20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA {TWENTY THOUSAND} (TV)
Summary
A television adaptation of Jules Verne's novel of the same name, about the explorations of a mysterious sea captain in his technologically advanced submarine. In the mid-19th Century the shipping vessel U.S.S. Scotia is attacked in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean by a mysterious underwater entity, leaving a massive hole in the ship's hull and an unearthly glow in its wake. The Scotia is the latest in a series of such attacks and the United States Navy contacts Professor Henry Aronnax, curator of marine biology at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, for assistance. Along with his daughter Sophie, who laments that she is unable to properly continue her zoological career because she is a woman, Professor Aronnax hypothesizes that the attack on the Scotia was caused by what he calls a "proto-leviathan," massive sea creatures which have existed in the deep ocean unaltered by the process of evolution for millions of years. He is asked to accompany a naval vessel to hunt down and kill the creature, and Sophie disguises herself as his male assistant so that she may accompany him. They board the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and set off in search of their hypothetical monster. On the ship they meet a whaler named Ned Land brought in to help kill the beast, and Sophie is immediately attracted to him. At night they encounter what appears to be the creature, which punctures their hull and hurls Professor Aronnax, Sophie, and Ned overboard. The following morning, the "creature" surfaces, revealing that it is actually a massive highly advanced submersible craft. The captain of the ship emerges and offers them the chance to join him on board, as the Lincoln is making its way back to shore and rescue is virtually impossible for them. Professor Aronnax and Sophie agree to go down, but Ned believes that he is a "prisoner" and is separated from the other two. Professor Aronnax and Sophie settle into their new home, the Nautilus, and the professor deduces that it is powered entirely by electricity. They are invited to dine with the captain, who introduces himself as Nemo, who offers them a variety of food synthesized from oceanic life, which is even able to perfectly simulate terrestrial dishes. He claims that his existence on board the Nautilus is "liberation" from terrestrial life, although he refuses to answer questions pertaining to his attacks on shipping vessels. Later, Sophie looks around for Ned and finds a gallery filled with priceless works of art. Captain Nemo enters as she takes in a view of the ocean floor from one of the portholes, and he explains that he recovered his collection of art from ships that sank to the ocean floor. He seems to be very much attracted to Sophie. While Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax discuss the possibility of engaging in an expedition to help prove Professor Aronnax's theories of deep-sea evolution, Sophie finds a secret door leading to the Nautlius's brig. There she finds Ned imprisoned in a cell. She vows to help him escape, but he tells her to leave him behind, fearing for her safety. Sophie speaks to her father about Ned's treatment, but he advises that they be patient and wait for Captain Nemo to offer a reasonable explanation. The next morning, Sophie awakens to find that she has been given a number of dresses to wear. Captain Nemo explains to Professor Aronnax the methods by which the Nautilus generates a virtually perpetual supply of energy. Sophie petitions Captain Nemo to release Ned, but Ned enters, revealing that he has already been released. Captain Nemo explained that although Ned wished to be treated like a prisoner, he couldn't bring himself to keep him locked up. In private, Ned tries to become intimate with Sophie, but she coyly refuses. Captain Nemo does not appreciate Ned's attentions towards Sophie, and makes his thoughts on the matter clear to him. Nemo speaks to Sophie while the Nautilus is surfacing for air, revealing that he once had a daughter who would have been her age. He notes how lonely it has been for him on the Nautilus before she came along, and that he seeks a "queen" for himself. He takes the Nautilus to his "hunting reserve," a wondrous coral forest, and Professor Aronnax, Captain Nemo, Ned, and Sophie walk out in diving suits to take in the scenery. During the outing, a school of sharks appears out of nowhere and menaces Ned. Captain Nemo's men manage to drive the sharks away, but during the chaos Ned accidentally slips and falls into a dark chasm. The others return to the Nautilus and Sophie is stricken with grief until she sees Ned climbing up the side of the ship, quickly running out of air. She informs Captain Nemo, who swiftly sends divers to save him and bring him aboard. Ned believes that there was foul play at work, suspicious that the school of sharks seemed only interested in him. Sophie, however, defends Captain Nemo's actions, although Ned believes he is insane. Meanwhile, Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax begin to cultivate a friendship, and the professor convinces Captain Nemo to reveal the reasons behind his undersea existence to him. He relates the story of how he was once the prince of a small country in Asia, and that he was to modernize his nation. However, he was conquered by an unspecified Western power and driven out of his homeland, and his family was killed. In order to restore his country's independence, Captain Nemo attacks vital Atlantic shipping lanes, hoping that eventually the West will have no choice but to accede to his demands. Ned apologizes to Sophie for his behavior and reveals that he was once happily married. He grew restless and returned to the sea, but then realized how much he missed his wife and returned to her, bearing a pearl necklace. However, he found that she was having an affair with another man and has roamed the sea ever since. Professor Aronnax comes to believe that Captain Nemo will eventually release them from the Nautilus once he has secured his complete trust. He believes that if Sophie tries to have a relationship with Ned then Captain Nemo will not allow them to leave. Captain Nemo shows his guests the lost city of Atlantis, located near a constantly-erupting undersea volcano. Professor Aronnax is especially amazed by the sight. The Nautilus surfaces to cool down and Captain Nemo speaks to Sophie alone, asking for her hand in marriage. She refuses his offer, calling him "selfish" for hoarding his cultural treasures and scientific knowledge away from the world. However, he proves her wrong by showing her that he is compiling his collected knowledge into a compendium and secretly releasing gold and funds to terrestrial organizations working in parallel with his designs. He kisses Sophie and proclaims his love for her, but she still does not reciprocate his feelings. The next day, the Lincoln locates the Nautilus when it surfaces. Ned goes above and signals the Lincoln, earning Captain Nemo's ire. The Lincoln fires its cannons at the Nautilus as Captain Nemo and his crew prepare for battle. Sophie convinces Professor Aronnax to withdraw the offer of marriage to Captain Nemo. Captain Nemo seems especially determined to go after the Lincoln and Sophie believes he means to sink the ship instead of merely crippling it. Nemo rams the Lincoln's hull and shows the sinking and exploding ship to Professor Aronnax and Sophie. Sophie is appalled at Captain Nemo's apparent disregard for the hundreds of lives he has just snuffed out. Captain Nemo tries to convince Professor Aronnax that he was only defending himself, as the Lincoln fired on the Nautilus unprovoked. However, Professor Aronnax is no longer willing to be cooperative with Captain Nemo. Sophie finds Ned chained up in his quarters and says that he was right about Captain Nemo. He asks that she and her father wait for the right opportunity before trying to make their escape. Captain Nemo reveals to Sophie that he plans to release Ned and Professor Aronnax to shore, hoping to use the professor as a sort of "diplomat" between the Nautilus and the terrestrial nations. He still intends to make Sophie his "queen." However, the Nautilus is soon attacked by a massive sea creature and held in the beast's maw. Professor Aronnax believes that it is one of the proto-leviathans. Captain Nemo unsuccessfully tries to dislodge the beast by electrifying the Nautilus's hull. He then sends his divers into the beast's gullet to attack with their electric weaponry, but they are drowned in the creature's digestive acids. With their air supply dwindling, they devise a desperate plan: to get Ned to lodge a harpoon tied up with explosives into the creature's palate, thus killing it and freeing the Nautilus. Captain Nemo argues with Ned over the mission before promising to release the three of them if he is successful. Before he leaves, Ned gives Sophie the pearl necklace he mentioned earlier. Ned successfully punctures a hole in the proto-leviathan, killing it and releasing the Nautilus from its grip. He manages to survive the ordeal as well. True to his word, Captain Nemo releases Ned, Sophie, and Professor Aronnax, leaving them adrift on a life raft. He calls the Nautilus a "refuge" and goes back down below, continuing his undersea quest. Professor Aronnax, Ned, and Sophie are found by a passing fishing vessel and saved. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: March 23, 1997 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:31:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:84499
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Drama, action/adventure; Literature - Adaptations
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Robert Halmi Sr. … Executive Producer
- John Davis … Producer
- Joe Wiesenfeld … Co-Producer, Writer
- Michael Anderson … Director
- Jules Verne … Based on the novel by
- John Scott … Music by
- Philharmonia Orchestra, The … Symphony Orchestra
- Richard Crenna … Cast, Professor Aronnax
- Ben Cross … Cast, Captain Nemo
- Julie Cox … Cast, Sophie
- Michael Jayston … Cast, Admiral Sellings
- Paul Gross … Cast, Ned
- Jeff Harding … Cast, Captain Farragut
- David Henry … Cast, Scotia Captain
- James Vaughan … Cast, Father
- Susannah Fellows … Cast, Mother
- Joshua Brody … Cast, Child