The Weight of Water (2000)

5.8R87 minDirector: Kathryn Bigelow

2000 film by Kathryn Bigelow

The Weight of Water is a 2000 psychological thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and starring Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn, Elizabeth Hurley, Josh Lucas, Vinessa Shaw, Katrin Cartlidge, Ciarán Hinds, and Sarah Polley. Based on Anita Shreve's 1997 novel of the same name, it follows a newspaper photographer who, while researching the murders of two Norwegian immigrants that occurred in the Isles of Shoals in 1873, finds her own life paralleling that of a witness to the crime. The film is told in a nonlinear narrative fashion, contrasting the contemporary events with the semi-fictionalized historical events.

A co-production between the United States and France, The Weight of Water was filmed in late 1999 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It premiered at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival before screening at several other film festivals, though it was not released in the United States until November 1, 2002, by Lionsgate Films. It was a box-office bomb, grossing $321,279 against a $16 million budget, and received largely unfavorable reviews from film critics.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is The Weight of Water about?
The Weight of Water (2000) — In 1873 on Smutty Nose Island, a bleak island off the coast of New England, Louis Wagner is tried and hanged for the murder of two women. At the trial, the survivor of the murders, Norwegian immigrant Maren Hontvedt, recounts the events that led up to the murder of her sister and
Is The Weight of Water based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is The Weight of Water scary?
Content rating: R. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.