Movie: "Open Water"
 

I wasn't able to post a reply on the previous thread about this. My daughter and I just saw this movie this weekend. She is an experienced scuba diver, and I have also scuba dived and snorkeled a lot.

The movie is very realistic-----and very disturbing. It is very "un-Hollywood" and not slick or sensational at all. I think that is what makes it more real. It is filmed in such a way that you almost feel like you are watching a docu-drama.

My daughter was saying that lots of people have said to her that this situation "couldn't possibly happen". She thinks it absolutely could, and in fact, has more times than we like to think.

She has come up with a new drill that she will do from now on. She dives quite a bit as a "single" on vacations, and the dive operation will pair her up with a buddy. But, if your buddy is the only person who knows about you and is with you underwater, that doesn't help guarantee that the boat won't leave without you.

She is now going to make sure that she talks to another couple on the dive boat, and that they make a deal to look for each other before the boat returns. I think this is a great idea that should be standard for all of us.

I do think that this film will make people take diving seriously!

I think the dive boat operator was tried and acquited of manslaughter in Australia. There were lots of stories/rumors that the couple in the movie planned an escape or a suicide.

So they die in the end??

Please don't anyone tell the ending!!!! I think it would really spoil it.

Oh, I didn't actually didn't see the movie yet. I'm going to HI on Thursday so it was out of the question at least until after that vacation - just seeing the trailer scared the @$@#$ out of me! I was just talking about the news story I thought it was loosely based on/ inspired by.

I honestly do not think it happens that often that they leave someone behind - they have always done a count and check of people before we've gone on every ship I've been on. As can be said about almost everything, the drive to the dock is more dangerous than the dive itself.

I read in the newspaper that this was based on a true story. Very scary!

Tour operators are licensed and bonded. They won't be leaving anyone in the middle of the ocean anytime soon, at least if they value their business.

I saw "Open Water" over the weekend. The most anxiety-provoking part of the film for me had nothing to do with the sharks. Rather, it was the very detailed way that the mistake in the head count was shown. Something like that could happen so easily! I thought the movie was very good - ominous but subtle, very little gore, no huge climax. It really lets the viewer's own fears shape the experience. I saw it on a huge screen at a multiplex, which definitely added to the mood - you know, huge endless ocean, insignificant little humans....

Ironic anecdote - I'd planned to see whatever was playing on the Ingmar Bergman retrospective program at the Castro but missed the showtime and ended up seeing Open Water. During one of the scenes of the couple's conversations in the water, it did occur to me that this wasn't so different from a Bergman flick!

Unfortunately I think it does happen (although not with any frequency). Wasn't there a diver who was recently left behind near Catalina Island (CA) by his dive boat? I think I read about it in the news.

This absolutely did happen to a friend of mine, though in the Middle East. He surfaced, no boat, and had to swim ashore and walk barefoot in bathing suit to get back to his hotel. Injuries included cut up feet and suburned bald spot, plus a little loss of dignity in hiking through town in a bathing suit.

I read an interview with the filmmakers and the guy said that on a dive boat he would tear a fifty dollar bill in half, give one half to the captain and say "You'll get the other half when I'm back on this boat". I like the idea of connecting with some other people and looking out for each other, and I plan to do so next month on a boat in Hawaii (I'll be alone). It beats my idea of putting a big sign on my seat that says "Hey, if this sign is still here, I'm not". I dunno, they're both good.

I agree, one of the scariest parts of the movie for me was the drawn out misery of the head count, since you knew how it would turn out. You could see they were clearly trying to keep good track, but they made a mistake.

I thought the movie had its moments, but for two people with a lot of time to fill inbetween shark and jellyfish attacks, I thought the dialogue would have much more depth and focus in on character examination. I didn't really feel for those people or walk away feeling like I'd seen any sort of good character study. I don't know, I just thought that that's what was going to hold it together.

And yes, there was a man very recently left in the water on a diving trip in southern California. He bobbed around for several hours before being rescued by a boy scout boat expedition (who had only the day before practiced their man overboard technique until they got it right). Once I got mesmerised by it, I found several stories online of people being left behind by boats.

Finally, has anyone ever had something stolen on a boat while they were in the water? Seems like it could happen very easily with an unscrupulous crew, you really do have to place all kinds of trust in these people.

love
roxy

Just wanted to add that although this is "based on a true story", it actually should read "based on true stories"--plural. It's based on a combination of stories about people who've been left behind while diving.

AL ((d))

As much as I would like to see it, DH and decied for our sanoity's sake to skip it. We are avid scuba divers and this nightmare scenario is all too possible. WE were on a week long diving boat in the Bahamas, and they never hoisted anchors until they has a head count.

The true story that inspired "Open Water" is at the following link:

http://www.cdnn.info/article/open_water/open_water.html

We just saw the movie last night after many warnings from my son not to! He thought it was horrible, the acting was very amateaurish and it was filmed like someone's home movies.

There were only four other people in the theater and when we all walked out, they just couldn't believe what a drag and a let-down this movie was.

I guess I was hoping for more of a Jaws-type action thriller, Open Water was nothing like that. I would definitely say wait for the DVD in a few months. Don't waste your time or money on this flick.

It was only 79 minutes long, thank goodness! I would rather have gone to Lowe's and picked out my fall flowers to plant in my garden! LOL ***kim***

Last week there was a great story in the St. Pete Times interviewing a couple to whom this happened, in June 2000 near the Amanwana resort in Indonesia. They survived. And re the captain: he was their guide, left behind with them! A fellow diver saved them (so chicgeek's daughter has a good plan).

Scroll down to read full text of interview:
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/...7Open+Water%27

I am a certified PADI diver and I thought that this movie belonged on the The Discovery Channel rather than paying movie prices to see it.It was supposedly made for about $30,000 and if you notice in the credits-made by the children of those who died(ie. wrote,directed and edited-and yes, I am giving the ending away as I would hate other people to waste their movie on this). What a sleeper!!!According to the movie-there are reports of 25 a year that are "left" in the water.Our theater was packed at the beginning of the movie and was practically empty when the lights came on.I wish that I had used the movie money on a dinner.

dutyfree:

fyi -- referring to a movie that you dislike as a "sleeper" is not accurate. A "sleeper" can be defined as : "One that achieves unexpected recognition or success, as a race horse, book, or marketed product."

This movie has never been billed as a blockbuster! It was done as an indie film and originally released at film festivals. I think most people know that it is a low budget, indie in the style of "Blair Witch Project". For anyone to expect "Jaws" and then be disappointed I would say you didn't do your home work!

This is based on true events and was made by the families as a way to get the word out that this happens.

People I know that have gone have gone for this reason and also because we are interested in indie films.

Sorry if I offend anyone by saying all this, it's not my intention. I just hate it when people just go to things and then say what a waste it was instead of researching things and choosing them based on what they are offering and your own personal interests/views/ etc.

LOL Dutyfree! After the first ten minutes, my husband begged me to leave, I made him sit through the whole boring, uneventful thing! LOL

It definitely goes on my "worse movies I've ever seen" list. Definitely a Discovery Channel type thing. Let's just say I don't think those two will get an Academy awards for their efforts. ***kim***