The Abyss (1989)

The Abyss is one of the best sci-fi movies I have seen -- and always it plucks at my heartstrings. (You don't find science and emotion paired together well very often in science fiction so that's something in itself. Besides, James Cameron was clearly the guy to make a sci-fi movie set completely in a subsea drilling platform and submersibles.) I own the video and the novel -- which is excellent, by the way, since Cameron picked master of characterization Orson Scott Card to further flesh out the inner motivations of Lindsay the rig designer and Bud the crew foreman (not to mention the inscrutable actions of the Builders). It would give too much away to say more about the love/hate relationship between Ed Burns and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio but their cold side always entertains while their warm side never fails to melt me (esp. Bud's farewell and the effect it has on his people as well as a matter of extraterrestrial import). Bud's epiphany makes for a thrilling climax and denouement, of course. The only thing I don't like in this movie is the ham-handed acting of the lead Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) -- though you have to respect his tenacity. The rest of the ensemble cast does well in their respective roles, every one. What makes The Abyss so iconic and memorable though is its sense of wonder and discovery. The musical score beautifully conveys that spirit of the explorer which The Abyss posits to reside at the core of our very human nature. 5 stars.