A couple in their fifties with a troubled past find redemption on the flooded streets of New Orleans when they rescue forgotten people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Now That Should Be A Movie
It’s called An Airboat On The Streets of New Orleans
It’s a rescue drama
In the vein of Dunkirk.
It is like Hard Rain meets Only The Brave.
It follows a criminal with a violent reputation Doug Bienvenu
And his adventurous common-law-wife with kidney failure Drue LeBlanc
As they seek to rescue people trapped in New Orleans by the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina.
Problems arise when police and the National Guard interfere with their rescue operations.
Together they will work on Doug’s attitude toward authority and push through Drue’s pain as they rescue 800 people.
The idea came to me when I found the book at the library and read it in search of Louisiana stories that should be filmed in Louisiana.
My unique approach would be to show an act of humanity that is challenged by both a natural disaster and a bungled response by authorities.
A set piece would be when Doug and Drue return to an island in the flooded city where they have been leaving the refugees they rescued. They are shocked to see that most of the people are still there. Then four police officers arrive. They are checking on rescue teams to keep them safe from sniper fire. Doug insists that the snipers are people just firing into the air to attract attention to their plight. Then he points out that the people on the island have still not been rescued due to bungled response at every government level to the disaster. Many of the people on the island have been there for two days in the heat of the sun while being bitten by fire ants. They’ve had little food and water. They start to take out their frustration on the police officers. Doug realizes the confrontation might turn violent. In a change of his negative attitude toward authority, Doug gets on his boat, maneuvers it between the officers and the people, and revs his engine, drowning out the shouting. Then he tells the refugees that he had brought them to dry ground and the only thing he asked of them was to let the officers go in peace. Crisis averted.
Target audiences would be men and women 30-70, outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, fans of adventure and rescue dramas, and Louisianians.
Audiences would like to see it due to its themes of redemption, challenging authority, romance, sacrifice, and an exciting act of humanitarianism.
Hello, today’s book I would like to pitch as a movie is An Airboat on the Streets of New Orleans: A Cajun Couple Lends a Hand After Hurricane Katrina Floods the City by Trent Angers, from Acadian House Publishing.
To the people of St. Martin Parish, Doug Bienvenu was pas bon – no good. A twice-divorced recovering drug addict and alcoholic, he had a long rap sheet of petty crimes and misdemeanors. His reputation with local police was such that when he was brought in on weekends for starting a fight, the officer at the desk would say, “We’ve been expecting you.” The cell they put him in became known as “The Doug Bienvenu Suite.” A psychiatric evaluation found that he had martyrdom syndrome and was overly sensitive and aggressive toward anything limiting or confronting him. Some of his violent actions resulted in periods of prohibition in which he could not enter the parish.
Drue LeBlanc was also twice divorced. She had spent most of her life either as a productive member of society or lying in a bed as chronic kidney disease nearly killed her. Her brush with death left her with an urgent desire to enjoy life to the fullest. And she found her conduit for such a life when she met Doug Bienvenu.
All her friends and family warned Drue about Doug, but she insisted it was her life to live. The couple, both in their fifties, fled to Florida for a time. After Drue’s kidney disease worsened, Doug took her back to Louisiana to see her doctor. Back in St. Martinsville, Doug faced up to legal charges against him and spent a few months in jail. As soon as he was out, it was obvious to everyone that he had changed. Drue’s love had begun to tame him.
One of the many jobs that Doug had held over the years was hurricane recovery. His experience of cleaning up the Gulf Coast during hurricane season and his brief stint studying engineering at LSU had given him a sixth sense of how much damage a hurricane would inflict. So, when he saw on the news that Hurricane Katrina was heading toward New Orleans, he knew the pumps and levees would not hold up against her strength.
Doug was also an outdoorsman and owned an airboat. He called the Coast Guard Command Center in New Orleans. He told them that the storm would break the levees. He could get forty guys with airboats and help with rescue operations. The dispatcher thanked him and said they would hold onto his number. Doug’s calls to the Corps of Engineers, State Police of Louisiana, and Wildlife and Fisheries had the same result.
When Katrina made landfall, her tidal surge pushed a huge amount of water into Lake Pontchartrain. The levees and seawalls could not hold up under the pressure. Soon there were more than fifteen breaks in the system. When Doug saw that on the news, he jumped out of his easy chair. He had seen enough. He was going to New Orleans to help those who had not evacuated before the storm. In a great Cajun tradition, he was un coup de main – lending a hand.
Drue insisted that she was going with him. Doug would not hear of it. Her kidneys had failed too many times. Too many times he had found her unconscious. After he told her she would slow him down, she went back to her room and cried for half an hour. After Doug had hitched up his airboat and loaded it up with chainsaws, axes, and emergency supplies, Drue still insisted on joining him. Being sick did not keep her from wanting to help. Doug relented. The couple left their home at Breaux Bridge on August 30.
As they drove down I-10, Doug worried they might be arrested. They approached a roadblock. State Troopers were turning away cars. But when one trooper saw their airboat, he asked if they were with search and rescue. Then he let them through, with a word of caution that it was getting pretty bad in the city.
When Doug arrived at the staging point, he was shocked at the number of law enforcement and Wildlife and Fisheries agents standing around doing nothing. Then he found where the civilians had parked their boats. He recognized some of them and asked them what was going on. They said they were still waiting on orders.
But Doug wasn’t waiting. He drove down a backway toward New Orleans. In order to test the water level, he drove into the flooded street When he felt the water lifting the boat from the trailer, he stopped his truck. He and Drue boarded his airboat and entered the flooded streets of New Orleans.
Doug drove slowly to avoid hitting anything submerged or being tangled up in downed power lines. The water stank with the fumes of gasoline, oil, and raw sewage. Through that nauseating stew men and women waded. Water was up to their shoulders in some places. What few early belongs they still had were raised above their heads.
As Doug continued along South Claiborne, he saw that a median called a neutral ground in New Orleans parlance, had created a small island. It was twenty yards wide and eighty yards long. A small oak tree provided shade. Seeing that the people were not in immediate danger, he continued his mission.
Doug and Drue’s first rescue occurred a few blocks from Carrollton Avenue. A woman and her children were stuck in their car. After loading them, Doug wasn’t sure where to take them. But then he remembered the island on South Claiborne Avenue. After dropping them off at the median, he and Drue went in search of more people in need.
Doug decided to focus on the side streets and back alleys. He would pass young, healthy-looking people and look for the old and infirm. Locals and family members give directions to the locations of elderly neighbors and relatives. With the help of one of the first people he rescued, Cookie Bloodworth, Doug would arrive at the location, then wade through the water to the building and help the people to his boat. Sometimes this included carrying wheelchairs above the water. Thanks to Cookie’s guidance, Doug was beginning to get the layout of the neighborhood. But with night closing in and with no headlights on his boat, he would have to discontinue his rescue operations in order to avoid hitting black electric wires in the dark. When Doug returned to dry land to load up his boat, he found out that the people, many of whom had never seen an airboat before, had given him a nickname, “Fan Man.”
Drue had not eaten all day, having only chewed ice cubes. Because certain foods could poison or make her seriously ill, she had put off eating until she was closer to home in case she had to be rushed to the hospital. Despite her hunger, she had a satisfied feeling and was ready to help with rescue operations the next day.
Due to the fire ants covering the ground, the median became known as Fire Ant Island. Doug kept seeing the faces of the occupants of the island in his sleep. He and Drue left Breaux Bridge at 7:00 the next morning. They stopped at a gas station to collect food for the stranded refugees. As Doug searched for a place to launch his boat, he was greeted by a group of refugees. From them, he learned that no one, not even the National Guard or law enforcement, had come to rescue the occupants of Fire Ant Island.
When Doug and Drue arrived at the island, most of the occupants were crowded under the shadow of the only tree on the dry ground. A few old people in wheelchairs were baking in the sun. Others were standing in the stinking water trying to wash the fire ants off or cool off from the heat. Cookie Bloodworth, despite being hungry and tired, boarded the airboat and continued to assist Doug and Drue in their mission of mercy.
When a National Guard truck passed the island, it sent a wave washing up onto the shore. The refugees tried to wave the truck down. The National Guardsmen replied that they were on a mission. They could not stop due to their orders.
When Doug saw three Army trucks parked at a submerged bus stop, he drove up to one, pressed his accelerator, and headbutted the cabin with his boat. The startled driver asked if he was crazy. Doug called them crazy. He yelled at them that there were that dozens of people were still waiting for rescue at Fire Ant Island. The Guardsman replied they were under orders. Doug ordered them to rescue the people on the island. The Guardsman replied that his confrontational manner could get him arrested. Doug said that they should be arrested for what they were not doing. Drue stepped in, calmed Doug down, and convinced him to go in search of more refugees.
Doug, Drue, and Cookie continued their rescue operation till nearly dark. The occupants of the island had risen to four hundred. Knowing they were thirsty and hungry, Doug went to the nearest government compound, Jefferson Parish Central Warehouse and Maintenance Facility. The warehouse was full of crates of food and water. Doug asked if he could take some to Fire Ant Island. Because the island was outside of Jefferson Parish, the bureaucrats refused to give him anything. After being confronted by Doug, the supervisor allowed him to take two cases of water and a case of Spam.
After distributing the food and water to the unruly crowd on the island, Doug and Drue continued their rescue mission. One of the flood victims was a six-month-old baby with asthma. Drue dripped a washcloth into the cold water of an ice chest and used it to pat the baby’s face and chest. Doug made a special trip to the nearest hospital to drop off the baby and his parents. The baby lived.
On the next day, Sept 1st, there were so many first responders and military vehicles taking part in the rescue operation that Doug decided to put his boat in at a different location. He had decided to look for those he called the forgotten ones. When a policeman offered Doug and Drue protection due to reports of snipers firing on helicopters, Doug refused. Those shots were coming from desperate people shooting in the air to get attention, Doug explained. No one was coming to rescue them. They were dying of thirst and the heat. Doug was going to pay attention to them.
The police still had orders to provide everyone going into the flooded city with a police escort. Rather than waste time arguing with authority, Doug allowed a policeman on the boat. As they passed a convenience store, groceries came floating out of the door. Doug and the policeman salvaged the “manna from heaven” and threw them to people stranded on rooftops.
When the boat encountered roadblocks of trees and debris blocking the narrow streets, Doug would get out his chainsaw and cut his way through. After making their way through, Doug would drive the boat up to the front porches of the houses and the policeman would help the people onto the boat. Sometimes yard fences kept the boat from getting close to the house, so the police officer would unbuckle his gun, step into the water, wade to the house, and carry the people back to the boat. Many people insisted on bringing pets and belongings, limiting the number of occupants and slowing the boat down due to the weight.
Then Doug noticed that Drue was rocking back and forth, clutching her side. Her throbbing kidneys made her feel weak and nauseated. But she still insisted on staying. Doug was concerned because with her kidneys functioning at only 25%, she was susceptible to pneumonia. Getting wet while riding through a flooded city could result in her death. When it started raining, Doug finally insisted that she remain in his truck. Drue reluctantly returned to the truck.
Even suffering from a life-threatening disease and after two days of not eating, she was still thinking of the people that Doug was trying to save. When Doug returned with a load of refugees, Drue insisted on joining him again. It was still raining, said Doug. Drue said she would wait till the rain stopped, then join him.
It was good she did because Doug got into another tussle with authority. National Guardsmen tried to assert their authority over him and his boat. They wanted his boat to transfer officers. Doug would have nothing to do with riding officers around when people were dying of heat and dehydration. To accentuate his point he put on his accelerator and blasted the Guardsman with wind from his propeller, leaving their boat rocking. Police also tried to commandeer his boat to transport convicts. Doug again insisted he was only rescuing the regular people trapped in their homes.
When Doug and Drue returned to Fire Ant Island, they were shocked to see that most of the people they rescued were still there. Then four police officers waded through the water to the island. They were checking on rescue teams due to sniper fire. Doug again insisted that people were just firing to get attention. Then he pointed out that the people on the island had still not been evacuated by any government agency. Many of the people on the island began taking out their frustrations on the police officers. Realizing the confrontation might turn violent, Doug got on his boat and revved his engine, drowning out the shouting. Then he told the refugees that he had gotten them onto dry ground and the only thing he asked of them was to let the officers go in peace. Crisis averted.
One of the positive things that came out of the confrontation was that many of the residents of Fire Ant Island realized that the water was shallow. Before the officers came wading through the water, many of them suspected that the water level was several feet deep. Now groups of the young and stronger flood victims began to wade through the water. At first, the groups had been small but then rose to numbers of forty to fifty. Soon only two hundred people, mainly the infirm and elderly, were left. Eventually, the National Guard trucks that had been neglecting them for the past two days stopped and finished the evacuation of Fire Ant Island.
Doug and Drue returned home to a depleted bank account. Still, the next day they once again headed back to New Orleans. But a traffic jam and Drue’s worsening pain convinced Doug to head back to Breaux Bridge.
Two months after the rescue Drue had to undergo kidney dialysis. A year later her kidney function had fallen to five percent. She was put on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. Sadly, she died in 2014.
The rescue operation had a positive effect on Doug. Over the years he has had few run-ins with the law, never touched drugs, and limited his alcohol consumption to the weekends. No longer did he have to prove himself to anyone. Now he would rather sit on his front porch at home. Before Drue died, she and Doug would take annual pilgrimages back to the New Orleans neighborhoods and streets where their airboat once floated. They would meet many of the people they rescued. Angers put the number of people rescued at 800. On December 12, 2006, Mayor Ray Nagin declared a special day in honor of Doug and Drue. But the greatest honor was the thanks of the people to whom they had un coup de main. Nobody had come through for them except for Doug and Drue.
There are many reasons that An Airboat on the Streets of New Orleans would make a great movie. Movies about rescue operations and humanitarianism are always exciting and inspirational. There are themes of romance and redemption. Doug, a rebel and an outcast with whom many can identify, has a character arch in which he goes from viewing the police as a threat to possibly saving their lives from an angry crowd. I could see Paul Greengrass or Peter Berge directing a film adaptation. Mel Gibson, Woody Harrelson, or Jeff Bridges could play Doug. Possible casting choices for Drue would be Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, or Kathy Bates. Djimon Hounsou could play Cookie Bloodworth. Jon Hamm and Sam Rockwell could have supporting roles as Guardsmen and police officers.
Another reason would be to honor the people of New Orleans. To many Louisianans, the Big Easy is the pas bon of the Pelican State. Many were not surprised when the levees failed and governmental corruption was exposed. When reports of rampant looting and violent crime appeared on the news, it confirmed the biases that many people throughout America have against intercity populations. I remember the news reporting that people were firing at rescue helicopters. Studies have shown that those initial reports were wrong. An Airboat could help set the record straight about the people of New Orleans by showing them helping their neighbors. Like Doug defending the people who were firing to attract help, it would dispel many myths about New Orleanians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
A film about Airboat would also honor the Cajun Navy. Like any disaster, Hurricane Katrina brought out the best and worst in people. Doug is just one example of the hundreds of Louisianans from parishes surrounding New Orleans who loaded up their boats and headed into the Big Easy to help total strangers. The resultant movement, the Cajun Navy, continues to rescue and aid storm victims. I have a personal connection with the Cajun Navy. They rescued my uncle and aunt from their flooded home in the Houston area after Hurricane Harvey. Because they continue to un coup de main, the Cajun Navy should be honored in the personification of Doug and Drue.
Because it is an exciting and inspirational story containing elements of romance, redemption, and sacrifice honoring those who helped in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is why I believe An Airboat On The Streets of New Orleans by Trent Angers Should Be A Movie.
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