| The Sea Inside | |
| Director: | Alejandro Amenábar |
| Producer: | Alejandro Amenábar Fernando Bovaira |
| Starring: | Javier Bardem Belén Rueda Lola Dueñas Mabel Rivera Celso Bugallo |
| Music: | Alejandro Amenábar |
| Cinematography: | Javier Aguirresarobe |
| Editing: | Alejandro Amenábar |
| Studio: | Sogepaq UGC Images Eyescreen |
| Distributor: | Warner Sogefilms (Spain)[1] UGC Fox Distribution (France) Lucky Red (Italy) |
| Runtime: | 125 minutes |
| Country: | Spain France Italy |
| Language: | Spanish Galician Catalan |
| Budget: | €10 million |
| Gross: | $43.7 million |
The Sea Inside (Spanish; Castilian: Mar adentro) is a 2004 Spanish psychological drama film co-written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar, who also co-produced, scored and edited. It is based on the real-life story of Ramón Sampedro (played by Javier Bardem), who was left quadriplegic after a diving accident, and his 28-year campaign in support of euthanasia and the right to end his life. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
This is the life story of Spaniard Ramón Sampedro, who fought a 28-year campaign to win the right to end his own life with assisted suicide. The film explores Ramón's relationships with two women: Julia, a lawyer suffering from Cadasil syndrome who supports his cause, and Rosa, a local woman who wants to convince him that his life is worth living. Through the gift of his love, these two women are inspired to accomplish things they never previously thought possible.
Ramón, now 54 years old, has been fighting for 26 years for his right to die following a diving incident which left him paralysed from the neck down. He is unable to end his life by himself and does not wish to implicate his family or friends, as by Spanish law, they would be charged with murder or assisting a suicide. Following the death of his mother, he is cared for by his sister-in-law, Manuela. Ramón's elder brother José does not believe he should have the right to die; both Manuela and her son, Javier, believe in his case.
Ramón's friend Gené, who works for an organization fighting for the right to die, puts him in contact with Julia, a lawyer. As she seeks to learn more about him and his situation in order to fight for his cause, he recounts his past and his reasons for wanting to die: He says that there is no dignity in living paralysed. After seeing his story online, Rosa visits Ramón to convince him to live. He demands that she respect his wishes and she leaves, upset. Later, whilst DJing her part-time radio show, she apologises on air in the hopes that he is listening. She continues to visit, bringing her children, and the two strike up a friendship. Despite romantic interest in both women, Ramón maintains that he is spoken for by death.
Julia reads Ramón's memoir describing his life and experiences as a quadriplegic and urges him to publish it. He imagines flying from his bed to visit her on the beach. Later, she is hospitalised with a stroke and admitted to rehab to relearn how to walk. The two write letters to each other, sending updates of their lives. Ramón loses a court case for his right to die. Rosa, in tears, appears at his house and Ramón admits that he has planned a way to commit suicide without the direct and obvious involvement of anyone else.
Meanwhile, Padre Francisco, a quadriplegic Catholic priest, comes to convince Ramón to want to live. Ramón refuses to be carried downstairs and so the two men converse through the help of a church boy, who runs up and down to share their arguments. Angry and upset, Manuela asks him to leave. Julia visits to assist Ramón in writing his memoir whilst his family and friends discuss his right to die. Divided, they fight. But Ramón is unwavering in his wish. Again, he imagines that he is able-bodied, kissing Julia. Later, she admits that her condition will only become more severe and that she is planning to kill herself. But first, she would like to help Ramón.
Ramón and Javier work together to design and build a wheelchair for him in which he can appear in court to fight for his own right to die. His appeal is ultimately rejected, but Ramón eventually fulfils his wish nonetheless. Each of his friends and family complete a small action in his death; not enough to convict any of them of his murder or assisting his suicide. He records himself on a video camera, narrating his own death, before ingesting a cyanide-laced drink that kills him.
The film received positive reviews from critics. It currently holds an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 134 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. Its consensus summary states: "Held aloft by a transfixing performance from Javier Bardem as a terminally ill man who chooses to die, The Sea Inside transcends its melodramatic story with tenderness and grace."[2] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3]
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[4] | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Best Makeup | Jo Allen and Manolo García | ||
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards[5] | Best Foreign Film | ||
| Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Leading Male Film Performance | Javier Bardem | |
| Secondary Male Film Performance | Celso Bugallo | ||
| Secondary Female Film Performance | Lola Dueñas | ||
| Mabel Rivera | |||
| Minor Male Film Performance | Joan Dalmau | ||
| Male Newcomer | Tamar Novas | ||
| Female Newcomer | Belén Rueda | ||
| ADIRCAE Awards | Best Performance in a Leading Role | Javier Bardem | |
| Argentine Film Critics Association Awards[6] | Best Foreign Film, Spanish Language | ||
| Ariel Awards[7] | Best Ibero-American Film | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Bangkok International Film Festival[8] | Best Film | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Best Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| BBC Four World Cinema Awards | BBC Four World Cinema Award | ||
| Belgian Film Critics Association Awards[9] | Grand Prix | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Butaca Awards | Best Catalan Film Actor | Joan Dalmau | |
| Camerimage[10] | Golden Frog | Javier Aguirresarobe | |
| Canadian Network of Makeup Artists Awards | Best International Make-Up for a Feature Film | Jo Allen | |
| César Awards | Best Foreign Film | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Cinema Brazil Grand Prize | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Cinema Writers Circle Awards | Best Film | ||
| Best Director | Alejandro Amenábar | ||
| Best Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Celso Bugallo | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Lola Dueñas | ||
| Mabel Rivera | |||
| Best Screenplay – Original | Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil | ||
| Best Cinematography | Javier Aguirresarobe | ||
| Best Editing | Alejandro Amenábar | ||
| Best Score | |||
| Best New Artist | Belén Rueda | ||
| CinEuphoria Awards | Top Films of the Decade – International Competition | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival | Audience Choice Award | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards[11] | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Best Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| David di Donatello Awards[12] | Best European Film | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| European Film Awards[13] | European Film | Alejandro Amenábar and Fernando Bovaira | |
| European Director | Alejandro Amenábar | ||
| European Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| European Screenwriter | Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil | ||
| European Cinematographer | Javier Aguirresarobe | ||
| Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Forqué Awards[14] | Best Film | ||
| Fotogramas de Plata | Best Spanish Film | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Best Movie Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| Best Movie Actress | Belén Rueda | ||
| Gold Derby Awards[15] | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Golden Globe Awards[16] | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Javier Bardem | ||
| Goya Awards[17] | Best Film | ||
| Best Director | Alejandro Amenábar | ||
| Best Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| Best Actress | Lola Dueñas | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Celso Bugallo | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Mabel Rivera | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil | ||
| Best New Actor | Tamar Novas | ||
| Best New Actress | Belén Rueda | ||
| Best Art Direction | Benjamín Fernández | ||
| Best Cinematography | Javier Aguirresarobe | ||
| Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Jo Allen, Mara Collazo, Manolo García and Ana López Puigcerver | ||
| Best Original Score | Alejandro Amenábar | ||
| Best Production Direction | Emiliano Otegui | ||
| Best Sound | Ricardo Steinberg, Alfonso Raposo, Juan Ferro and María Steinberg | ||
| Guild of German Art House Cinemas Awards | Best Foreign Film | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Hollywood Film Awards | Hollywood European Award | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards[18] | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Italian Online Movie Awards | Best Actor | Javier Bardem | |
| Best Makeup | |||
| Latin ACE Awards | Cinema – Best Film | ||
| Cinema – Best Director | Alejandro Amenábar | ||
| Cinema – Best Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| Cinema – Best Actress | Belén Rueda | ||
| Cinema – Best Supporting Actor | Celso Bugallo | ||
| Cinema – Best Supporting Actress | Lola Dueñas | ||
| Mabel Rivera | |||
| London Film Critics Circle Awards | Foreign Language Film of the Year | ||
| Nantes Spanish Film Festival | Audience Award | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| National Board of Review Awards[19] | Top Foreign Films | ||
| Best Foreign Language Film | |||
| Ondas Awards[20] | Cinemanía Award | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | ||
| Russian National Movie Awards[21] | Best Independent Movie | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Sant Jordi Awards | Best Film | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Best Spanish Film | |||
| Best Spanish Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| Best Spanish Actress | Mabel Rivera | ||
| Satellite Awards[22] | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Javier Bardem | ||
| SESC Film Festival | Best Foreign Actor | ||
| Sofia International Film Festival | Audience Award | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Audience Award 'Silver Sea-Gull' | |||
| Spanish Music Awards | Best Score | ||
| Turia Awards | Best Spanish Film | ||
| Turkish Film Critics Association Awards | Best Foreign Film | ||
| Utah Film Critics Association Awards[23] | Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Venice International Film Festival[24] | Golden Lion | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Grand Jury Prize | |||
| Best International Film | |||
| Best Actor | Javier Bardem | ||
| World Soundtrack Awards[25] | Best Original Score of the Year | Alejandro Amenábar | |
| Yoga Awards | Worst Spanish Score | ||