Search - Waterproof on DVD

Very sweet very human

TOMMY C ELLIS | Federal Way, WA United States | 04/17/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is an adorable feel-good movie. The story begins with an armed robbery of a grocery in Washington D.C. A 10-year old African-American boy ends up shooting a somewhat elderly Jewish man. What follows is an poignant journey to Waterproof, LA--home of the boy's mother, and a place that offers both pain and healing. At its core, this is a story of redemption for all of the characters--and there are many.Waterproof offers tender, yet sturdy spirituality. It points to truth as the ultimate medicine to heal troubled lives. While well-meaning lies unravel, truth brings pain and shame, but also freedom and hope.The acting is powerful in its subtlety and believability. The characters let the plot and dialogue carry the story along, rather than forcing their talent to overshadow this incredible tale. There is emotion--real and dramatic--but its never shrill--never coerced.The bottom line is that this is a family movie with strong story and acting. There is much here that will draw out discussion and thought. Buy, rent or borrow this film--but see it!"

Very inspiring and realistic!!!

Gregory Nyman | Winchendon, MA United States | 09/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The promos of this film state that this "...a soulful saga of redemption and forgiveness, played to perfection," and I couldn't agree more.In one of his rare moments in films lately, Burt Reynolds portrays "Eli Zeal," a shopkeeper who learns about forgiveness and that is truly human to make mistakes. With an ensemble cast which includes April Grace, Whitman Mayo, Orlando Jones, Ja'net Dubois, and Anthony Lee, this is a marvelous film and it is filled with powerful performances from this cast.The movie is heartwrenching and the music is equally phenomenal in its depiction of life in the deep South. Prepare yourself for some profound story telling. Highly recommended!!!"

Great turn out from a small budget movie!

Kyle | 11/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Waterproof" is the story of people finding themselves, whether is be through hardships or unexpected mishaps. This is a great story, as is the portrayals of the characters. It's nice to see Burt Reynolds in such a deep role (following previous movies which gave him slightly shallow roles). April Grace is marvelous. Perhaps most noteworthy is that the production value is surprisingly strong for Cloud Ten Productions (which normally puts out less-than-top-quality films). This film would've easily been a box office hit. I would DEFINITELY recommend it!"

An imperfect but uplifting film

a voice of reason | Houston, TX | 11/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is by far the best of all the movies that Cloud Ten Pictures has produced. The film tackles many major issues - single mothers and the difficulty they have raising their children, family secrets covered up by lies, race relations, inter-faith relations, and others - and yet manages to do so without being heavy-handed.



Wayward young son Thaniel Battle is forced by two older gang members to rob and shoot Jewish shopowner Eli Zeal (Burt Reynolds). His mother, Tyree, doesn't know what to do, so she kidnaps the wounded Zeal and drives him to her estranged family in Louisiana. There her 102-year old grandfather will nurse him back to health while Tyree decides how to keep Thaniel out of trouble with the law.



As Zeal stays with the family he begins to sense that there are some dark secrets that need to come out into the open. He goes from being the one healed to the one who instigates the healing of the Battle family as he cajoles Tyree to reveal what it is that made her leave her family so many years earlier.



From a Christian viewpoint, there are some flaws with this movie. Zeal tells a lie in order to get Tyree to tell the truth, which seems to equate to it taking to wrongs to make a right. Also, once Tyree has revealed her secret, she wants to get right with God. She does this by simply being baptized into the local church; no mention is made of her accepting Jesus Christ into her life. I mention these points only because Cloud Ten is a Christian film company. If they are going to make Christian films that present redemption, then they should make sure that those films portray the true gospel message of that redemption being available only through Christ.



In spite of these flaws, this is still a wonderful tale of restored relationships. Burt Reynolds' performance is actually the weakest among the major characters in the film; he seems to be playing a Jewish stereotype rather than an individual character. Whitman Mayo (probably best-known as Grady on the '70's sitcom "Sanford and Son", though you'll hardly recognize him at first since he shaved his beard) is a delight as the aged grandfather. The rest of the cast did a fine job with their roles, especially Ja'net Dubois and Anthony Lee. I highly recommend this film as it addresses so many important issues that are prevalent in today's society and still manages to entertain rather than only to lecture or to criticize (that is, it won't turn people off by being too preachy)."