The text in this section is from the liner notes on The Abyss: Special Edition laserdisc boxed set. It details the restored scenes in the director’s cut of the film, which for many has become the definitive version. The chapter numbers refer to the laserdisc (and possibly DVD) chapters, and the commentary in italics after each chapter explanation is my review of the additional scene, my opinion regarding whether the scene enhances the film, etc.
RESTORATION NOTES:
In 1989, the theatrical version of The Abyss was released at a running time of 140 minutes. The restoration of approximately 28 minutes of footage and 3 minutes of expanded credits beings The Abyss: Special Edition to a running time of roughly 171 minutes. The following notes will assist you in identifying the newly restored material.
CHAPTER 2: A relevant quotation from Nietzche has been reinserted between the Fox logo and the main title. This was shot in 1989 and was only cut from the original release when another film, Criminal Law, came out just prior to The Abyss with the same quotation on it.
Totally cool. It establishes "the abyss" as not only something physical, but also metaphorical and psychological. Cameron philosophizes about the meaning of "the abyss" in an essay at the end of the laserdisc supplementary section. Check it out. A
CHAPTER 4: Just prior to calling Deepcore on the radio, Bendix makes an aside to McBride about Lindsey’s likely reaction to Bud’s agreement to the Navy operation.
An unnecessary aside, since we see Lindsey’s reaction moments later when she confronts Bud via comlink. It also slows down the forward momentum of the sequence, but hey, it’s short—maybe I shouldn’t be so picky. C
CHAPTER 5: Bud’s extended dialogue with Kirkhill over the phone has been restored and is followed by several restored scenes introducing the crew members of Deepcore at work as Bud sounds the diver recall and informs them of the upcoming Navy briefing. These scenes introduce more of the supporting characters at their specific tasks: Hippy flying the ROV, One Night piloting Flatbed, and Sonny welding underwater. Hippy’s scene also introduces the audience to the concept of an ROV: a robot camera that could be operated remotely via a joystick control and tether. The subsequent scene in the Sub Bay introduces the concept of the moonpool in addition to some of the other characters, like Finler, Catfish and Jammer. These scenes comprise roughly two and a half minutes of screen time.
This sequence gives us a sense of what life is like on Deepcore before all hell breaks loose. We see the Deepcore drillers in their environment, doing their respective jobs, and having a little fun at it. We also get to know these characters a bit more, which makes the tragedy to ensue that more tragic. A
CHAPTER 8: As Lindsey and the SEALs descend into the depths in Cab Three, restored footage—referred to by the crew as "the musical number"—shows One Night, Bud and Hippy singing "Willing" along with Linda Ronstadt on One Night’s boom box as Flatbed tows Deepcore across the ocean floor. This scene adds a bit more to the everyday "truck-driver" cameraderie of the characters. In the original theatrical version, there is only one brief shot showing One Night singing the song.
This is one of the best of the restored scenes, as it shows the tightness of the group, as well as their friendship. This group may not get out too much, but they still know how to have a good time. A
CHAPTER 9: After One Night puts her finger down her throat in response to Lindsey’s greeting, a cut back to the Deepcore control module contains additional dialogue between Bud and Lindsey regarding her presence on the rig.
The two extra lines between Bud and Lindsey don’t really add anything profound to the scene, and it acts as a poor seque to the next scene. D
CHAPTER 11: After Bud knocks his head on an overhead pipe in frustration, a pivotal character scene between Bud and Lindsey in Bud’s quarters has been restored that establishes that Bud is still wearing his wedding ring and expands on the status and history of their relationship.
This is a scene that is almost but not entirely necessary—we can guess at the status of their relationship from the previous scene. However, it’s fun to watch Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio together in this scene, and it gives us an extra glimpse into their characterizations. There’s a good moment when Bud turns away from Lindsey and you can see in Bud’s expression how he still loves her and he’s hurt. Then there’s Lindsey yelling, "Ask Dr. Bud, advice to the lovelorn from three hundred fathoms!" A
CHAPTER 12: During the dive briefing, additional dialogue has been restored that expands on Hippy’s refusal to go on the mission due to possible radiation, Bud’s discussion with Coffey about the SEALs brusque nature, and Finler noticing that Bud’s hand is still blue from pulling his wedding ring out of the chemical toilet. This scene shows how Bud deals with his crew and also shows his attempt to give a friendly word of advice to Coffey, which is of course ignored. A closeup of Lindsey has also been added to establish her presence in this scene.
The moment in which Bud tries to smooth things out with Coffey is effective, as is the funny bit with Finler about Bud’s blue hand. A / The Hippy moment, however, doesn’t work for me. Here we have this paranoid character who freaks out at the very mention of radiation, but then his co-workers razz him for a couple seconds and he smilingly accedes to go into danger. His transition is too sudden and is not consistent with his character. D
CHAPTER 14: During the exterior portion of the Montana search, extended footage shows Monk opening the opening the inner hatch and Hippy piloting Little Geek—armed with a geiger counter—into the hatch to inspect for radiation inside the sunken sub’s reactor compartment. Additional dialogue shows Lindsey’s assessment of the sunken sub’s nuclear capabilities. Footage of Cab One and Flatbed maneuvering around the smashed bow of the Montana has been restored as well, giving some geography to the scene.
All good stuff, especially the master shot with Cab One, Flatbed and the Montana. The only weird moment occurs when actor Todd Graff (Hippy) gives a rather corny delivery to his line: "It’s below the line you said was safe." A
CHAPTER 15: The diver’s journey through the Montana’s wrecked berthing compartment and corridors to the command center has been extended. Inside the command center, restored footage shows Coffey taking the missile arming keys from the dead captain.
CHAPTER 16: A short scene of Bud and Jammer passing through the missile launch control center just prior to entering the missile compartment itself has been restored.
This is all good stuff, especially when Coffey takes the keys from the dead captain. These extra shots do, however, slow down the pacing of an already lengthy sequence. B
CHAPTER 18: In the newscast scene aboard Deepcore, additional dialogue shows the crew’s reaction to the mention of Benthic Petroleum’s participation in the naval operation.
A nice ensemble "fun" moment, which gives a little balance to the heavy political tension stuff that appears in the following newscast sequence. It’s not entirely necessary, however. B
CHAPTER 19: Restored footage shows an extended sequence of the SEALs recovering a MIRV warhead from the Montana, intercut with footage of the Deepcore crew watching newscasts reporting the escalation of worldwide political tensions created by the Montana incident. These newscasts, depicting the world on the edge of nuclear war, were omitted from the original release when the wave sequence was removed, since the World War Three issue would have had no resolution otherwise. The image of Gorbachev in this scene dates the film more than any other; however, the message about global tensions is still valid.
This extra footage is powerful stuff, expanding the scope of the film into a much grander arena, and it is also necessary since it sets up the wave sequence. The only strike against it is the tone of the main-in-the-street interviews: the responses are stereotypically ignorant, and the corniness of the dialogue takes away from the serious weight of the previous newscasts. A-
CHAPTER 20: During the Deepcore drag sequence, additional footage has been incorporated of Lindsey and Catfish rescuing Monk from the battery room fire. Some of the music cues in this chapter have been altered to create a more natural flow after the inclusion of the sequence.
I really don’t think this little moment should have been cut in the first place, as it foreshadows Monk’s later assistance to the Deepcore crew and his betrayal of Coffey by removing the ammunition from Coffey’s gun. A
CHAPTER 21: After Deepcore comes to rest at the edge of the abyss and begins to flood, a brief restored shot shows crew member Perry being knocked over by the rising waters in the quarters area. This shot allows the ROV to find Perry’s body later as they search for survivors.
If you blink, you might miss this restored shot. A
CHAPTER 22: The scene of Sonny futilely trying to radio the surface has been extended to show Sonny’s personal fears and Bud’s handling of them, followed by a slow survey of the rig’s interior by Bud as he examines the damage. Interestingly, this scene extension with Sonny was an improvisation on the set; the original theatrical version of the film matched the script and did not include it.
A nice moment between Bud and Sonny, though not necessary to the plot. Bud’s survey of the interior slows down the film at this juncture. B
CHAPTER 23: This entire chapter restores the surviving Deepcore crew’s survey of the damage of the rig via ROV and their discovery of some of their dead compatriots and the irreparable damage to Cab Three. This scene drives home the human losses suffered during the crane disaster and also clearly narrows the number of available vehicles.
Narratively, this extra scene is necessary since it allows the Lindsey drowning sequence to make more sense, in that there were no more vehicles to come to the rescue of Lindsey and Bud. It also very clearly drives hom the loss of five human lives. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the full emotional weight necessary for such a scene. B
CHAPTER 24: During Lindsey’s excursion outside, an extended scene shows Bud telling One Night about the evolution of his relationship with Lindsey. This scene not only clarifies Bud’s feelings about Lindsey and his willingness to confide in his co-workers, but is also a nice character moment for One Night.
Bud and One Night’s dynamic is lost without this scene, and we get a further glimpse into Bud’s frustration, as he still has strong feelings for Lindsey. A
CHAPTER 27: This chapter restores a confrontation scene between Coffey and the Deepcore crew over the SEAL’s demands for constant surveillance in case of the possible return of the "Russian bogey." This scene escalates the growing tension between Coffey and the crew and clearly shows Bud’s superiority in handling people.
This scene is neat and it does add further tension between Coffey and the Deepcore crew, but the next scene shows a very tense confrontation, more powerfully staged and acted, between Lindsey and Coffey when she discovers the nuclear warhead. That alone makes this scene unecessary. C
CHAPTER 29: After the tense confrontation scene between Coffey and the Deepcore crew over the presence of the nuclear warhead aboard the rig, a single long pullback shot has been restored showing Coffey’s high-pressure mental state, looking out into the abyss. The inclusion of the Garfield figure was specifically noted in the script as an analog for Coffey’s condition: "Behind his eyes, his brain is like that cat, just hanging on, spread-eagled and screaming."
A very powerful shot, as it correlates Coffey’s psychological state with the visual immensity of the abyss. A+
CHAPTER 30: A brief moment between Lindsey and Monk showing the SEALs gratitude for her saving his life has been restored just after her discussion with Hippy about using Big Geek to search for the NTIs. This scene demonstrates Monk’s understanding and gratitude and helps to support his later "betrayal" of his commander.
Wow, SEALs are people, too! ‘Nuff said. A
CHAPTER 33: After Coffey and Schoenick decide to arm up, a number of restored scenes show Hippy’s furtive discovery that the SEALs have taken the warhead to Sub Bay and the other crew members’ discussion of the origin of the NTIs.
Hippy snooping around: not really necessary, slows the pacing. B / The crew talking about the NTIs: the dialogue could have been better. C / However, there is that powerful image of Coffey, backlit, carrying the immensely heavy warhead all by himself. A+
CHAPTER 42: During Bud’s descent in the Deep Suit, two scene extensions show Bud’s reactions to Lindsey’s confessions and the weakness of the signal as Bud falls further and further away from Deepcore. These scenes, cut for time, take the edge off Lindsey’s rambling monologue during the descent and also heighten the tension of the situation as the crew shuts everything down in order to maintain contact with Bud.
All good stuff, as it draws out the tension, emotionally and visually. A
CHAPTER 43: During the last part of Bud’s descent, a scene extension has been restored of Lindsey recounting a poignant moment from her marriage to Bud. This pivotal moment clarifies the emotional climax of the descent, blending character and visual image into one.
Lindsey’s monologue in this scene is one of the most emotional and touching parts of the film, AND THEY CUT IT!?!? A+
CHAPTER 46: Inside the NTI chamber, a significant three-minute sequence has been restored showing the NTIs communicating with Bud by displaying newscast images on a water wall. It is this pivotal scene—more than the subsequent wave sequence—which carries the film’s thematic elements missing from the original theatrical release.
A very powerful scene, and the thematic core of the film. Also, the music from "The Seventh Sign" works perfectly with the images of war presented to Bud. A+
CHAPTER 47: This chapter restores the entire two-and-a-half minute tidal wave sequence that shows the NTIs giving their warning to mankind. The effects in this sequence—some of which were unfinished when the scene was omitted during post-production—were completed by Industrial Light and Magic for the Special Edition.
This is the Love-It-or-Hate-It sequence. You could write essays and theses on the necessity and impact of this epic scene in this epic film. Why I love it?—because it’s powerful, and it gives the film incredible weight, and it makes this film unique and more epic than it already was, and it presents the audience with a surrealistic image that gives import to the themes presented in the previous chapter. Why I hate it?—because the sequence is executed with a style that is not up to Cameron’s abilities, and it has a sci-fi B-movie feel to it. The shots of the tidal wave are static, undynamic. The visual effects, by 1989 digital standards, are not bad. By 1993 standards (when the effects were completed) are somewhat poor. By 1998 Titanic/Deep Impact standards, the tidal wave looks downright pathetic. Effects sequences shouldn’t age as badly as this one. Also, the simplistic John Carpenter-ish music scoring, not by Alan Silvestri, adds more to the B-movie feel. Many have said that this sequence is a blatant and unecessary overstatement of thematic material that worked better in the original, far subtler, finale. I feel this epic scene should have been included in the final cut, but if The Abyss: Special Edition were ever to be reissued in theatres, please, Jim, please consider redoing some of the effects, and also try to get Silvestri back to score the scene properly. B-
CHAPTER 48: After the wave sequence, a short scene extension shows Bud’s reaction to the wave and the NTIs actions in stopping it. This reflective moment gives the following message scene a completely new context from that of the original theatrical release and sets up the ultimate theme of the film—that mankind may yet have the selflessness needed to avoid destruction.
The extension in this scene amounts to Bud saying, "You could have done it … Why didn’t you?" A
CHAPTER 50: Additional dialogue shows Hippy and One Night discussing the wave briefly before seeing Bud’s message "back on the air," and the subsequent scene has been restored and extended substantially to elaborate on the NTIs message to mankind and the reactions of both the Deepcore and Benthic crews to it. The music has been altered to accommodate the longer length.
This scene suffers only in that the film’s message, which is already clear from Bud’s previous confrontation with the NTIs, is now spelled out for the audience and all subtelty is abandoned. However, this scene is acted and executed very well, and with a touch of humor. B
CHAPTER 51: During the NTI Ark rising sequence, a short scene has been restored showing the Deepcore crew suffused with an unearthly light as the Ark rises alongside the rig; in addition, the music has been significantly rescored in the first half of this sequence. Later, as the Deepcore crew exit the rig and walk upon the surface of the Ark, an effects shot has been restored that shows the scope of the Ark surface and the size relationship of the crew and the ships atop it.
All good. Cool matte painting! A
CHAPTER 52: In addition to a new dedication card to late cast member Kidd Brewer at the start of the credits, the entire end credits crawl has been reshot and rescored both to incorporate new cast members in the restored footage and for legibility, extending its length by several minutes. The original theatrical version’s end credits crawl was both lightning-fast and in tiny text, rendering it virtually illegible on the big screen, much less on video. Note that Industrial Light and Magic’s section in the crawl now includes the original crew members who worked on the wave sequence in 1989.
You know, the Titanic end credits crawl is, like, ten minutes long …
CHAPTER 53: Near the end of the credits crawl, a new section of screen credits has been added to cover the 1992 Special Edition restoration crew, including the additional completion work by Industrial Light and Magic on the wave sequence.
If I have to type out "Industrial Light and
Magic" one more time …