Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

This epinion reveals minor details of the plot in order to preserve the movie's content for the new viewer.

If you love dark comedies as much as I do, then Head Above Water is definitely worth viewing. Filmed in 1996, Head Above Water is the story of a young an beautiful, yet dippy woman named Nathalie (played by Cameron Diaz)who has trouble with intimacy and relationships with the opposite sex.

Nathalie is married to George, (played by Harvey Keitel. George, an older and somewhat conservative judge. They live somewhere in the state of Maine, where George takes his young wife to a family summer home located on a seaside island (near the city of Rockport, Maine). They are alone, but for Nathalie's childhood friend, Lance (played by Craig Sheffer), who is an artist and lives in a nearby cabin. Lance serves as the caretaker for the island and its inhabitants.

When George and Lance go out on a fishing excursion one evening, Nathalie's old boyfriend, Kent (played by Billy Zane) shows up. During the course of his visit, he dies of mysterious and uncertain causes. Nathalie panics, thinking her husband will be jealous and decides to hide him in the cellar. When George comes home and finds the body, everything goes haywire, as the couple decides what to do with Kent.

Directed and produced by Jim Wilson and available in the theaters for the summer of 1997, Head Above Water is along the same genre as Fargo, Sling Blade, and A Simple Plan. The plot has so many twists and turns, the viewer is never quite sure what to expect. The ending is certainly a great surprise and I won't share it with you, but suffice it to say that a new found respect for Nathalie is certainly in order.

This movie is a bit over 90 minutes in length and is rated
PG-13, but I would seriously give thoughtful consideration to letting anyone younger than 18 years old view it. I may be a bit on the conservative side here, but I really don't think that a 13 or 14 year old could really grasp fully nor appreciate this type of movie.

Available on video and DVD, Head Above Water is also currently airing on HBO. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates black comedy.



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age