On this day 25 years ago, the classic Eve’s Bayou premiered in theaters. Written and directed by Kasi Lemmons in her directorial debut, this movie told the story of Eve Batiste and her family in the prosperous Creole-American community in Louisiana in which they lived during the 1960s. From the outside, the Batiste clan seemed to have it all, but as with most families, they had many, dark secrets.
Featuring Jurnee Smollett in the lead role, the cast included Samuel L. Jackson, Meagan Good, Lynn Whitfield, Diahann Carroll, Lisa Nicole Carson, and Debbi Morgan. During its run, Eve’s Bayou received multiple accolades, including Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards, Outstanding Directorial Debut for Lemmons from the National Board of Review Awards, and a Critics’ Choice Award for Smollett in what is considered her breakout role.
Eve’s Bayou grossed $14 million domestically on a budget of $4 million, making it the most commercially successful independent film of 1997. In February of 2008, the film made Time‘s list of the “25 Most Important Films on Race,” and ten years later it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, take a look at the film’s cast then and now.
01
Eve Batiste
Eve was a curious 10-year-old girl, living in a prosperous Creole community in Louisiana with her younger brother Poe and her older sister Cisely in the 1960s.
02
Jurnee Smollett
Smollett rose to prominence after Eve’s Bayou, which was her second movie role. Since then, the New York native has appeared in films such as Roll Bounce, The Great Debaters, and Tyler Perry’s Temptation, as well as television programs like Friday Night Lights and True Blood. Last year, she earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for her performance in Lovecraft Country.
Photo by Kevin Winter/FilmMagic
03
Mozelle Batiste Delacroix
Mozelle was Eve’s aunt who works as a Hoodoo Practitioner and has a neighborhood reputation as “The Black Widow.”
04
Debbi Morgan
Prior to 1997, Morgan was already 20 years into her acting career. The All My Children star played in The Hurricane alongside Denzel Washington, Coach Carter, and most recently, Our Kind of People.
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Tyler Perry Studios
05
Louis Batiste
Eve’s father is a well-respected doctor in Louisiana’s “colored” community who claims descent from the French aristocrat who founded the town of Eve’s Bayou.
06
Samuel L. Jackson
Over the years, Jackson has become one of the most widely recognized entertainers of his generation. As of 2022, he has been listed as the highest-grossing actor of all-time. He has appeared in over 100 films and has achieved countless accolades including an honorary Academy Award.
Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images
07
Lynn Whitfield
Eve’s mother and the wife of Dr. Louis Batiste.
08
Lynn Whitfield
This Emmy-winning actress was cast in popular TV shows like Boston Public and How to Get Away With Murder. She also starred in the OWN series Greenleaf as co-lead Lady Mae Greenleaf.
Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images
09
Elzora
Elzora is a fortune teller and possible witch with the spiritual gift of sight.
10
Diahann Carroll
This legend of film, television and stage was a true pioneer and broke many barriers. After Eve’s Bayou, Carroll starred in shows such as Half & Half, Soul Food, and Grey’s Anatomy. Her final film role was 2016’s The Masked Saint, three years before her death in 2019.
Photo by Anthony Barboza/Getty Images
11
Cisely Batiste
Eve’s sister. Cisely comes into conflict with both her sister and mother as she enters puberty and tries to navigate the difficult transition to adulthood.
12
Meagan Good
After gaining critical attention for her role in Eve’s Bayou, Good starred in Nickelodeon’s Cousin Skeeter, followed by Deliver Us from Eva, Roll Bounce, and Stomp the Yard. Good was also featured in Think Like a Man, and starred in the comedy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
13
Matty Mereaux
A family friend of the Batiste’s. She also had an affair with Louis, setting in place an unfortunate series of events.
14
Lisa Nicole Carson
Best known for her supporting roles in ER, Ally McBeal, and Love Jones, Carson took a hiatus from acting after which she discussed In the July 2015 issue of Essence. She gave an interview in which she openly described her struggles with bipolar disorder and how the illness has affected her life and career.
Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images
15
Lenny Mereaux
The husband of Matty Mereaux and eventual enemy of Louis Batiste.
16
Roger Guenveur Smith
In film, Smith has collaborated with Spike Lee on several works. He has appeared in films such as School Daze, Do the Right Thing, King of New York, Panther, Malcolm X, Poetic Justice, Get On The Bus, He Got Game, and Summer of Sam. He can currently be seen as Judge Marshall Thomas in All Rise.
Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for EBONY MEDIA GROUP
17
Poe Batiste
The son of Louis Batiste and Eve’s younger brother.
18
Jake Smollett
Jurnee Smollett’s brother, who also starred in The Middleman in 2008 – 2009. He has also recently appeared guest judging on Food Network’s hit show Chopped Junior. In 2017 Jake joined Rachael Ray on The Rachael Ray Show all season long for cooking segments.
