Remembering The Masterpiece ‘Eve’s Bayou’ (1997)
Hailed as the best film of 1997 by film critic Roger Elbert and also an indie success in the American film world that year, this film spoke to audiences from coast to coast which translated into box office ticket sales and plenty of critiques on race, class and gender. While it is not unique for films to launch the careers of its younger talent but it also solidified the careers of the veterans, this film managed to do so with a strong focus on tying it to the location of filming with talent native to the area and netted on it’s collaborative power.
One must also consider the cultural significance of a black woman whose debut film as a director did fantastic numbers and proved to be a strong contender as a solid film in a lineup which included Titanic. Kasi Lemmon’s directorial debut, Eve’s Bayou is a coming of age tale set in 1960’s Louisiana that featured powerhouse performances, exceptional cinematography and unreliable point of view from a narrator that challenges the story’s true chain of events.
This film not only helped launch the careers of its younger talent but it also solidified the careers of the veterans and helped move some stars from movie star to mega…
