Waterproof (film)

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Waterproof is a 2000 drama film written and directed by Barry Berman. It stars Burt Reynolds, April Grace, Whitman Mayo, and Orlando Jones. The story follows Tyree Battle, a single mother and taxi driver in Washington, D.C., who helps a wounded man, Eli Zeal, after her 11-year-old son Thaniel takes part in a deli robbery. To protect Thaniel and keep Zeal safe from the police, Tyree takes them to her hometown of Waterproof, Louisiana, a small, old-fashioned town.

In Waterproof, Tyree reunites with her mother Viola, her grandfather Sugar, and her brothers as she tries to care for Zeal and decide what to do next. The visit brings long-buried family secrets to light, especially about Tyree’s past romance with a white boy, Chris Hardwick, and how that love affected her life. Zeal develops a bond with Tyree’s family and begins to feel at home in Waterproof. As the truth comes out, Tyree hopes for forgiveness from her family, while Zeal finds understanding and a sense of belonging.

In the end, the story centers on healing and forgiveness rather than changing the past. A post-credits scene reveals that Eli has chosen to stay in Waterproof.

Production notes: Filming took place in Wilmington, North Carolina, with additional shooting in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C. The movie was completed in 1998, shot in 24 days, with Stephen Thompson as director of photography. The score was by J. Peter Robinson, with songs by Sonia Dada. Initially, the film had no distributor; Cloud Ten Pictures acquired the rights in 2000. Waterproof premiered at the Urbanworld Film Festival on August 2, 2001, and runs 94 minutes. It was released on DVD and VHS on October 30, 2001.