MovieChat Forums > Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2012) Discussion > There are no basements in Louisiana

There are no basements in Louisiana

posted 13 years ago by peachy2
16 replies | jump to latest

Why hasn't anyone made note of the fact that the state of Louisiana is at sea level, & houses there do not have basements. Digging down just a few feet hits water. Even the dead are buried above ground.

Seemed so odd to me, & my Louisiana born-&-bred husband, that this movie, which could've been set anywhere--there was no tie-in to a geographical locale in the story--had a storyline clearly involved w/the idea that the main character LIVED IN A BASEMENT. Why didn't anyone from the get-go think that thru?

Linda J. Alexander
author, "A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story"
http://www.lindajalexander.net
http://www.authorsden.com/lindajalexander

[–] movieguy82 13 years ago

That's odd, being as how the writers/directors are from New Orleans.

[–] Bronn_The_Badass 13 years ago

nobody cares! hen peck a more serious movie!

[–] peachy2 13 years ago

Apparently someone does care simply because someone noticed.

And BTW, personally I thought the movie had a decent & rather "serious" storyline. It took awhile to get there but there was a solid message involved. I don't consider it hen-pecking. I see it as keeping true to your storyline.

Linda J. Alexander
http://www.lindajalexander.net
http://www.authorsden.com/lindajalexander

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] SWLinPHX-2 13 years ago

Why hasn't anyone made note of the fact that the state of Louisiana is at sea level, & houses there do not have basements. Digging down just a few feet hits water. Even the dead are buried above ground.

The whole state is below sea level?? I think you're talking about New Orleans. This takes place in Baton Rouge, a completely different part of the state.

twitter.com/swlinphx

[–] peachy2 13 years ago

I'm talking about the entire state. Directly from a Louisiana geography site, "The Mean Elevation of the state of Louisiana is only 100 feet above sea level." So yes, while the entire state isn't literally BELOW sea level, the point is that to dig a basement, in any part of the state, one would hit water very fast. This is why graves are placed above ground in Louisiana.

My husband was born & raised about halfway between New Orleans & Baton Rouge. My mother's family is from New Orleans & areas outside Baton Rouge for generations. This is a statewide situation. I'd be hard-put to say w/o question there isn't a single basement in the state of Louisiana but, on the other hand, I'd be very surprised to find if anyone there has ever tried it. It might possibly work in the northernmost border parts of the state ... but even that would be playing games with Mother Nature. ; >

Linda J. Alexander
http://www.lindajalexander.net
http://www.authorsden.com/lindajalexander

[–] greekgirl64 12 years ago

If your family is really from Louisiana, then surely you know that all cemeteries in Louisiana are NOT above ground. Look at Greenoaks in Baton Rouge http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=67665&CS cntry=4&CSst=20&CScnty=1125&CSsr=41&.

Also, it took me less than one minute to find a home for sale in Clinton, LA, just 30 miles from Baton Rouge, that has a basement. What are the chances it's the only one in the state?
http://www.glissonproperties.com/index.php?base=featured&pid=10789

[–] Chaseterrier 13 years ago

Because this movie is fiction!!!

[–] peachy2 13 years ago

I'll grant you that. It's fiction. But as someone who writes for a living, I know it's usually the goal to create a story that's seamless enough to not make the viewer/reader stop the flow of enjoying that story to say, "What-the-what?"

And if I missed something in the context of this film which would explain away this issue, I'll be the first to apologize. I thought it a worthwhile story but since a basement was at its core premise, & a basement in Louisiana would be a very wet room ... just made me say, "Huh?!"

Linda J. Alexander
http://www.lindajalexander.net
http://www.authorsden.com/lindajalexander

[–] HuevosRancheros 13 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN92ZUOuLhQ

Google is incredibly useful.

While it is rare, you can have a basement in Louisiana, or anywhere for that matter as long as you do it properly.

[–] epic364 13 years ago

That's actually a pretty big misconception. On the Southshore and in the lower Southeast portion of the state, most people are definitely buried above ground for the purposes you mentioned, but there are DEFINITELY cemeteries in the fairly immediate area where that's the case.

I live just across the Causeway from New Orleans and there are cemeteries just like that here. And not only that, but we just buried a friend of mine below ground in a city called Gonzales, which is actually closer to New Orleans than Baton Rouge is. So it's incredible possible.

But you are partly correct. No basements on the Southshore. But, this movie takes place over an hour away from the swampy riverbased Southshore, so that's not really a problem.

Just saying.

[–] peachy2 13 years ago

Interesting. As mentioned, my husband is a southwest Lousiana native, & my mother's family has been there for generations, so the idea isn't totally coming from a northerner's head. It was, in fact, my husband who made the observation. I do know where Gonzales is. I drove thru there earlier this year.

It is intriguing to know, however, that burials are now being done above ground. That somehow seems positive to me.

Thanks for your note.

Linda J. Alexander
http://www.lindajalexander.net
http://www.authorsden.com/lindajalexander

[–] itstoohardtoreadmyname 12 years ago

So people are bothered that this movie is ignoring the fact that Louisiana has no basements, yet people are OK with Star Wars/Star Trek/ Avatar/ Inception, because they are all based on true events?

[–] peachy2 12 years ago

No, not really ... don't know about others, but those movies never crossed my mind in connection to this "conversation."

Linda J. Alexander
http://www.lindajalexander.net
http://www.authorsden.com/lindajalexander

[–] dontbelievethehype-2 12 years ago

I live in a town that is below sea level. I also live on a hill. I also have a basement.

Some people in town don't live on a hill, they have basements.....

[–] AtheistRevolution 12 years ago

Yea that's true. I live in Louisiana and if you build basement it will be a swimming pool. Especially with all the hurricanes,raining,etc.But there are some insulated concrete form basements.

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.