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Michael Chambers (Peter Gallagher) is a gambling addict who returns to his Texas home town to celebrate his mother’s re-marriage. The past is quick to catch up with him in the shape of his jealous brother and Rachel (Alison Elliott), a former girlfriend now married to the local ‘big man’, Tommy. Michael and Rachel rekindle their affair and soon plot to elope with the proceeds from a bank robbery. For the plan to succeed, Michael needs to involve his father-in-law to be and Susan, the bank manager who happens to be a former fling. Marking Soderbergh’s re-emergence following the early success of ‘Sex, lies and videotape’, ‘The Underneath’ combines the classic elements of film noir with an added spin on the deceptive nature of modern relationships. Filmmaker Richard Linklater and Shelley Duvall appear briefly in this film. ‘The Underneath’ is based on the novel ‘Criss Cross’ by Don Tracy. It is a faithful re-make of the film ‘Criss Cross’ directed by Robert Sidomak and starring Burt Lancaster (1948). This video is a modified version of the originally filmed in Cinemascope film.
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How to watch
Stream, rent or buy via
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
312329
Language
English
Subject categories
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Caper drama
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Crime films
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Film noir
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Thrillers
Crime, Espionage, Justice, Police & Prisons → Caper drama
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Gambling
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Adultery
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Interpersonal conflict
Feature films → Feature films - United States
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Gambling
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Interpersonal conflict
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)