sex, lies, and videotape
Short description
Steven Soderbergh wrote and directed this American drama, his first feature and the opening entry in a filmography that would go on to number 35 titles, followed by Kafka in 1991. It centres on Ann, a wife in a marriage gone stale, who agrees to counselling while her husband John, a lawyer, carries on an affair with her sister Cynthia. Into this arrangement comes Graham, John's old university friend, who settles in town and whose habit of recording women talking about their intimate lives unsettles the couple. Ann's irritation with the blunt newcomer gives way to curiosity about his videotapes, and the encounters that follow shift the balance of the marriage.
James Spader plays Graham, with Andie MacDowell as Ann, Peter Gallagher as John and Laura San Giacomo as Cynthia. Smaller parts include Ron Vawter as the therapist and Steven Brill as a barfly. Made for about a million dollars, the film returned roughly 25 million worldwide, a strong multiple on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from around 64,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7 out of 10 from about a thousand votes. A critics' rating of 8.1 out of 10 from 56 reviews places it above both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The script was written in two weeks.
- The film is dedicated to the memory of Ann Marie Dollard (1956 — 1988). She was Steven Soderbergh's agent and died a month before filming began.
- Some memorable lines and actions were improvised by the actors themselves. For example, Spader and McDowell suggested filming the final scene outdoors, and Spader improvised about the rain, as it was actually about to rain.
- David Duchovny and David Hyde Pierce auditioned for the roles of Graham and John, respectively.
- During a conversation with her sister, Ann flips through a magazine whose cover features a poster from Dziga Vertov's Soviet documentary film "Kino-Glaz" (1924).
- One scene recreates a recording made by Graham of one of the women. Jennifer Jason Leigh was supposed to appear in this cameo. It was decided that Jennifer's boyfriend would film her before the shoot, but the actress couldn't find the time for it. When filming began, Steven Soderbergh asked a woman from the crew to film for this role.
- The role of Ann was written with Elizabeth McGovern in mind.
- Film director Steven Soderbergh presented producers with a list of possible film titles; among them was "46:02", which Soderbergh himself favored (46:02 is the length of a video recording featured in the script, made by Ann for Graham).
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