The Smoking Gun
Bright Leaves
Review by Ross Anthony

This is a soft spoken, slow paced documentary, edited, filmed and narrated by Ross McElwee. I'm a non-smoker, but what made me curious about this piece was that the filmmaker's first name is the same as mine. Yes, I know, that's so superficial.

Ross pieces together shots, memories, and an on-going personal inquiry into the potential connection between a semi-classic Hollywood Movie ("Bright Leaf" starring Gary Cooper) and great grandfather McElwee's big tobacco tragic heritage. Though the film dabbles in the murky waters of a state (North Carolina) somewhat conflicted over a crop that feeds its economy while causing people to die, the real story is less defined. In fact, the meat and potatoes of this production aren't meat and potatoes at all; the central focus is as haphazard as a meandering walk through a southern valley guided only by Ross' introspection.

Starting very tediously slow, the documentary grows on you, reels you in, perhaps like smoking itself. As Ross says, "trance-like, seemingly suspending time." But, perhaps like smoking, the reel finds difficulty quitting. There's a very emotional moment with a woman playing an apropos, bluesy, folks, tune on banjo. I would have liked to hear that entire piece play right on over into the credits. Though there are moments after that worth viewing, the drive is lost.


  • Bright Leaves. Copyright © 2004.
  • Produced, written and directed by Ross McElwee (c) 2004.
  • A First Run Features Release.

Grade..........................B (2/4)

Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.

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Last Modified: Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 08:19:34 PDT