Trivia / sex, lies, and videotape

• Breakthrough Hit: For Steven Soderbergh.
• Channel Hop: In the US, while Miramax Films distributed, they didn't have a home video arm at the time. Therefore they licensed it to RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, who to this day still have the rights for home media in North America (and licensed it in turn to the Criterion Collection). In some overseas areas, MGM distributes the film, having picked up some rights when they bought out the pre-1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library in 1998.
• Playing Against Type: Believe it or not, James Spader used to play snob villains. Here he is troubled, cute, and sensitive.
• Star-Making Role: For Andie MacDowell. While it wasn't his first role, this film also significantly boosted James Spader's career as well.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Soderbergh wrote Ann's part with Elizabeth McGovern in mind; her agent disliked the script so much that s/he never even let her read it, much less know she was up for the part (something she has since expressed regret over).^note Soderbergh wasn't enthusiastic about McDowell either, due to her reputation as a former fashion model who had had to have her dialogue in Greystoke dubbed over, but she surprised him with a strong audition. Laura San Giacomo, who had the same agent, found out about it and encountered a similar reaction, only getting her audition by threatening to change agents. Brooke Shields was also offered the role.
  • Tim Daly was set to play John, but due to delays in getting the film financed he had to take another part, leading to Peter Gallagher instead. David Hyde Pierce auditioned for the role.
  • Jennifer Jason Leigh turned down the role of Cynthia Bishop in order to appear in Miami Blues, though she later expressed regret that she missed out on the role. Helen Slater was also considered.
  • David Duchovny, Kyle Maclachlan and Aidan Quinn auditioned for Graham.
• Working Title: Steven Soderbergh gave the producers a list of possible film titles, including: 46:02, Retinal Retention, Charged Coupling Device, Mode: Visual, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, and Hidden Agendas. Soderberg heavily favored 46:02 (the supposed running time of the tape Ann makes for Graham; the running time appears in the script but not in the final film), but the producers chose Sex, Lies, and Videotape immediately. In a Q&A session after a screening in 1989, one audience member advised Soderbergh that he would "have to change" the title, which he considered terrible.
• Write What You Know: The film was inspired by Steven Soderbergh's own failed relationship. "I drove the most important woman in my life to leave because I didn't want to be in the relationship but couldn't just say, 'I don't want to be in this,'" Soderbergh told Film Comment. "So I was very deceptive about how I got out of it. And then once I was out of it, I couldn't even allow it the dignity to die properly. I kept stringing it out and not letting it go and then I got involved with some other people." After, Soderbergh was able to reconnect with that person; "We were able to be friends," he noted.

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