Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
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A troubled man's collection of tapes about female sexuality creates a ripple effect of tension and revelation within a fractured marriage.
The story
Ann Bishop Mullany lives in Baton Rouge, unhappily but comfortably married to John, a successful lawyer. When John's old friend Graham, a drifter who records women's sexual fantasies on videotape, comes to stay with them, the dynamic of their household shifts. Ann becomes intrigued by Graham's presence, while John is secretly involved in an affair with Ann's sister, Cynthia. The discovery of Graham's tapes and the underlying tensions of the marriage begin to surface as the three characters navigate their complicated relationships and secrets in the Louisiana setting.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ann Bishop Mullany is in a strained marriage with John, a lawyer, and is secretly repulsed by his touch. When John's old friend Graham arrives to stay with them, he brings a collection of videotapes featuring women discussing their sexual fantasies. Ann discovers the tapes and later learns that John is having an affair with her sister, Cynthia. After Cynthia is also recorded on tape by Graham, Ann confronts the truth and decides to make her own tape with Graham. This leads to a confrontation where John becomes enraged and eventually assaults Graham. In the tapes, Ann admits she has thought of Graham, and Graham reveals he is a former pathological liar. Following a heated confrontation where John claims to have slept with Graham's ex-girlfriend, Graham destroys his equipment. The film ends with Ann and Cynthia reconciling while Ann and Graham share a final moment on a porch.
- First release year
- 1989
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Soderbergh
- Writers
- Steven Soderbergh · writer
- Cast and characters
- James Spader · Graham; Andie MacDowell · Ann; Peter Gallagher · John; Laura San Giacomo · Cynthia
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- sexuality; infidelity; identity
- Tone and mood
- dramatic; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- independent film; drama
- Reception
- The film was well received in its initial release in 1989 and was considered influential in revolutionizing the independent film movement in the early 1990s. It was also deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by the Library of Congress.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 86 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Awards and nominations
- Palme d'Or · Cannes Film Festival · 1989 · win; FIPRESCI Prize · Cannes Film Festival · 1989 · win; Best Actor · Cannes Film Festival · 1989 · win; Audience Award · Sundance Film Festival · 1989 · win; Academy Award · Screenplay · 1989 · nomination
- Production trivia
- Soderbergh was the youngest solo director to win the Palme d'Or at age 26.; The script was written in just eight days on a yellow legal pad.; The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2006.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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