How the Barefoot Movie Changed Hollywood’s Perception of Indie Films

The film industry constantly evolves, with new trends and styles always emerging. While Hollywood may be the world’s largest and most well-known movie-making hub, countless independent films are being made all around the globe. These indie films often have smaller budgets, unique stories, and innovative filmmaking techniques that can challenge the status quo of traditional cinema. One of these groundbreaking indie films is Barefoot, which forever changed Hollywood’s perception of independent films.

Barefoot is a romantic comedy-drama directed by Andrew Fleming and released in 2014. It stars Evan Rachel Wood and Scott Speedman as two strangers who meet and fall in love on a fateful night in Los Angeles. The film follows their journey as they explore their newfound relationship while navigating the complexities of life. Barefoot, the film created on a limited budget of $4 million, astounded critics and achieved box office success, gaining over $21 million globally.

The film garnered plaudits for its characteristic mode of narration, which featured a peculiar construction that sought to uncover motifs like familial relations, age disparities, and individual progress in unanticipated ways. Moreover, the cinematography was remarkable, as it adopted sundry methods to depict the urban landscape of Los Angeles at nightfall. Additionally, Barefoot featured an impressive cast that included Wood and Speedman and JK Simmons, Treat Williams, and Kate Burton in supporting roles.

The success of Barefoot demonstrated to Hollywood that indie films could be commercially successful if they had unique stories and compelling characters. This shift in perception helped open up more opportunities for independent filmmakers to break into the industry and make their mark without relying on large budgets or studio backing. As such, Barefoot set a new standard for low-budget filmmaking that has inspired many other filmmakers since its release.

One filmmaker Barefoot inspired is Marielle Heller, whose 2017 drama Can You Ever Forgive Me? Saw Melissa McCarthy nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Heller has cited Barefoot as one of her main influences when making her movie; she told IndieWire, “I remembered watching [Barefoot] in theaters and feeling like I could do it too…it felt like something I could create with my friends”.

Other filmmakers who Barefoot has influenced include Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Jordan Peele (Get Out), Lulu Wang (The Farewell), and Damien Chazelle (La La Land). These directors are all part of an emerging generation of independent filmmakers who have taken cues from Barefoot’s unique style to create their distinct visions for cinema.

In addition to inspiring filmmakers, Barefoot has also changed how audiences view indie films more generally; it showed audiences that smaller-budgeted movies can still be just as entertaining and thought-provoking as larger studio productions. This has caused a heightened admiration for indie films among mainstream spectators who may not have considered them workable entertainment selections. Moreover, this admiration has enabled indie filmmakers to contact a wider crowd than ever before.

Altogether, it is patent that Barefoot had a considerable impact on Hollywood’s attitude towards independent films when it debuted six years ago; from that point forward, its sway has just become more powerful as additional filmmakers keep on drawing motivation from its creative style and captivating story-telling approaches. It’s safe to say that Barefoot changed the game for indie cinema forever – a feat few movies can claim to have achieved!