The Abyss

The Abyss is an award-winning science fiction film from 1989, written and directed by James Cameron, starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. There is a cinema version (140 minutes) and a Director's Cut version (171 minutes).

Trivia

• The film was censured by the American Humane Association for a scene in which a rat is held "underwater" — actually, in an oxygenated fluorocarbon liquid used in fluid breathing systems. The rat was unharmed and became Cameron's pet, but died of natural causes before the film opened.
• This is the third film directed by James Cameron where Michael Biehn plays a military figure, the others being The Terminator and Aliens.
• The diving equipment had to be specially designed to allow the actors to remain underwater for hours at a time, and to allow their entire face to be seen by the camera while underwater.
• Due to injuries he sustained on set, Ed Harris was almost unable to accept the role of Frankie Flannery in his next film, State of Grace.