USA,
1986, 103 min
Directed by:
Glen PitreCinematography:
Richard BowenCast:
Armand Assante, Stephen McHattie, Will Patton, Robert Duvall, Michael Schoeffling, Paul OlindePlots(1)
Inspired by the many trickster tales in Cajun folklore, this milestone of 1980s regional American filmmaking from pioneering Cajun writer-producer-director Glen Pitre follows the adventures of wily herb doctor Belizaire Breaux (Armand Assante) as he becomes embroiled in the clash between Cajuns and Anglophone settlers in nineteenth-century Louisiana. Along the way, Belizaire must save a friend’s life, win a woman’s heart, outfox a crooked sheriff, stop marauding vigilantes, expose an evil villain, and rescue the inheritance of three orphaned children in a gumbo of suspense and humor that climaxes in an unforgettable showdown. (Criterion)
(more)Awards
- Winner
- Nominations
Independent Spirit Awards
- 1987 - Allan L. Durand, Glen Pitre (Best First Feature)
Cannes Film Festival
- 1986 - Glen Pitre (Un Certain Regard)
Sundance Film Festival
- 1986 - Glen Pitre (U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic)