Get Low, and All the Pretty Horses.-Personal...
) is a hitch-hiker whose dream is to open an ostrich farm in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. Early in the trip, he gets in a fight at a truck-stop bar and in the ruckus, takes his opponent's car keys, stealing his sports car. Continuing the journey, he finds a stranger (Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
) trapped in an overturned vehicle. He rescues him just as the car is completely destroyed by an incoming truck. Grateful for saving his life, the stranger, Herman Finch, hires Nat as the handyman for his motel. Nat soon learns that Finch runs a criminal network, acting in collusion with the police. Most of the locals are also in league with Finch. And everyone who irritates or opposes him soon turns up missing. They are then found dead.
Finch's young, attractive wife Iris (Mía Maestro
Mía Maestro
Mía Maestro is an Argentine actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Nadia Santos in the television drama Alias, and as Christina Kahlo in Frida.-Life and acting career:...
) soon hatches a plan to run off with Nat, planning to steal Finch's ill-gotten gains. Soon, Finch begins manipulating Nat when the latter begins questioning him about all the mysterious activities that had been taking place. Finch challenges Nat to a boxing match. If Nat won, he would be free to leave and take his car as well as the salary that he had made as Finch's handyman.
Nat shows up to the fight after training himself to tip-top shape. When he steps into the ring, Finch suddenly reveals that the fight was a joke. Finch actually never intended Nat to leave; Nat had been too good of a worker and had learned about too many dark secrets. Enraged, Nat attacks Finch, and then rushes to the motel. There, he grabs Iris and tells her that they had to leave. It is at this time that Nat finally learns that she had been loyal to Finch all along and helped manipulate Nat into not leaving by pretending to love him. Even faced with this fact, Nat is too deeply in love with Iris to escape alone. He kidnaps her and speeds away. Unsure of where to go in the night, Nat follows Iris' directions. However, Iris deceives Nat to drive to the barn where he had seen Finch for the fight. In a final fit of frustration, Nat drives off into the water. He swims out to find Finch and the police waiting for him.
It is only later discovered that Nat was a schizophrenic who had multiple personalities. The film had only focused on his noble personality. Not only did he fix Finch's motel, Nat also helped Finch murder his enemies. His personalities were likely entirely unaware of each other. Nat is sent to a mental hospital where he falls deeper into mental illness, whimpering about the baby ostriches that he would now never have the chance to raise.
Cast
- Lucas BlackLucas BlackLucas York Black is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the CBS television series American Gothic as well as roles in films such as Sling Blade, Jarhead, Friday Night Lights, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Legion, Get Low, and All the Pretty Horses.-Personal...
...Nat Banyon - Peter CoyotePeter CoyotePeter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
...Herman Finch - Mía MaestroMía MaestroMía Maestro is an Argentine actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Nadia Santos in the television drama Alias, and as Christina Kahlo in Frida.-Life and acting career:...
...Iris - Lesley Ann WarrenLesley Ann WarrenLesley Ann Warren is an American actress and singer. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Emmy Awards and five times for Golden Globe, winning one....
...Pam - Xander BerkeleyXander BerkeleyAlexander Harper "Xander" Berkeley is an American actor. His roles include George Mason on the television series 24.-Early life:Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey...
...Gus - Jason CerboneJason CerboneJason Cerbone is an actor from Yonkers, New York.He got his start acting at age 4, appearing on a commercial for Sesame Street. He signed with the Ford Modeling Agency in New York City at age 7. Jason later appeared in Bon Jovi's "Silent Night" music video, as well as the title character in...
...Sal - Michael IronsideMichael IronsideMichael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
...Walnut - Kristen BellKristen BellKristen Anne Bell is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in Polish Wedding, Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
...Nurse Laurie - Ben Cardinal...Petersen
- Dee SniderDee SniderDaniel "Dee" Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister...
...Bartender - John Boncore...Joe Littlefeet
- Valerie Murphy...Stripper