Bright Leaves

Oct 8 2004 Not Rated 1h 47m
Biography, Comedy, Documentary

Ross McElwee travels through the North Carolina tobacco belt in search of the ancient southern traditions associated with tobacco growing and use, while comparing his filmmaking to commercial cinema, represented by Bright Leaf, a melodrama directed by Michael Curtiz in 1950, starring Gary Cooper, apparently based on the life of his great-grandfather.

Plot

North Carolina produces more tobacco than any other state in America. Bright Leaves describes a journey taken across the social, economic, and psychological tobacco terrain of North Carolina by a native Carolinian, Ross McElwee, whose great-grandfather created the famous brand of tobacco known as Bull Durham. The comedic chronicle is a subjective, autobiographical meditation on the allure of cigarettes and their troubling legacy for the state of North Carolina. It's also a film about family history, addiction, denial, and filmmaking--as McElwee, noted director of Sherman's March, grapples with the legacy of an obscure Hollywood melodrama that is purportedly based on this curious man that was his great-grandfather.

Written by

Ross McElwee

Directed by

Ross McElwee

Cast

Allan Gurganus, Paula Larke, Marilyn Levine

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United Kingdom, United States of America

Production Companies

Homemade Movies, WGBH Boston, Channel 4 Television

Languages

English

Awards

9 nominations

Scores
# of Votes
687
Average Rating
7 out of 10
Metascore
79
Popularity
NA