Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gentle coming-of-age drama highlights Navajo culture.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Frybread Face and Me
What's the Story?
In FRYBREAD FACE AND ME, Benny's (Keir Tallman) summer is ruined when he's told he won't be going to the Fleetwood Mac concert he's been dying to attend. Instead, he'll have to spend time with his grandmother (Sarah H. Natani) at the Navajo reservation in Arizona where she lives. Leaving the excitement of San Diego for the quiet of his ancestors' land leaves Benny hopeless until his cousin Frybread Face (Charley Hogan) arrives to shake up his worldview.
Is It Any Good?
A city kid being forced to spend time in the quiet of the country, where they learn invaluable lessons, is a tale as old as stories themselves. But what director Billy Luther does in Frybread Face and Me goes beyond the apparent "city mouse" tropes to turn into something fresh and quietly moving. Set in a Navajo reservation, the film, inspired by the director's upbringing, shows rather than showcases a culture that hasn't been represented enough in the movies.
When Benny is sent away from San Diego to the reservation in Arizona where his grandmother lives, we are immersed into a world where exoticization can't happen, because there are no gazes that can impose their values. Instead, we get to share intimate moments in which we see Navajo women raise each other up and where masculinity is approached more gently. The film might defy the patience of younger viewers accustomed to quicker-paced storytelling, but each scene in Frybread Face and Me feels intimate, and very much like a blessing to witness.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Benny's reluctance to connect with the culture of his Navajo ancestors. What are some traditions your family practices that you think are old-fashioned? What makes you feel this way?
How does the film portray women? How does it depict Navajo culture?
Benny is upset because he misses a concert he wanted to attend, but by the end of the film he has learned things that change his way of seeing the world. What are some of the lessons he learns?
What character strengths does Grandma Lorraine embody?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 24, 2023
- Cast : Keir Tallman , Sarah H. Natani , Charley Hogan
- Director : Billy Luther
- Inclusion Information : Indigenous Movie Director(s) , Indigenous Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Integrity , Perseverance
- Run time : 83 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : February 27, 2024
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