Eve's Bayou: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
added
Line 2: Line 2:
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
|name = Eve's Bayou
| name = Eve's Bayou
|image = EvesBayou.jpg
| image = EvesBayou.jpg
|alt =
| alt =
|caption = Theatrical release poster
| caption = Theatrical release poster
|director = [[Kasi Lemmons]]
| director = [[Kasi Lemmons]]
|producer = [[Caldecot Chubb]]<br />[[Samuel L. Jackson]]<br />[[Mark Amin]]<br />[[Nick Wechsler (producer)|Nick Wechsler]]
| producer = [[Caldecot Chubb]]<br />[[Samuel L. Jackson]]<br />[[Mark Amin]]<br />[[Nick Wechsler (producer)|Nick Wechsler]]
|writer = Kasi Lemmons
| writer = Kasi Lemmons
| starring = {{Plainlist|
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* Samuel L. Jackson
* Samuel L. Jackson
* [[Lynn Whitfield]]
* [[Lynn Whitfield]]
Line 19: Line 19:
* [[Jurnee Smollett-Bell|Jurnee Smollett]]
* [[Jurnee Smollett-Bell|Jurnee Smollett]]
* [[Diahann Carroll]]}}
* [[Diahann Carroll]]}}
|music = [[Terence Blanchard]]
| music = [[Terence Blanchard]]
|cinematography = [[Amy Vincent]]
| cinematography = [[Amy Vincent]]
|editing = [[Terilyn A. Shropshire]]
| editing = [[Terilyn A. Shropshire]]
|studio = [[Caldecot Chubb|ChubbCo Film]]<br />[[Nick Wechsler (producer)|Addis-Wechsler]]
| studio = [[Caldecot Chubb|ChubbCo Film]]<br />[[Nick Wechsler (producer)|Addis-Wechsler]]
|distributor = [[Trimark Pictures]]
| distributor = [[Trimark Pictures]]
|released = {{film date|1997|11|7}}
| released = {{film date|1997|09|7|[[Toronto International Film Festival]]}}{{film date|1997|11|7|United States}}
|runtime = 109 minutes
| runtime = 109 minutes
|country = United States
| country = United States
|language = English
| language = English
|budget = $3 million<ref>{{cite interview|last=Jackson|first=Samuel L.|subject-link=Samuel L. Jackson|interviewer=[[Charlie Rose]]|title=Samuel L. Jackson — Charlie Rose (quote at 10:54)|url=https://charlierose.com/videos/29042|date=January 22, 1998|access-date=April 21, 2019|quote=I was a big enough name to get three million dollars to get it made. And that's what we made it for. Three million dollars? Three million dollars, yeah.}}</ref>
| budget = $3-4 million<ref>{{cite interview|last=Jackson|first=Samuel L.|subject-link=Samuel L. Jackson|interviewer=[[Charlie Rose]]|title=Samuel L. Jackson — Charlie Rose (quote at 10:54)|url=https://charlierose.com/videos/29042|date=January 22, 1998|access-date=April 21, 2019|quote=I was a big enough name to get three million dollars to get it made. And that's what we made it for. Three million dollars? Three million dollars, yeah.}}</ref><ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-eves-bayou/ |title=AFI Movie Club: EVE’S BAYOU |date=2020-06-08 |website=American Film Institute |access-date=2022-10-25}}</ref>
|gross = $14,842,388<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evesbayou.htm |title=Eves’s Bayou |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref>
| gross = $14.8 million<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evesbayou.htm |title=Eves’s Bayou |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''''Eve's Bayou''''' is a 1997 American [[Southern Gothic]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] written and directed by [[Kasi Lemmons]], who made her directorial debut with this film. [[Samuel L. Jackson]] served as a producer, and starred in the film with [[Lisa Nicole Carson]], [[Jurnee Smollett-Bell|Jurnee Smollett]], [[Lynn Whitfield]], [[Debbi Morgan]], [[Meagan Good]] and [[Diahann Carroll]].
'''''Eve's Bayou''''' is a 1997 American [[Southern Gothic]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] written and directed by [[Kasi Lemmons]], who made her directorial debut with this film. [[Samuel L. Jackson]] served as a producer, and starred in the film with [[Lisa Nicole Carson]], [[Jurnee Smollett-Bell|Jurnee Smollett]], [[Lynn Whitfield]], [[Debbi Morgan]], [[Meagan Good]] and [[Diahann Carroll]]. The premiered at the [[1997 Toronto International Film Festival]] and was released in theaters on November 7, 1997. The film grossed $14 million domestically on a budget of $4 million, making it the most commercially successful [[Independent film|independent]] film of 1997.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Hornaday |first=Ann |date=1998-02-06 |title=‘97 Opens a New Frame of Reference |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-06-ca-15977-story.html. |access-date=2022-10-25}}</ref><ref name="afi" />


In 2018, it was selected by the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]] for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/movies/jurassic-park-the-shining-and-cinderella-among-movies-chosen-for-national-film-registry.html|title='Jurassic Park,' 'The Shining' and 'Cinderella' Among Movies Chosen for National Film Registry|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Itzkoff|date=December 12, 2018|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=May 8, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=September 30, 2020|website=Library of Congress}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=National Film Registry Turns 30|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-18-144/library-of-congress-national-film-registry-turns-30/2018-12-12/|access-date=September 30, 2020|website=Library of Congress}}</ref>
In 2018, it was selected by the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]] for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/movies/jurassic-park-the-shining-and-cinderella-among-movies-chosen-for-national-film-registry.html|title='Jurassic Park,' 'The Shining' and 'Cinderella' Among Movies Chosen for National Film Registry|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Itzkoff|date=December 12, 2018|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=May 8, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=September 30, 2020|website=Library of Congress}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=National Film Registry Turns 30|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-18-144/library-of-congress-national-film-registry-turns-30/2018-12-12/|access-date=September 30, 2020|website=Library of Congress}}</ref> The film was made a part of [[The Criterion Collection]] on October 25, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eve’s Bayou |url=https://www.criterion.com/films/32658-eves-bayou |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=The Criterion Collection |language=en}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
Line 68: Line 68:
* [[Victoria Rowell]] as Stevie Hobbs
* [[Victoria Rowell]] as Stevie Hobbs
}}
}}

== Production ==

=== Development ===
Kasi Lemmons first wrote the screenplay in 1993.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Winters |first=Laura |date=November 2, 1997 |title=On the 'Eve' of a Breakthrough |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1997/11/02/on-the-eve-of-a-breakthrough/8172683f-77bc-4006-a3c9-d8ee4ba11104/ |access-date=2022-10-25}}</ref> Lemmons said the screenplay "originated as a series of short stories, and the children were the first layers in the short stories."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Tinubu |first=Aramide A. |date=2019-02-15 |title='Eve's Bayou' 22 Years Later: Filmmaker Kasi Lemmons Reflects On Her Classic Film |url=https://test.shadowandact.com/eves-bayou-22-years-later-filmmaker-kasi-lemmons-reflects-on-her-classic-film |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=Shadow and Act |language=en}}</ref> Lemmons was inspired by childhood trips she took to Louisiana, saying she "wanted to write a story about people who were like royalty in a small town. Louisiana has a unique history in the U.S. It was one of the only places where [[Slavery in the United States|slaves]] could buy their freedom. Even in the 1700s, there were free people of color who had citizenship because the state was owned by the [[Louisiana (New France)|French]]."<ref name="afi" /> Though Lemons has said the story is not autobiographical, she said "There are definitely pieces of my family in it",<ref name=":2" /> and that the writing process was therapeutic, as it allowed her to process "things that happened to me—things that I was still wrestling with...At the core of Eve, it’s me and my childhood and wrestling with how powerful I was as a child. How did I fight my way through uncomfortable situations and the distress that I felt?”<ref name=":2" />

When Lemons and producer [[Caldecot Chubb]] could not find interest from studios to finance the film or potential directors to helm the production, Lemons decided to direct it herself.<ref name=":1" /> After reading the script, Samuel L. Jackson came on board as both a producer and lead actor.<ref name=":0" /> Jackson said, "Louis Batiste was definitely someone I hadn't seen before. A family man with interesting conflicts and a romantic and glamorous life. I don't get to play those kinds of guys."<ref name=":1" /> In 1996, the independent company [[Trimark Pictures]] agreed to finance the film.<ref name=":1" />

=== Casting ===
Lemmons had known many of the film's principals actors from her days acting in New York [[theatre]].<ref name=":1" /> Meagan Good was originally cast as 10-year-old Eve Batiste, but by the time film's financing came together, Good had grown out of the role and was instead cast as Eve’s older sister Cisely.  

=== Filming ===
Filming took place in the fall of 1996 near the town of [[Madisonville, Louisiana|Madisonville]], Louisiana.<ref name=":1" />


==Reception==
==Reception==
The film received positive reviews, with ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''{{'}} [[Roger Ebert]] naming it the best film of 1997.<ref>{{YouTube|B3JhnzDkqwo|Siskel and Ebert At The Movies: Best Movies of 1997}} Retrieved April 5, 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eves-bayou-1997 |title=Eve's Bayou |publisher=Rogerebert.suntimes.com |access-date=October 18, 2011 |date=November 7, 1997 |website=rogerebert.com |archive-date=September 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925223208/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19971107%2FREVIEWS%2F711070303%2F1023 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[CNN]]'s Paul Tatara,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9711/11/review.eves.bayou/ |last=Tatara |first=Paul |title= Review: 'Eve's Bayou' a dreamscape of sex and tragedy |work=CNN |date=November 11, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/eve-bayou-review/ |title=Eve’s Bayou Review |last=Errigo |first=Angie |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Lisa |last=Schwarzbaum |url= https://ew.com/article/1997/11/07/movie-review-eves-bayou-2/ |title= Movie Review: 'Eve's Bayou' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 7, 1997 |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas |first=Kevin |url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie971111-5,0,3908985.story |title=Eve's Bayou |work=Los Angeles Times |date= November 7, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081222055432/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie971111-5,0,3908985.story |archive-date=2008-01-22}}</ref> ''[[The New York Observer]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Sarris |first=Andrew |url= https://observer.com/1998/01/1997s-best-in-film-from-la-confidential-to-eves-bayou-to-kolya/ |title=1997’s Best in Film: From L.A. Confidential to Eve’s Bayou to Kolya |date=1998-01-12 |newspaper=New York Observer |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Holden |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Holden |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/07/movies/film-review-a-touch-of-voodoo-in-a-steamy-eden.html |title=Film Review; A Touch of Voodoo in a Steamy Eden|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 7, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Richard |last=Corliss |author-link=Richard Corliss |date=October 13, 1997 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987178,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222173351/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987178,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 22, 2008 |title=Getting Down to Family Matters |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Levy |first=Emanuel |url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117329548?refcatid=31 |title=Eve's Bayou |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=September 13, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805193243/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117329548?refcatid=31 |archive-date=August 5, 2011}}</ref> and ''[[The Washington Post]]'' also loudly praised the film and its performances.
The film received positive reviews, with the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''{{'}} [[Roger Ebert]] naming it the best film of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=1997-12-31 |title=The Best 10 Movies of 1997 |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/the-best-10-movies-of-1997 |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=RogerEbert.com}}</ref><ref>"[https://siskelebert.org/?p=4588 The Best Films of 1997]". January 3, 1998. ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert & the Movies]]''. Season 12. Episode 18. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=November 7, 1997 |title=Eve's Bayou |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eves-bayou-1997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925223208/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19971107%2FREVIEWS%2F711070303%2F1023 |archive-date=September 25, 2012 |access-date=October 18, 2011 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |via=RogerEbert.com}}</ref> [[CNN]]'s Paul Tatara,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9711/11/review.eves.bayou/ |last=Tatara |first=Paul |title= Review: 'Eve's Bayou' a dreamscape of sex and tragedy |work=CNN |date=November 11, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/eve-bayou-review/ |title=Eve’s Bayou Review |last=Errigo |first=Angie |magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Lisa |last=Schwarzbaum |url= https://ew.com/article/1997/11/07/movie-review-eves-bayou-2/ |title= Movie Review: 'Eve's Bayou' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 7, 1997 |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Thomas |first=Kevin |url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie971111-5,0,3908985.story |title=Eve's Bayou |work=Los Angeles Times |date= November 7, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081222055432/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie971111-5,0,3908985.story |archive-date=2008-01-22}}</ref> ''[[The New York Observer]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Sarris |first=Andrew |url= https://observer.com/1998/01/1997s-best-in-film-from-la-confidential-to-eves-bayou-to-kolya/ |title=1997’s Best in Film: From L.A. Confidential to Eve’s Bayou to Kolya |date=1998-01-12 |newspaper=New York Observer |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Holden |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Holden |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/07/movies/film-review-a-touch-of-voodoo-in-a-steamy-eden.html |title=Film Review; A Touch of Voodoo in a Steamy Eden|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 7, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Richard |last=Corliss |author-link=Richard Corliss |date=October 13, 1997 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987178,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222173351/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987178,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 22, 2008 |title=Getting Down to Family Matters |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Levy |first=Emanuel |url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117329548?refcatid=31 |title=Eve's Bayou |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=September 13, 1997 |access-date=October 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805193243/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117329548?refcatid=31 |archive-date=August 5, 2011}}</ref> and ''[[The Washington Post]]''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Desson |date=November 7, 1997 |title=All About 'Eve' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/evesbayouhowe.htm |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=The Washington Post}}</ref> also enthusiastically praised the film and its performances.

⚫
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 60 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Eve's Bayou'' marks a striking feature debut for director Kasi Lemmons, layering terrific performances and Southern mysticism into a measured meditation on disillusionment and forgiveness."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eves_bayou/ |title=Eve's Bayou Movie Reviews, Pictures |access-date=January 21, 2022 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>


In a 2017 retrospective essay for ''[[New York (magazine)|Vulture]]'', Angelica Jade Bastién wrote, "The film operates deftly on multiple levels: It’s a stunning [[Coming of age|coming-of-age]] tale (an exceedingly rare example of one that privileges the experience of young black girls); an honest, hyperspecific portrait of black life in rural Louisiana; and one of the greatest writer-director debuts in American cinematic history."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bastién |first1=Angelica Jade |title=20 Years Later, Eve’s Bayou Is Still a Stunning Portrait of Black American Life |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/11/eves-bayou-is-a-beautiful-portrait-of-black-identity.html |access-date=25 October 2022 |work=Vulture |date=November 16, 2017}}</ref>
⚫
On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Eve's Bayou'' marks a striking feature debut for director Kasi Lemmons, layering terrific performances and Southern mysticism into a measured meditation on disillusionment and forgiveness."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eves_bayou/ |title=Eve's Bayou Movie Reviews, Pictures |access-date=January 21, 2022 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>


The film received multiple accolades, including [[Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature|Best First Feature]] at the [[13th Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Awards]] and Outstanding Directorial Debut for Kasi Lemmons from the [[National Board of Review Awards 1997|National Board of Review Awards]].<ref name=indie/><ref name=nat/> [[Debbi Morgan]]'s performance would be her most honored film role to date, with awards for Best Supporting Actress from the [[Chicago Film Critics Association|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]<ref name=chi/> and the Independent Spirit Awards,<ref name=indie/> alongside four other nominations. The film is also seen as a breakthrough for [[Jurnee Smollett]]; up to that point, she had primarily worked as a TV actress.<ref name="VF">{{cite magazine |last1=Avery |first1=Jaha Nailah |title=As It Nears 25, Eve’s Bayou Is Still Radical—And Wonderful |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/eves-bayou-movie-25th-anniversary |access-date=25 October 2022 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=2022-09-05}}</ref> For her performance, Smollett won a [[Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards|Critics' Choice Award]]<ref name=crit/> and a [[San Diego Film Critics Society|San Diego Film Critics Society Award]].
The film received multiple accolades, including [[Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature|Best First Feature]] at the [[13th Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Awards]] and Outstanding Directorial Debut for Kasi Lemmons from the [[National Board of Review Awards 1997|National Board of Review Awards]].<ref name=indie/><ref name=nat/> [[Debbi Morgan]]'s performance would be her most honored film role to date, with awards for Best Supporting Actress from the [[Chicago Film Critics Association|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]<ref name=chi/> and the Independent Spirit Awards,<ref name=indie/> alongside four other nominations. The film is also seen as a breakthrough for [[Jurnee Smollett]]; up to that point, she had primarily worked as a TV actress.<ref name="VF">{{cite magazine |last1=Avery |first1=Jaha Nailah |title=As It Nears 25, Eve’s Bayou Is Still Radical—And Wonderful |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/09/eves-bayou-movie-25th-anniversary |access-date=25 October 2022 |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=2022-09-05}}</ref> For her performance, Smollett won a [[Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards|Critics' Choice Award]]<ref name=crit/> and a [[San Diego Film Critics Society|San Diego Film Critics Society Award]].
Line 79: Line 94:
In February 2008, ''Eve's Bayou'' made ''Time''{{'}}s list of the "25 Most Important Films on Race".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Corliss |first=Richard |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1709148_1709143_1709669,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210214209/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1709148_1709143_1709669,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 10, 2008 |title=Eve's Bayou (1997) – The 25 Most Important Films on Race |magazine=Time |date=February 4, 2008 |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref>
In February 2008, ''Eve's Bayou'' made ''Time''{{'}}s list of the "25 Most Important Films on Race".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Corliss |first=Richard |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1709148_1709143_1709669,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210214209/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1709148_1709143_1709669,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 10, 2008 |title=Eve's Bayou (1997) – The 25 Most Important Films on Race |magazine=Time |date=February 4, 2008 |access-date=October 18, 2011}}</ref>


On February 16, 2009, Debbi Morgan's portrayal of Mozelle Batiste Delacroix was included in [[Pop Matters]]' 100 Essential Female Film Performances list.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.popmatters.com/70822-70535-100-essential-female-film-performances1-2496054440.html |title=''100 Essential Female Film Performances'' |website=PopMatters |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref>
On February 22, 2009, Debbi Morgan's portrayal of Mozelle Batiste Delacroix was included in [[PopMatters]]' 100 Essential Female Film Performances list.<ref>{{cite web |date=2009-02-22 |title=100 Essential Female Film Performances |url=https://www.popmatters.com/70822-70535-100-essential-female-film-performances1-2496054440.html |access-date=October 25, 2022 |website=PopMatters}}</ref>


In 2012, Jurnee Smollett's role as Eve Batiste was included in [[Essence (magazine)|''Essence'']]'s 25 Best Roles for Black Actresses list.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/25-best-roles-black-actresses/#225455 |title=25 Best Roles for Black Actresses |magazine=[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]] |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref>
In 2012, Jurnee Smollett's role as Eve Batiste was included in [[Essence (magazine)|''Essence'']]'s 25 Best Roles for Black Actresses list.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/25-best-roles-black-actresses/#225455 |title=25 Best Roles for Black Actresses |magazine=[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]] |access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref>
Line 96: Line 111:
* Best Supporting Actress – Jurnee Smollett (winner)
* Best Supporting Actress – Jurnee Smollett (winner)


'''[[American Black Film Festival|1998 Acapulco Black Film Festival]]'''
'''[[American Black Film Festival|1998 Acapulco Black Film Festival]]'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eve's Bayou - Miscellaneous Notes |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/443071/eves-bayou#notes |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=Turner Classic Movie Database}}</ref>
* Best Actor – [[Samuel L. Jackson]] (winner)
* Best Actor – [[Samuel L. Jackson]] (winner)
* Best Director – Kasi Lemmons (winner)
* Best Director – Kasi Lemmons (winner)
Line 106: Line 121:
* Best Supporting Female – Debbi Morgan (winner)
* Best Supporting Female – Debbi Morgan (winner)


'''[[NAACP Image Awards|1998 NAACP Image Awards]]'''
'''[[NAACP Image Awards|1998 NAACP Image Awards]]'''<ref name="afi" />
* Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Samuel L. Jackson (nominated)
* Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Samuel L. Jackson (nominated)
* Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture – [[Lynn Whitfield]] (nominated)
* Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture – [[Lynn Whitfield]] (nominated)
Line 156: Line 171:
[[Category:Southern Gothic films]]
[[Category:Southern Gothic films]]
[[Category:Films about puberty]]
[[Category:Films about puberty]]
[[Category:1990s coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Terence Blanchard]]
[[Category:Films scored by Terence Blanchard]]
[[Category:Trimark Pictures films]]
[[Category:Trimark Pictures films]]

Revision as of 18:32, 25 October 2022

Eve's Bayou
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKasi Lemmons
Written byKasi Lemmons
Produced byCaldecot Chubb
Samuel L. Jackson
Mark Amin
Nick Wechsler
Starring
CinematographyAmy Vincent
Edited byTerilyn A. Shropshire
Music byTerence Blanchard
Production
companies
Distributed byTrimark Pictures
Release dates
  • November 7, 1997 (1997-11-07) (United States)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3-4 million[1][2]
Box office$14.8 million[3]

Eve's Bayou is a 1997 American Southern Gothic drama film written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, who made her directorial debut with this film. Samuel L. Jackson served as a producer, and starred in the film with Lisa Nicole Carson, Jurnee Smollett, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Meagan Good and Diahann Carroll. The premiered at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in theaters on November 7, 1997. The film grossed $14 million domestically on a budget of $4 million, making it the most commercially successful independent film of 1997.[4][2]

In 2018, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[5][6][7] The film was made a part of The Criterion Collection on October 25, 2022.[8]

Plot

Eve Batiste, a 10-year-old girl, lives in a prosperous Creole-American community in Louisiana with her younger brother Poe and her older sister Cisely in the 1960s. Their parents are Roz and Louis, a well-respected doctor in Louisiana's "colored" community who claims descent from the French aristocrat who founded the town of Eve's Bayou. One night after a raucous party, Eve accidentally witnesses her father having sex with Matty Mereaux, a family friend. However, Cisely, who has a very affectionate relationship with her father, convinces Eve that she misinterpreted an innocent moment. The unreliability of memory and observation remain important themes throughout the film.

The summer quickly becomes a chaotic and stressful one for the Batiste family. Eve's relationship with her parents becomes more strained as she discovers more evidence of her father's serial infidelity. Cisely comes into conflict with both her sister and mother as she enters puberty and tries to navigate the difficult transition to adulthood, particularly with regard to her appearance and sexuality. Roz eventually begins to suspect her husband's infidelity, prompting conflict between the two as well.

Throughout the duration of the film, Eve often seeks refuge with her Aunt Mozelle, who works as a Hoodoo Practitioner with a neighborhood reputation as "The Black Widow". Eve, who also has the Spiritual gift of sight, has a premonitory dream shortly before an accident occurs, claiming Mozelle's third husband.

Mozelle's gift also brings her into direct conflict with Elzora, a fortune teller and possible witch with similar abilities. When asked for a reading by Roz, Elzora implies that an unexpected "solution" to her problem will arise, but to wait and look to her children in the meantime. When Mozelle grudgingly makes a similar request, Elzora forces her to look and address the truth she refuses to see. Meanwhile, Eve, frustrated by her father's infidelity, begins to act out, bringing her into conflict with the other members of her family. Cisely begins to behave strangely as well, isolating herself from the family after experiencing her first period.

Cisely later confides in Eve the secret behind her strange mood. She tells her that one night, after their parents had a vicious argument, Cisely went to comfort her father and he, while drunk, attempted to molest her. Enraged, Eve seeks out Elzora to commission a voodoo spell to put a fatal curse on her father. While on her way to visit the witch, Eve runs into Lenny Mereaux and questions him about his teaching job that keeps him away from home. In the conversation, she alludes to a possible tryst between his wife, Matty, and her father.

When Eve finally arrives to Elzora's home, she finds her to be not as scary as she expected but rather normal instead. While her expectation is to receive a voodoo doll of her father, she is simply told that the curse has been placed per her request. With regret, and in an attempt to save her father, Eve rushes to bring him home after finding him in a bar chatting with Matty Mereaux. At the same time, a drunken Lenny arrives to take Matty home. After a confrontation, Lenny and Matty leave the bar, and Lenny tells Louis that he will kill him if he talks to Matty again. After Louis says goodbye to Matty, Lenny shoots and kills Louis.

After her father's funeral, Eve soon finds a letter which her father wrote to Mozelle, disputing the accusations. In it, he claims that Cisely had come to him that night and kissed him, first as a daughter and then as a lover. In his drunken state, he reacted violently, slapping her and pushing her to the ground, which made her angry with him. Eve confronts Cisely and uses her second sight to discover what really happened. It ends with the sisters holding hands, gazing at the sunset.

Cast

Production

Development

Kasi Lemmons first wrote the screenplay in 1993.[9] Lemmons said the screenplay "originated as a series of short stories, and the children were the first layers in the short stories."[10] Lemmons was inspired by childhood trips she took to Louisiana, saying she "wanted to write a story about people who were like royalty in a small town. Louisiana has a unique history in the U.S. It was one of the only places where slaves could buy their freedom. Even in the 1700s, there were free people of color who had citizenship because the state was owned by the French."[2] Though Lemons has said the story is not autobiographical, she said "There are definitely pieces of my family in it",[10] and that the writing process was therapeutic, as it allowed her to process "things that happened to me—things that I was still wrestling with...At the core of Eve, it’s me and my childhood and wrestling with how powerful I was as a child. How did I fight my way through uncomfortable situations and the distress that I felt?”[10]

When Lemons and producer Caldecot Chubb could not find interest from studios to finance the film or potential directors to helm the production, Lemons decided to direct it herself.[9] After reading the script, Samuel L. Jackson came on board as both a producer and lead actor.[4] Jackson said, "Louis Batiste was definitely someone I hadn't seen before. A family man with interesting conflicts and a romantic and glamorous life. I don't get to play those kinds of guys."[9] In 1996, the independent company Trimark Pictures agreed to finance the film.[9]

Casting

Lemmons had known many of the film's principals actors from her days acting in New York theatre.[9] Meagan Good was originally cast as 10-year-old Eve Batiste, but by the time film's financing came together, Good had grown out of the role and was instead cast as Eve’s older sister Cisely.  

Filming

Filming took place in the fall of 1996 near the town of Madisonville, Louisiana.[9]

Reception

The film received positive reviews, with the Chicago Sun-Times' Roger Ebert naming it the best film of 1997.[11][12][13] CNN's Paul Tatara,[14] Empire,[15] Entertainment Weekly,[16] The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles Times,[17] The New York Observer,[18] The New York Times,[19] Time,[20] Variety,[21] and The Washington Post[22] also enthusiastically praised the film and its performances.

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 60 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Eve's Bayou marks a striking feature debut for director Kasi Lemmons, layering terrific performances and Southern mysticism into a measured meditation on disillusionment and forgiveness."[23]

In a 2017 retrospective essay for Vulture, Angelica Jade Bastién wrote, "The film operates deftly on multiple levels: It’s a stunning coming-of-age tale (an exceedingly rare example of one that privileges the experience of young black girls); an honest, hyperspecific portrait of black life in rural Louisiana; and one of the greatest writer-director debuts in American cinematic history."[24]

The film received multiple accolades, including Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards and Outstanding Directorial Debut for Kasi Lemmons from the National Board of Review Awards.[25][26] Debbi Morgan's performance would be her most honored film role to date, with awards for Best Supporting Actress from the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards[27] and the Independent Spirit Awards,[25] alongside four other nominations. The film is also seen as a breakthrough for Jurnee Smollett; up to that point, she had primarily worked as a TV actress.[28] For her performance, Smollett won a Critics' Choice Award[29] and a San Diego Film Critics Society Award.

Impact

In February 2008, Eve's Bayou made Time's list of the "25 Most Important Films on Race".[30]

On February 22, 2009, Debbi Morgan's portrayal of Mozelle Batiste Delacroix was included in PopMatters' 100 Essential Female Film Performances list.[31]

In 2012, Jurnee Smollett's role as Eve Batiste was included in Essence's 25 Best Roles for Black Actresses list.[32]

Accolades

1997 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards[29]

1997 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards[27]

1997 National Board of Review Awards[26]

1997 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards

  • Best Supporting Actress – Jurnee Smollett (winner)

1998 Acapulco Black Film Festival[33]

  • Best Actor – Samuel L. Jackson (winner)
  • Best Director – Kasi Lemmons (winner)
  • Best Film (winner)
  • Best Soundtrack (nominated)

1998 Independent Spirit Awards[25]

  • Best First Feature – Caldecot Chubb, Kasi Lemmons, Samuel L. Jackson (winner)
  • Best Supporting Female – Debbi Morgan (winner)

1998 NAACP Image Awards[2]

  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – Samuel L. Jackson (nominated)
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture – Lynn Whitfield (nominated)
  • Outstanding Motion Picture (nominated)
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Vondie Curtis-Hall (nominated)
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Debbi Morgan (nominated)
  • Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress – Jurnee Smollett (nominated)
  • Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress – Meagan Good (nominated)

1998 Satellite Awards[34]

  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Drama) – Samuel L. Jackson (nominated)
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Drama) – Debbi Morgan (nominated)
  • Outstanding Cinematography – Amy Vincent (nominated)

1998 Young Artist Awards[35]

  • Best Performance in a Feature Film (Leading Young Actress) – Jurnee Smollett (nominated)

1998 YoungStar Awards[36]

  • Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film – Jurnee Smollett (nominated)
  • Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film – Meagan Good (nominated)

References

  1. ^ Jackson, Samuel L. (January 22, 1998). "Samuel L. Jackson — Charlie Rose (quote at 10:54)" (Interview). Interviewed by Charlie Rose. Retrieved April 21, 2019. I was a big enough name to get three million dollars to get it made. And that's what we made it for. Three million dollars? Three million dollars, yeah.
  2. ^ a b c d "AFI Movie Club: EVE'S BAYOU". American Film Institute. June 8, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  3. ^ "Eves's Bayou". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Hornaday, Ann (February 6, 1998). "'97 Opens a New Frame of Reference". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  5. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (December 12, 2018). "'Jurassic Park,' 'The Shining' and 'Cinderella' Among Movies Chosen for National Film Registry". The New York Times. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  6. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  7. ^ "National Film Registry Turns 30". Library of Congress. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  8. ^ "Eve's Bayou". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Winters, Laura (November 2, 1997). "On the 'Eve' of a Breakthrough". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Tinubu, Aramide A. (February 15, 2019). "'Eve's Bayou' 22 Years Later: Filmmaker Kasi Lemmons Reflects On Her Classic Film". Shadow and Act. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  11. ^ Ebert, Roger (December 31, 1997). "The Best 10 Movies of 1997". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Best Films of 1997". January 3, 1998. Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. Season 12. Episode 18. ABC.
  13. ^ Ebert, Roger (November 7, 1997). "Eve's Bayou". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2011 – via RogerEbert.com.
  14. ^ Tatara, Paul (November 11, 1997). "Review: 'Eve's Bayou' a dreamscape of sex and tragedy". CNN. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  15. ^ Errigo, Angie. "Eve's Bayou Review". Empire. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (November 7, 1997). "Movie Review: 'Eve's Bayou'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  17. ^ Thomas, Kevin (November 7, 1997). "Eve's Bayou". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 22, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2011. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; December 22, 2008 suggested (help)
  18. ^ Sarris, Andrew (January 12, 1998). "1997's Best in Film: From L.A. Confidential to Eve's Bayou to Kolya". New York Observer. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  19. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 7, 1997). "Film Review; A Touch of Voodoo in a Steamy Eden". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  20. ^ Corliss, Richard (October 13, 1997). "Getting Down to Family Matters". Time. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  21. ^ Levy, Emanuel (September 13, 1997). "Eve's Bayou". Variety. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  22. ^ Thomson, Desson (November 7, 1997). "All About 'Eve'". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  23. ^ "Eve's Bayou Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  24. ^ Bastién, Angelica Jade (November 16, 2017). "20 Years Later, Eve's Bayou Is Still a Stunning Portrait of Black American Life". Vulture. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  25. ^ a b c "The 1998 Independent Spirit Awards: Reactions and Responses…". IndieWire. March 22, 1998. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "1997 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  27. ^ a b "1997 - Winners Of The 10th Annual Chicago Film Critics Awards". chicagofilmcritics.org. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  28. ^ Avery, Jaha Nailah (September 5, 2022). "As It Nears 25, Eve's Bayou Is Still Radical—And Wonderful". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  29. ^ a b "The 3rd Critics' Choice Awards Winners and Nominees". bfca.org. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  30. ^ Corliss, Richard (February 4, 2008). "Eve's Bayou (1997) – The 25 Most Important Films on Race". Time. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  31. ^ "100 Essential Female Film Performances". PopMatters. February 22, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  32. ^ "25 Best Roles for Black Actresses". Essence. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  33. ^ "Eve's Bayou - Miscellaneous Notes". Turner Classic Movie Database. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  34. ^ "1998 2nd Annual SATELLITE™ Awards". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  35. ^ "19th Youth In Film Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  36. ^ "Nominations for the 3rd Annual Hollywood Reporter YoungStar Awards". Entertainment Wire. September 17, 1998. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2022 – via The Free Library.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eve%27s_Bayou&oldid=1118206416"