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Smoke Signals (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:24
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.3/10
Synopsis: Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-A-Fire are brought together by Victor's father who saves Thomas from a fire that destroys his house and kills his parents. In close proximity all their lives on the... Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-A-Fire are brought together by Victor's father who saves Thomas from a fire that destroys his house and kills his parents. In close proximity all their lives on the Coeur D'Alene Indian reservation in Idaho, the boys could not be more different. Victor is the extrovert who excels at basketball and Thomas is the savant who lives with his grandmother after the death of his parents. The journey the two young men take to the home of Victor's estranged father in far off Arizona brings out of the past the remarkable events that brought them together. [More]
Starring: Adam Beach, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal
Starring: Adam Beach, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal, Evan Adams
Director: Chris Eyre
Director: Chris Eyre
Composer: B.C. Smith
Producer: Larry Estes, Scott Rosenfelt
Screenwriter: Sherman Alexie
Reviews for Smoke Signals
It was shocking to realize that as late as 1998, this was still one of the few movies made by insiders, written, directed, and acted by Native Americans. The father-son narrative is conventional but it has humor and is well acted.
A resolutely so-so movie puffed beyond all recognition by non-First Nation critics looking to expiate their dimly-felt sense of historic debt.
A moving and engrossing look at life on The Rez for two Native American youths. Adam Beach’s performance is admirable. Irene Bedard is gorgeous and mesmerizing.
It wasn't perfectly put together, the actors were sometimes too enthusiastic or not enough ... but it really touched me.
The good news is that Smoke Signals is a movie that requires no dispensation ...
The film pokes fun at the interface between life on "the rez" and the dominant white culture. It also reveals how ritual and friendship can be healing medicine.
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