With his provocative feature debut, twenty-six-year-old director Steven Soderbergh explores the complexities of intimacy and deception in the modern age. Housewife Ann (Andie MacDowell) feels emotionally distant from her lawyer husband, John (Peter Gallagher), who is secretly having an affair with her sister, Cynthia (Laura San Giacomo).
When John’s old friend Graham (James Spader) arrives, Ann finds herself drawn to the quiet and enigmatic outsider. As their connection deepens, she discovers his unusual and unsettling obsession—recording women as they confess their most intimate thoughts and desires.
A sharply observed and emotionally charged chamber piece, the film uses the video camera as a powerful metaphor for isolation and vulnerability. Winner of the Palme d’Or, Sex, Lies, and Videotape helped redefine American independent cinema and played a pivotal role in shaping the film landscape of the 1990s.
Film Info
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Country: United States
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Year: 1989
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Runtime: 100 minutes
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Color: Color
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
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Language: English
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Spine #: 938
Special Features (Director-Approved Blu-ray Edition)
- New 4K digital restoration with a 5.1 surround mix from original sound elements
- Audio commentary (1998) with Steven Soderbergh and Neil LaBute
- New introduction by Steven Soderbergh
- Archival interviews with Soderbergh (1990 & 1992)
- New documentary on the making of the film featuring Peter Gallagher, Andie MacDowell, and Laura San Giacomo
- 1989 interview with James Spader
- Conversation between sound editor Larry Blake and composer Cliff Martinez
- Deleted scene with commentary by Soderbergh
- Sound restoration demonstration
- Theatrical trailers
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Included Booklet
- Essay by critic Amy Taubin
- Excerpts from Steven Soderbergh’s 1990 book about the film
