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IMDbPro

Belizaire the Cajun

  • 1986
  • PG
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
554
YOUR RATING
Belizaire the Cajun (1986)
DramaHistoryRomance

A Cajun man attempts to save his town.A Cajun man attempts to save his town.A Cajun man attempts to save his town.

  • Director
    • Glen Pitre
  • Writer
    • Glen Pitre
  • Stars
    • Armand Assante
    • Gail Youngs
    • Michael Schoeffling
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    554
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Glen Pitre
    • Writer
      • Glen Pitre
    • Stars
      • Armand Assante
      • Gail Youngs
      • Michael Schoeffling
    • 20User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations total

    Photos7

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    Top cast26

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    Armand Assante
    Armand Assante
    • Belizaire Breaux
    Gail Youngs
    Gail Youngs
    • Alida Thibodaux
    Michael Schoeffling
    Michael Schoeffling
    • Hypolite Leger
    Stephen McHattie
    Stephen McHattie
    • James Willoughby
    Will Patton
    Will Patton
    • Matthew Perry
    Nancy Barrett
    Nancy Barrett
    • Rebecca
    Loulan Pitre
    • Sheriff
    Andre Delaunay
    • Dolsin
    Jim Levert
    • Amadee Meaux
    Ernie Vincent
    • Old Perry
    Paul Landry
    • Sosthene
    Allan Durand
    • Priest
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • The Preacher
    Bob Edmundson
    • Head Vigilante
    Charlie Goulas
    • Vigilante
    Robert Earl Willis
    • Vigilante
    Robin Wood
    • Vigilante
    Harold Broussard
    • Parrain
    • Director
      • Glen Pitre
    • Writer
      • Glen Pitre
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    6.5554
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    Featured reviews

    oyason

    a trickster's tale

    BELIZAIRE THE CAJUN is a trickster's tale. Belizaire (Armand Assante) is a healer and community leader who is standing against a displacement of a small Cajun settlement in rural Louisiana that is being led by "good white citizens" like Old Perry (Ernie Vincent), his reluctant son Matthew (Will Patton), and his obnoxious gung-ho vigilante son-in-law, James Willoughby (Stephen McHattie). Matthew Perry is a torn personality, as he has "gone native" with a beautiful Cajun woman Alida Thibodeaux (Gail Youngs) and is the father of her son and a child she is pregnant with. Belizaire nurses an old love for Alida, and this is a source of tension between he and Matthew that the surrounding community is aware of.

    In addition to this conflict, there is an underlying problem between Matthew Perry and his brother-in-law Willoughby, who seeks to run the Perry plantation, but is distrusted by both Old Perry and his daughter Rebecca (Nancy Barrett). Beyond these issues, there are the problems engendered for the Cajun settlement by the mischief of petty raiders like Hypolite Leger (Michael Schoeffling), a man whose own family has been displaced by earlier seizures of Cajun land and livestock.

    Before the story is over, Matthew Perry is dead, Belizaire winds up charged with his murder, and a lot of wheeling and dealing is done under the auspice of a Machiavellian sheriff (Loulan Pitre) and the parish priest (Allan Durand), all of which is brought to closure during a most amusing hanging scene that marks the climax of the work. With BELIZAIRE THE CAJUN, film maker Glen Pitre gives us a trickster's tale that is steeped in a little known chapter of United States history. And that chapter, which is as "all-American" as the white-led anti-black riots in St. Louis during the First World War and the U.S. led massacre at My Lai in Vietnam, is a semi-fictional chronicle of the harassment of the Arcadian (or Cajun) peoples of Southwest Louisiana in the years before the Civil War. It's a story that bears telling, and Pitre and his cast pull it off with a lot of humor as well as a "no foolin'" tone. The beautiful soundtrack provided by Cajun musicians Beausoleil adds depth and atmosphere. BELIZAIRE THE CAJUN is a "ringer" to be sure.
    10jewellsofdixie

    Wonderful movie!!

    I rented this movie just because it was about Cajuns and I thought it might be somewhat interesting. Little did I know that it would become one of my all time favorite movies. I kept it for two weeks and watched it 5 times. (This is why I love renting DVDs online... no due date!!! )

    This movie is educational, inspirational, adventurous, suspenseful, and very romantic!! I learned about the trials and tribulations the Cajuns had to endure. I was inspired by the loyalty and integrity of the characters. I was excited by the action and intrigued by the mystery. By the end of the movie, I was in love... with Belizaire and the Cajuns.

    The movie is actually a love story/ murder mystery; however, it is also about the discrimination and hatred the Cajuns had to endure. It is about their lifestyle, culture, and even gives you a delicious taste of Cajun music. I have a friend that is a Cajun from Houma, Louisiana and she says that it is very authentic and true to the Cajun's history.

    Last, but certainly not least, I must mention Belizaire himself. For all you ladies out there.... He is INCREDIBLE!! He is handsome, gentle, romantic, passionate, humorous and plays one heck of an accordion!! I would allow him to be my "healer" anytime!! *grin*

    I do not buy many movies because once I have seen them a time or two I usually lose interest. This is one that I will be adding to my collection though. It is not often that you come across a movie of this high quality. AND it is a movie the entire family can watch. My 11 year old daughter watched it with me and liked it too. (although not as much as I did) Let me finish by saying that I STRONGLY recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates an intelligent and entertaining storyline.
    6mjneu59

    early Sundance indie worth searching for

    A rarely seen corner of folk culture receives star billing in this lively slice of backwoods Americana, directed by an alumnus of Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. The background is historically precise: a 19th century clash between expatriate French Canadian settlers and local vigilante ranchers in rural Louisiana, but in the foreground is a rousing, crowd pleasing drama much in the style of many a western. Armand Assante plays the title character, a celebrated Cajun rogue and medicine man hoping to end the repression of his kinfolk by pleading guilty to a murder he didn't commit. This selfless gesture leads him straight to the gallows where, in an unlikely but exciting climax, he manages to outwit the enemy and save the day (not to mention his own neck). It may lack the technical gloss of a bigger budget film, but more than compensates with plenty of rich period detail and flavor. Robert Duvall, credited as a creative consultant, appears in a brief cameo role.
    10Joe-385

    A Beautiful, Moving Film

    I am puzzled by the low rating for this film. It stands as one of my all-time favorite films. Every aspect of it shines, writing, directing, acting, soundtrack. It's a beautiful film about a little-known piece of American history, and it shows the underpinnings of a culture most of us know only as a reference to food. In particular, the soundtrack by Beausoleil is a masterpiece of fitting the cultural music to the mood.

    Cultural insights aside, the story is moving and the characters are fully realized individuals. Belizaire in particular is complex, funny, and touching -- a healer who gets by on his wits and truly cares for his people.

    Don't let the low-rating here dissuade you. If you get the chance to see the movie see it, and you may find a lifelong favorite, too.
    8artzau

    Oui, ça va!

    This is a fine film-- not necessarily a great one, but one with some great content. Armand Assante, who like the late character actor, J. Carrol Naish, is able to place himself seamlessly in almost any ethnic role, from a Cuban to a Greek, is Belizaire, the Cajun. Little knowledge will be gained about these marvelous people who were expelled in early 19th century British ethnic cleansing from L'Acadie, a region near present-day Quebec, to the Dominican Republic, scattered along the eastern seaboard of the US and then making their way back to Francophone Louisiana. The term 'Cajun,' comes from a local pronunciation of Acadian. The Cajuns fiercely separate themselves ethnically from the other descendants of the French immigrants, the Creoles both culturally and linguistically and doggedly maintain their cultural traditions into the present time. This film, which is not at all badly done, touches little of that and gives only a tiny taste of Cajun culture...but in the brief spot using the music of Michael Doucet and his band, Beausoleil-- what a taste! The plot, Belizaire is an entrepreneur and pleasant con-man who's in a love competition with Will Patton (in an early role), leads to complications in which Belizaire is willing to sacrifice his life to bring peace with his non-Cajun neighbors. In the end, Belizaire uses his quick wits and con-man skills to make the situation right. I would have liked to have seen much more of the Cajun way of life brought in. But, there were some fine local scenes and the costumes and settings looked great. The Cajuns are a fascinating group of people with wonderful music and traditions. We get only occasional glances of this rapidly disappearing way of life and this film adds another glimpse which should not be passed up, no matter how imperfect it is. This film is available on video and is certainly worth the price of rental. If it crops up on the late show, I would certainly check it out.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Features the Cajun music and singing of Michael Doucet and Beausoleil.
    • Quotes

      Priest: ...and for your penance say the Rosary five times. Now make a good Act of Contrition.

      Belizaire: FIVE Rosaries? Father, I have never in my life had to say so much as three Rosaries, let alone five. One, two at the most ...

      Priest: Belizaire, the penance comes from God. It's not something that you negotiate.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Out of Bounds/Belizaire the Cajun/Heartburn/Hard Choices (1986)

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    FAQ17

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 13, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Acadian Waltz
    • Filming locations
      • Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
    • Production company
      • Cote Blanche Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,142,243
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,142,243
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 43m(103 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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