Waterproof

A white shop owner from DC (Reynolds) is injured and whisked away by a black cab driver (April Grace) to her family's modest home in the Deep South where he stays longer than expected.

Shot in October-November, 1997, "Waterproof" was not released until 2000-2001, but it's a well-done Southern Gothic that respects the intelligence of the viewer. Hours after watching I was able to connect-the-dots and it elicited a 'Wow' reaction.

This is easily one of Burt's best roles, but you have to be in the mood for a drama. I don't want to say much more because it's best for you to discover for yourself, but the movie's warm, sobering and revelational. Moreover, it contains one of the best church sequences in cinematic history.

If you liked Robert Duvall's "The Apostle" (1997), you'll appreciate this.

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Tensas Parish in northeast Louisiana with other stuff done in Wilmington, North Carolina.

GRADE: A-/B+

Frank Capra, Jr, Craig Fincannon and Carol Baum traveled to Athens, Georgia in 1999 to show the students at the University of Georgia their feature film, Waterproof. I was fortunate enough to be in the audience, and was enthralled by their presentation and the film itself. What I saw was a film in which the actors were not boasting to their audience or playing a part for money. They saw a script that was full of color and feeling, the emotions that capitulate a family drama. They played characters that were rich and three-dimensional. The dark lighting served as an undertone for the setting and story: the Deep South and dark family secrets. I can't wait to sit down and watch this movie again, two years after the first time I was lucky enough to do so.

Waterproof is a very moving film that will bring tears to the eyes of most who see it. The film dissects how family members make mistakes in trying to protect their loved ones by covering up or trying to hide the truth and how these mistakes snowball and certainly dont solve anything. The characters are honestly portrayed, flaws and all and the relationships that are built between the characters, despite the circumstances are sweet and poignant. One of the most important aspects of this film is that it tells us of the necessity of forgiveness and ultimately how forgiveness can set you free. I am glad that this film has finally been released on video and DVD. I urge everyone to see this one! It is a keeper!

I purchased this movie in a clearance sale.....I didn't expect much. However, I was caught by surprise. This movie is quite captivating. It is also filled with quirky characters that captured me. I wanted to be there. It was much, much better than I expected. My only regret is that the copy I purchased wasn't better quality. I think this movie is a keeper. And Burt Reynold's humble contribution to it was a surprise. I DO wonder how he was connected to this movie. It didn't seem like something he would be involved in, and his character truly didn't belong in the environment, he was immersed in, and yet, he made it real, for that very reason. I thought his part was seemingly subdued, but quietly important. Oh, and I loved the soundtrack! My family and I really enjoyed this movie. You need to listen closely......The dialogue between "Sugar" and "BurtR." was notably funny!

This moving and beautiful drama wasn't released on theaters in 1999, and that's a shame. Few people will have the grateful surprise to discover this sensible masterpiece, but if you have a chance and run into Waterproof in a videostore, give it a try.This is a sensible and touching independent film and Burt Reynolds has in it maybe the best performance of his career. Although Boogie Nights remains as a landmark for his career, Waterproof is a film in which he delivered his best performance so far. Reynolds plays Eli Zeal, an angry old Jewish guy who owns a little grocery store. When a ten year old boy shoots him, the mother of the kid puts Eli and the kid inside a cab and takes them to her home town, Waterproof. The lady is scared of the police, so she convinces Eli that she will treat him in her parent's house. Eli ends up getting involved with the story of this family, and he learns more about those people - this young woman ran away from her home due to a secret. She has two brothers, an alcoholic one and a mentally ill. She just wants to get on with her life and forgive herself for the mistakes she made, but in order to do that she must face the past and tell the truth, and Eli tries to convince her to trust her parents and family and leave all the secrets behind. At the same time, Eli, who was a loner since his wife and kid died, discovers how love and friendship, two things he though he had lost a long time ago, may give everyone a better beginning. The movie starts a little bit slow,the first half of the film requires patience and attention, but soon Waterproof develops itself into a climatic rollercoaster ride of emotions.This is basically a story of second chances, of the discovery of love, of how in a certain point of our lives we have to look back and see what we have been doing, and if we want to change. Waterproof shows us how to find this courage to change. Watch this film, it's a shame the fact that it's unknown, because it is the best film of 1999.Burt Reynolds must be proud to have such a classy, terrific masterpiece in his filmography. An excellent actor, Reynolds' best widely known parts were in Deliverance and Boogie Nights, but Waterproof is a kind of a challenge to him.Here you won't find the macho man of Deliverance, nor the cynic porn director of Boogie Nights. Here Reynolds gives a kind, tearful interpretation, of a man who is in need of care and love.