Alternative Views presents, Throwback Thursday. These reviews will feature a favorite film, suitable for multiple viewings through the years. Today’s recommendation is:
Smoke Signals (1998) Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene BeddardDirector: Chris Eyre
Writer: Sherman Alexie (novel and screenplay)
This film is going on 18 this year and I still love it as much as I did when I first learned of it more than ten years ago. It’s an endearing Road Film whose journey begins and ends on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation in Idaho.
Brooding rez Cool Kid, Victor (Adam Beach) and Thomas, the giddy rez Geek (Evan Adams), travel together from Idaho to Arizona to collect the remains of Victor’s absentee father, Arnold Joseph. Victor takes on the task with a simmering rage that he tries to pass off as “Indian stoicism”. Thomas, the trip’s sponsor, is along for the ride just to share an adventure with Victor.
Victor and Thomas have conflicting views on nearly everything, the least of which is not what it means to be an Indian. Thomas has a joy for life so boundless that while he captures the viewers’ hearts, he would probably be irritating to be around all the time. He’s a storyteller – in what he believes to be a traditional Indian fashion – and he’s loaded with romantic notions about being an Indian (including having viewed “Dances with Wolves” dozens of times.)
They also hold differing views of Victor’s late father, Arnold (Gary Farmer). Victor is still angry with his father; for his alcoholism, his abuse and his eventual abandonment. Thomas remembers the good times with Arnold, few and far between as they may have been. He remains in Arnold’s debt for having saved his infant self from the house fire that killed Thomas’ parents.
In Arizona, they meet Arnold’s last friend, Suzy Song (Irene Beddard) who is a more grounded version of Thomas. She enjoys Thomas’ stories and shares a few of her own. Through Suzy, Victor learns that Arnold would brag about him all the time, exaggerating his basketball prowess at times. Victor comes to confront his own anger at his father after learning details of Arnold’s life that he hadn’t known before. In time, Victor digs even further into himself to find peace with his identity – and it’s not just, as he’d unfairly dismissed himself before – in being the son of yet, another Native American alcoholic.
The film is Road Film Formula all the way, but it’s well written, well directed and Evan Adams steals the show in every scene. Also unique about this film is that it is an all Native American production, writer (Sherman Alexie), director (Chris Eyre), performers and technicians.
It’s heartwarming. It’ll make you smile. You’ll learn about some quirks of modern Indian life that you may not have known before. Evan Adams will capture your imagination enough to lead you to learn more about his career. You’ll want to see more from, director, Chris Eyre too.
That’s as much as anyone can ask from any Road Film, I think.