McElwee family legend has it that the Hollywood melodrama "Bright Leaf" starring Gary Cooper as a 19th century tobacco grower, is based on filmmaker Ross McElwee's great-grandfather, who cre... Read allMcElwee family legend has it that the Hollywood melodrama "Bright Leaf" starring Gary Cooper as a 19th century tobacco grower, is based on filmmaker Ross McElwee's great-grandfather, who created the Bull Durham brand.McElwee family legend has it that the Hollywood melodrama "Bright Leaf" starring Gary Cooper as a 19th century tobacco grower, is based on filmmaker Ross McElwee's great-grandfather, who created the Bull Durham brand.
- Awards
- 9 nominations
Photos
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaScenes in the film show the harvesting of tobacco. The farmer refers to it as "cropping ". There are two terms in North Carolina for harvesting, cropping and priming. The use of one term versus the other is determined by an invisible line that runs roughly through the geographical middle of the state from east to west. To the north the term priming is used while cropping is used in the southern half.
- GoofsThe filmmakers states that the Duke tobacco trust was dissolved in the 1920's. The Supreme Court decision against American Tobacco was handed down on May 29, 1911.
- Quotes
Ross McElwee: As time goes by, my father is beginning to seem less and less real to me in these images. Almost a fictional character. I want so much to reverse this shift, the way in which the reality of him is slipping away. Having this footage doesn't help very much - or, at least, not as much as I thought it would.
- Crazy creditsToo many beauty queens to be named here
If you expect movies to be "about" anything in particular, this film will doubtless leave you scratching your head in frustration and bafflement. If you can accept a movie that is a beautifully paced (quick/elegiac/quick) romp by a quirky mind with one of the sharpest eyes around, you'll have a great time. The festival audience (many of whom, unlike me, seemed to know what to expect) certainly did.
PS: In the Q&A, McElwee pointed out the obvious: that this film was actually made on film, not from digitized pixels. He wryly dismissed those who applauded this affirmation as flacks for Kodak, but the reason for the applause is real and obvious. What a joy it is once again to actually see detail in an image, to see faces in full and changing expression instead of in soupy facsimile. And to see real colors (and what an eye for color McElwee has) in all their changing subtlety, instead of vague planes of yellow or puce.
- Mengedegna
- Oct 14, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Яркие листья
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $77,888
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,485
- Aug 29, 2004
- Gross worldwide
- $77,888
- Runtime1 hour 47 minutes
- Color