Un lourd secret semble peser sur la famille Batiste, qui vit au coeur de la Louisiane. Roz, séduisante jeune femme, voit sa famille se désagréger peu à peu face aux infidelités répétées de son mari, qui pourtant l’aime toujours. Eve, leur plus jeune fille, est témoin de l’une des aventures de son père. Cherchant un sens à ce qu’elle a vu, elle va trouver sa soeur aînée, Cisely, qui se refuse à admettre cette trahison. Eve décide alors de découvrir la vérité. Ce qu’elle va apprendre va changer la vie de toute la famille pour toujours.

Avec Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Debbi Morgan, Diahann Carroll

USA, 1999, Fiction, 1h49

Réalisatrice : Kasi Lemmons
1ère réalisation


Sortie France : 29 septembre 1999.

Eve (Smollett) is the youngest daughter of one of Louisiana’s most sophisticated and prosperous families. Her father Louis (Jackson), is the town’s highly respected doctor, a man known for his ability to « fix » things – everything except his own family problems and philandering lifestyle. Her mother Roz (Whitfield) is a stunning southern beauty with an affinity for the traditions of Creole heritage. But Eve is most like her Aunt Mozelle (Morgan) – impulsive, intuitive, a touch supernatural and possessing the need to know the truth about everything. Over one explosive summer, this young girl uncovers some of her family’s most frightening hidden truths, and then tries to bind them together against the tide of tragedy. (Wikipedia)

Written and directed by Kasi Lemmons
Directorial debut.

starring
Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Debbi Morgan, Diahann Carroll



Directed by
Kasi Lemmons

Written
by Kasi Lemmons

Produced by
Nick Wechsler
Samuel L. Jackson
Mark Armin
Caldecot Chubb

Music by
Terence Blanchard

Cinematography
Amy Vincent

Editing by
Terilyn A. Shropshire

Cast
Jurnee Smollett as Eve Batiste
Debbi Morgan as Mozelle Batiste Delacroix
Samuel L. Jackson as Louis Batiste
Lynn Whitfield as Roz Batiste
Diahann Carroll as Elzora
Lisa Nicole Carson as Matty Mereaux
Meagan Good as Cisely Batiste
Roger Guenveur Smith as Lenny Mereaux
Vondie Curtis-Hall as Julian Grayraven
Branford Marsalis as Harry
Carol Sutton as Madame Renard
Ethel Ayler as Gran Mere
Jake Smollett as Poe Batiste
Leonard L. Thomas as Maynard
Victoria Rowell as Stevie Hobbs

Studio
ChubbCo Film
Addis-Wechsler

Distributed by
Trimark Pictures (USA)
SND (France)

Running time
109 minutes

Country
United States

Language
English

Box office
,842,388
(source Wikipedia)

Release dates
7 November 1997 (USA)
29 September 1999 (France)


AWARDS / FESTIVALS

1997 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
* Best Child Performance – Jurnee Smollett (winner)

1997 | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
* Best Supporting Actress – Debbi Morgan (winner)

1997 | National Board of Review Awards
* Outstanding Directorial Debut – Kasi Lemmons (winner)

1997 | San Diego Film Critics Society Awards
* Best Supporting Actress – Jurnee Smollett (winner)

1998 | Acapulco Black Film Festival
* Best Actor – Samuel L. Jackson (winner)
* Best Director – Kasi Lemmons (winner)
* Best Film (winner)
* Best Soundtrack (nominated)

1998 | Independent Spirit Awards
* Best First Feature – Caldecot Chubb, Kasi Lemmons, Samuel L. Jackson (winner)
* Best Supporting Female – Debbi Morgan (winner)

1998 | NAACP Image Awards
* 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
* 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
* Best Performance in a Feature Film (Leading Young Actress) – Jurnee Smollett (nominated)

1998 | YoungStar Awards
* 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)