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Smoke Signals (1998)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
11/20
11/20:
"Celebrate the comedy that had audiences and critics cheering!"
Uh, if they say so. According to the box office, not many people saw Smoke Signals. No wonder why I never
heard of it which is a bad, corny movie about young American Indians in modern society that's a rip-off of
Powwow Highway.
It even won the American Indian Movie Award at American Indian Film Festival. Of course!
Smoke Signals was practically the only one of its kind released in 1998. So, the film was competing against
what...annual reruns of Dances With Wolves,
Little Big Man, and
The Last of the Mohicans?
The story isn't interesting to begin with: the father dies, his adopted son embarks on a road trip with a retarded Indian
to reclaim his remains, some secrets are revealed along the way, and the end. American Indians usually have colorful
names such as Black Hawk, Geronimo, and Crazy Horse. Hence, it's fitting to call Thomas "Bullshits With Eyes Closed"
because that's all he did to amuse anyone who were unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Adam Beach is okay; his character is funny when he's cynical but even funnier when his hair is transformed into a black mop.
I wonder why he didn't bring a cooler friend along with him on the trip. The movie is awful when they make jokes about
Indian stereotypes and worse when Thomas shows off his unexplained fascination for Victor's deceased father.
All in all, shamelessly milking American Indianism for all it has, Smoke Signals is neither funny, revealing, nor
interesting.