SMOKE SIGNALS - THE MOVIE
If you aren't already hearing music, then either click the SoundCloud player above or the Quicktime player below, depending on which one you can actually see, to play the intended tune. If you can see and/or hear both players, then you can use the controls for the player you want to hear. This minor complication in embedding music has to do with the Flash vs. Apple battle. I don't care about the battle. I just want to have the maximum number of people hear the tunes.
performed by the EagleBear Singers
written by Sherman Alexie & Vaughn EagleBear
from the soundtrack to Smoke Signals
SYNOPSIS
"Set in Arizona, Smoke Signals is the story of two Coeur d'Alene Indian boys on a journey. Victor Joseph is the stoic, handsome son of an alcoholic father who has abandoned his family. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is a gregarious, goofy young man who lost both his parents in a fire at a very young age. Through storytelling, Thomas makes every effort to connect with the people around him. Victor, in contrast, uses his quiet countenance to gain strength and confidence.
When Victor's father dies, the two men embark on an adventure to Phoenix to collect the ashes. Along the way, Smoke Signals illustrates the ties that bind these two very different young men and embraces the lessons they learn from each other."
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Smoke Signals was directed by Chris Eyre, a Cheyenne/Arapaho, who has gone on to make many other wonderful films.
Click on his photo to learn more about him:
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The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Smoke Signals is adapted from my short story, "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona," which was originally published in my first book of fiction, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven." Here is the beginning of that story:
"Just after Victor lost his job at the BIA, he also found out that his father had died of a heart attack in Phoenix, Arizona. Victor hadn't seen his father in a few years, only talked to him on the telephone once or twice, but there still was a genetic pain, which was soon to be pain as real and immediate as a broken bone.
Victor didn't have any money. Who does have money on a reservation, except the cigarette and fireworks salespeople? His father had a savings account waiting to be claimed, but Victor needed to find a way to get to Phoenix. Victor's mother was just as poor as he was, and the rest of the family didn't have any use for him at all. So Victor called the Tribal Council."
to buy this book, click the logos below:
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You can also buy the screenplay for Smoke Signals.
Click on the cover image below to find it.
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Vaughn EagleBear
Here is one of the original trailers for the film.
A correction: This is not the first feature film written, directed, and produced by Native Americans. It is the first such film to ever receive national and international distribution by a major studio. It's an important distinction. Natives have made tons of films over the last few decades, but sadly, Smoke Signals remains the only Indian-created film to ever receive this much attention.
Also, looking at the trailer, this film could have easily been titled Bad Wigs.
Awards
1998 Sundance Film Festival: Filmmaker's Trophy winner (Chris Eyre), Audience Award winner.
Independent Spirit Awards: Best Debut Performance winner (Evan Adams), Best Supporting Male nomination (Gary Farmer), Best First Screenplay nomination (Sherman Alexie)
First Americans in the Arts: Outstanding Achievement in Writing (Sherman Alexie), Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Film (Evan Adams), Outstanding Achievement in Directing (Chris Eyre)
Gotham Awards: Open Palm Award nomination
Tokyo International Film Festival: Best Artistic Contribution (Chris Eyre)
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards: Newcomer of the Year (Sherman Alexie, Chris Eyre)
1998 National Board of Review Special Recognition For Excellence In Filmmaking
1998 San Diego World Film Festival: Jury Selection Award for best American Independent Feature; Best Screenplay (Sherman Alexie); Best Actor (Adam Beach); Best Director (Chirs Eyre)
1998 American Indian Film Festival: Best Film
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A FEW NOTES ON THE FILM
(or perhaps we should call this a writer's brief commentary since Miramax has never bothered to release a special edition DVD)
A few years ago, in Chicago's O'Hare Airport, I was waiting at my gate, eating a bag of carrot sticks (okay, it was an Auntie Anne's Pretzel Dog) when I saw a white woman and a white man, obviously long lost friends, run toward each other, embrace, pull back, and, in chorus, with perfect reservation accents, say, "Hey, Victor, what about your Dad?"
Amazing how often I've heard that one line from all sorts of folks. In 1996, I wrote that bit of dialogue from Smoke Signals on my Apple Quadra 600 while sitting at my cheap-ass Dania desk in my $600 a month apartment in Ballard, Washington.
Fifteen years later, Smoke Signals is still finding an audience, and remains powerful to all sorts of people.
Me? I'd give it a B- in artistic terms and an A+ in political terms.
Farting around on ebay, I discovered that one could purchase the official Smoke Signals movie poster.
I still have my original framed copy that is leaning against a wall in my office. I broke the first frame moving into my new office. But after reframing the poster, I haven't bothered to hang it again. It's sun-faded and battered and makes me very happy. Here's a photo of me and the poster:
SECRET MISSION! Hey, folks, I think it would be cool if you filmed yourselves doing your favorite Thomas monologues from Smoke Signals and posted them to YouTube. Send us an email linking to your video. We'll post our favorites on a page of this website sometime in the nearish future.