Reception and Impact
The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with Chicago Sun-Times' Roger Ebert naming it the best film of 1997. CNN's Paul Tatara, Empire, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Observer, The New York Times, TIME, Variety, and The Washington Post also loudly praised the film and its performances.
Eve's Bayou received a "fresh" rating from Rotten Tomatoes, reporting that 80% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 50 reviews. Though not nominated for any Academy Awards, the film did receive many accolades. Debbi Morgan's performance would be her most honored film role, with four nominations and two wins. The film is also noted for Jurnee Smollett's performance; up to this point, she had worked primarily as a TV actress, with Jack being her only previous film.
In February 2008, Eve's Bayou made TIME's list of The 25 Most Important Films on Race.
On February 16, 2009, Debbi Morgan's portrayal of Mozelle Batiste Delacroix was included in Pop Matters' 100 Essential Female Film Performances list.
Read more about this topic: Eve's Bayou
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