Smoke Signals

"The only thing more pathetic than Indians on TV is Indians watching Indians on TV."

In College I took an intro to film class. We had a list of movie we were going to watch throughout the year. Smoke signals was one of them. Like many of the films on the list we did not get to see it. After many recommendations from my cousin I checked it out. That was 5 years ago. I have watched it 4 times since then. After another viewing last night I realized how much I like this film. It was the first film to be written, directed and filmed by Native Americans.

The story is of two friends, Victor and Thomas, and their struggle to deal with life. This movie is essentially a "road movie" where a character goes on a road trip and find themselves and face down their demons.

Victor Joseph is played by Adam Beach. You may have seen him playing the Native American in many other films such as Windtalkers, Flags of Our Fathers and one of my favorites...Joe Dirt. He does a great job playing an Indian with a chip on his shoulder, who lives on a Rez in Couer d'Alene in Northern Idaho. His friend Thomas Builds-a-Fire played by Evan Adams is a nerdy boy who wears big glasses and a suit at all times. When Victor is suddenly called away Thomas goes with him on a road trip. There the two deal with issues in their lives and struggle with the past.

In Arizona they meet Suzy Song who was a friend of Victors father. She is played by the beautiful Irene Bedard, who was the voice of Pocahontas in the Disney cartoon. Suzy help Victor realize it is time to change and offers him a new perspective that will help change his point of view.

The shots of Idaho and Arizona are beautiful. The rolling hills of Idaho make me feel a bit home sick for that part of the country. My Mother-In-Law watched the movie with me and she said that the film made her think of Napoleon Dynamite. I think part in due to the film location and also the independent feel to the movie.
The film was at Sundance back in 1998 where it won the Filmmakers: Dramatic award and the Audience: Dramatic award.

Smoke signals brings up the issues of racism, anger, acceptance and forgiveness. The final thought by Thomas sums up the movie as it questions forgiving their fathers.

"How do we forgive our fathers? Maybe in a dream. Do we forgive our fathers for leaving us too often, or forever, when we were little? Maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage, or making us nervous because there never seemed to be any rage there at all? Do we forgive our fathers for marrying, or not marrying, our mothers? Or divorcing, or not divorcing, our mothers? And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness? Shall we forgive them for pushing, or leaning? For shutting doors or speaking through walls? For never speaking, or never being silent? Do we forgive our fathers in our age, or in theirs? Or in their deaths, saying it to them or not saying it. If we forgive our fathers, what is left?"

8 out of 10