Bright Leaves Movie Review 2003

Documentary filmmaker McElwee revisits his Southern roots in North Carolina and the importance of the tobacco industry to his family. He follows a rumor that the 1950 Hollywood melodrama, "Bright Leaf," was based on the life of his great-grandfather, John McElwee, who launched the Bull Durham tobacco brand but later lost his fortune to the rival Duke family. He interviews family and friends, explores the current state of the tobacco business, and makes a climatic visit to the annual Tobacco Festival.

Distribution

First Run Features, The Film Center Building, 630 Ninth Ave., Ste. 1213, New York, NY 10036, Phone: (212)243-0600, Toll-free: 800-229-8575, Fax: (212)989-7649, Email: info@firstrunfeatures.com, URL: http://www.firstrunfeatures.com

Running time 107 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Documentary Films, Family, Agriculture

Screenplay

Ross McElwee

Cinematography

Ross McElwee

Director

Ross McElwee

Other

Rick Beck, Ross McElwee, Mark Meato