Smoke Signals (1998)

Sherman Alexie's screenplay and the book from which it is taken, "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven", are incredible prose that translate well onto the screen. The movie is a brilliant accomplishment in direction and in editing. The actors put out outstanding performances and the movie gets better every time I see it. Adam Beach is awesome, as well as the rest of the cast. It is a definite "must see" movie for any age.

Fmovies: This is one of my favourite movies and it's just wonderfully acted, directed, produced, and scored. What can I say except don't rent it, buy it! This movie is all about human emotions and Adam Beach and Evan Adams did an unforgettable acting duty as Thomas and Victor.

It's a film for the ages. A classic and one that is unfortunately, missed by many. Don't be one of those folks that pass this movie because of its "lack of explosions, cgi, or american actors"... Smoke Signals makes you open up your mind, body, and soul.

At least for the 100 or so minutes it's running... then the rest is up to you.

I lived where this was filmed and really enjoyed the movie for the content and the location. The inside jokes about being Indian were great and since I no longer live on the reservation it reminded me of home. The story was believable and the actors brought it to life. I had to call my brother and tell him to watch it again and look closer at the end credits and background of the film, it is wonderful. Congratulations to the Cast & Crew.

Smoke Signals fmovies. I was fascinated by the fact that this film was written, directed and acted by Native Americans. As a mixed blood, this was a major draw.

What I found in this film was culture, religion and what it means to be human regardless of our racial heritage.

Watching this movie as a seminary student I was drawn to the concepts of sin, alienation and reconciliation as seen through Native American eyes. What predominately spoke to me was how Thomas seemed to incorporate Christianity into his storytelling. I'm happy that Eyre and Alexie were not afraid to portray a character in this film as Christian. With all the current information, it seems there are no Christian Native Americans.

Perhaps the format of this film is overdone, the buddy road-trip, but this film is a beginning toward understanding between two cultures that share a common land.

I have read some of Sherman Alexie's work, although admittedly not "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven." I don't want to ruin a movie that I enjoyed so thoroughly by loving the book more. In any case, I think that this film is largely misunderstood. Non-Indian people tend to look at this film as a "coming of age" story about finding Victor finding not only his father, but himself as well. Yes, that's there, but there is so much more. For example: the very real and very sad quality of life on the rez. The ones who are fortunate enough to have a car don't care if it drives in reverse only. The kids watch their parents drinking, and often grow up to drink with them. Alcoholism is a very real disease that affects everyone associated with an alcoholic...and it runs rampant throughout many reservations. Imagine knowing that once you had so much, and now are only allotted a certain patch of a certain number of acres; imagine knowing that more than half of your history was oral tradition and people made you stop speaking your native language. Imagine the elders watching the children grow up to try to be white and fail, and imagine them watching their history slip away with every word or nuance forgotten. Imagine the desperation of a people as a whole and individually to have so much and really have nothing at all. That, I believe, is the underlying theme in Smoke Signals. The title alone is a cryptic message from Alexie: smoke signals were used to communicate across open plains, plains now destroyed and whithered as though a fire raged across them, which it did in the form of the white man. Victor's father died in a fire, perhaps sending his spirit up in the form of a smoke signal to his gods. And Thomas' narration at the beginning is about children born of fire and ash. Watch this movie again and again, and see how so many suffer...

My young grandniece and nephew were visiting with me during the Christmas holidays several years ago and we rented this movie from the local library. Without a doubt, it was excellent. I wanted them to see a movie with various role models, and as I had never seen this movie, I thought it would be a treat for all of us. I especially liked Thomas and his stories. Stories are an important part of growing up in all cultures. We can learn about customs of various groups through them, as well as learn a lot about ourselves, as human beings. I felt that the problems that the young man was encountering with his father are relevant to all people, young and old, and if they are not resolved, unfortunately, those problems hinder personal growth. This film was not only entertaining, but thought-provoking as well. Well done!