Smoke Signals
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Smoke Signals
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Smoke Signals is a 1998 coming-of-age comedy in which two young Native American men go on a road trip to retrieve the ashes of one of the boy's recently deceased father. It's based on the book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie. In flashback scenes, the father is an alcoholic who can be physically abusive to his wife and child when drunk. He punches his son in the eye when the boy drops the beer bottle he's holding for him while driving his truck, and strikes and knocks down his wife during a drunken argument. In a flashback scene, this man burns a house down while shooting off roman candles while drunk, resulting in the deaths of the parents of one of the lead characters. While on the road, the two lead characters stop upon a car accident caused by a surly drunk driver who tries to blame them for what happened. Some strong language throughout: "bulls--t," "a--hole," "s--t," "ass," goddamn," "hell." Cigarette smoking.
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What's the Story?
In SMOKE SIGNALS, Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams) tells the story of how he was rescued from a burning building by Arnold Joseph on the 4th of July in 1976. This was also the night Thomas' parents perished in the fire, a fire that was started by Arnold when he drunkenly shot off roman candles in the house. Two decades later, Thomas is a talkative young man prone to telling fanciful tales, and his friend Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) lives with his mother in the years after Arnold walked out on them. When Victor gets word of Arnold's passing outside of Phoenix, he decides that he must find a way to drive down there from his home in the Coeur d'Alene reservation in Idaho, but he and his mother are short on cash. Thomas has some money and is willing to help, and the more taciturn Victor reluctantly agrees, despite being wary of Thomas and his constant talking and storytelling. When they arrive at Arnold's home, a trailer outside of Phoenix, they meet Suzy Song (Irene Bedard), a friend of Arnold's who spent a lot of time with him in recent years. Suzy tells Victor about the father he never really knew and his regrets over leaving Victor and his mother. As he collects Arnold's remains and looks through his possessions, Victor must find a way to make peace with his father and his past and see what it is that makes him not only a Native American living in this world, but also a human.
Is It Any Good?
This is a groundbreaking '90s indie coming-of-age dramedy that's showing its age. As a movie made by and starring Native Americans, Smoke Signals went far to confront the stereotypes of a culture and people that found its way into movies practically from the moment movies were first made. In that regard, life on the reservation in the late 1990s and those who lived there are presented in all the ways that make them unique. It doesn't shy away from the problems of alcoholism and poverty, but it's also anchored by a dry ironic humor and a celebration of a culture as the second act transforms into something more like a "buddy movie."
However, the heavy-handed messaging hasn't aged well. It's like the filmmakers, cast, and crew were all aware of how much deplorable stereotyping and one-dimensional characters littered movie screens for so long that they wanted to overcome all of that in one fell swoop. It leads to some forced preachy dialogue that doesn't serve the story, a story that's conveying these messages just fine on its own. It's a decent movie all these years later, but the Sherma Alexie book on which it is based, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, is better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Native Americans are portrayed in Smoke Signals. How have Native Americans traditionally been stereotyped in movies, and how does this film contrast this while also calling attention to these stereotypes?
This movie is based on a book. What would be the challenges in adapting a book into a movie?
This is an independent coming-of-age comedy-drama from the 1990s. In what ways does the movie seem dated, and in what ways has it held up?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 27, 1998
- On DVD or streaming: July 15, 1999
- Cast: Adam Beach, Evart Adams, Irene Bedard
- Director: Chris Eyre
- Studio: Miramax
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Adventures, Book Characters, Friendship
- Run time: 89 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: Some intense images.
- Last updated: July 11, 2022
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For kids who love the '90s
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