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Movies / Upcoming / Hurricane on the Bayou
Hurricane on the Bayou

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Hurricane on the Bayou (2006)

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Reviews Counted:20

Fresh:17

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.1/10

Genre: Education/General Interest

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: A powerfully moving large format film unlike any other, Hurricane on the Bayou carries audiences behind today’s news headlines on a journey deep into the soul-stirring heart of Louisiana – before,... A powerfully moving large format film unlike any other, Hurricane on the Bayou carries audiences behind today’s news headlines on a journey deep into the soul-stirring heart of Louisiana – before, during and after the unprecedented devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Unfolding against the poignant backdrop of the most costly natural disaster in America’s history, MacGillivray Freeman’s IMAX® cameras follow a group of four musicians, both legendary and rising, as they explore the electrifying culture of New Orleans: speed through the beautiful, alligator-filled bayous on airboats; recount their heart-wrenching, personal stories of Katrina; and most of all, bring the focus to the rapidly disappearing wetlands that are New Orleans’ first line of defense against deadly storms. Vanishing at an astonishing rate of one acre every 38 minutes according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the wealth, cultural vitality and very future of New Orleans depend on the preservation of these wetlands. Narrated by Academy Award®-winning actress Meryl Streep and driven by a rousing Jazz, Blues and Gospel-fueled soundtrack,Hurricane on the Bayou is both a haunting document of a storm’s human effects and a compelling call to restore Louisiana’s wetlands, rebuild New Orleans, and honor the place where America’s most vibrant home-grown culture was born. -- © MacGillivray Freeman Films [More]

Director: Greg MacGillivray

Director: Greg MacGillivray

Reviews for Hurricane on the Bayou

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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The narrative is built one happy cliche at a time until the story of Katrina ceases to be about appalling environmental neglect, or the colossal failure of the federal government to manage a disaster.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
03/22/07
Philip Kennicott
Philip Kennicott
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A classic 'before and after' document, terrific images of what was once there, actual footage of the storm itself, moving TV news coverage of the disaster and a conclusion that's more optimistic than it has any right to be.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
03/16/07
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

The smart, classy Hurricane on the Bayou preaches an invaluable environmental lesson for children and parents: Don't monkey with the ecosystem without expecting payback.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
03/16/07
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

Despite its split personality, Hurricane offers more good than bad, including a lively soundtrack featuring Benoit, the Neville Brothers and Fats Domino.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
03/16/07
Erika Gonzalez
Erika Gonzalez
Denver Rocky Mountain News

Katrina will end up changing the entire South, from Houston to Florida, for decades to come, yet Bayou still insists on its upbeat gospel ending.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
03/16/07
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post

Hurricane on the Bayou makes its points in a compelling, and moving, manner.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Lewis Beale
Lewis Beale
Film Journal International

[Features] a knockout soundtrack, some very impressive gators and two irresistible forces: Hurricane Katrina and 14-year-old fiddler and eco-warrior Amanda Shaw.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
02/16/07
Arthur Salm
Arthur Salm
San Diego Union-Tribune

...amazing footage of Katrina's aftermath...

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
02/11/07
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

not simply another 'isn't it tragic' picture of the Gulf Coast, post-Katrina. The movie spends just as much time celebrating the joyous music that has always been a part of New Orleans...

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
02/09/07
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

Though some of the images of the aftermath will seem chillingly familiar, there is ample aerial footage of the destruction that carries a deeper impact because of the wide screen.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
01/26/07
Edward Ortiz
Edward Ortiz
Sacramento Bee

A convincing and entertaining argument for the importance of preserving Louisiana's wetlands.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
01/18/07
Bob Townsend
Bob Townsend
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It effectively showcases the indomitable spirit that has held the area together over the last year.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
12/22/06
John Monaghan
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press

This is an often-moving film, but its approach to life in post-Katrina Louisiana is hopeful, even celebratory.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
12/21/06
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

The devastation left by Hurricane Katrina has been well documented, but seeing it on a giant Imax screen makes it hit home in a way other media can't match.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
12/21/06
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Although its subject matter gets tossed around a little, "Hurricane on the Bayou" always gets its message across.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment Comment
12/19/06
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

While it attempts to be apolitical, the filmmakers short shrift of what happened during and after Hurricane Katrina weakens an otherwise worthy film.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
10/02/06
Richard James Havis
Richard James Havis
Hollywood Reporter

It's a gumbo stew of a movie in which all the ingredients don't meld neatly, but then it has an excuse: Nature beat it to the punch.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
09/23/06
Bridget Byrne
Bridget Byrne
Boxoffice Magazine

Seen on an Imax screen, the now-familiar imagery of the devastation in New Orleans and other areas takes on a new resonance as the sheer size of the affected areas is felt more fully.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
09/08/06
Mark Olsen
Mark Olsen
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film's originally speculative scenario became reality on Aug. 29, 2005.

Full Review Source: Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) | comment Comment
09/08/06
John Wirt
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

A film free of political fury, but full of activist optimism, this tame but heartfelt documentary is a fine companion piece to a day at the science museum.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
09/07/06
Chuck Wilson
Chuck Wilson
L.A. Weekly
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Hurricane on the Bayou

January 07, 2007: What should be the perfect storm flick turns out to be an infomercial pointing to undefined solutions to a problem few will understand before seeing this film, and few will understand after. Opens in new window
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