Powwow Highway (1989)

100% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(2,679 ratings)

The road movie gets a smart update with this seriocomic tale of two Cheyenne men traveling from their reservation in Montana to New Mexico. For one of them, Buddy Red Bow (A Martinez), a quick-tempered activist, the journey is a practical one; his sister has been arrested and he is the only family… More The road movie gets a smart update with this seriocomic tale of two Cheyenne men traveling from their reservation in Montana to New Mexico. For one of them, Buddy Red Bow (A Martinez), a quick-tempered activist, the journey is a practical one; his sister has been arrested and he is the only family member who can help her out. Buddy has no transportation, so he's forced to ride with Philbert Bono (Gary Farmer), a phlegmatic hulk of a man who is using his 1964 Buick as a vehicle for a spiritual journey of his own. Philbert's easygoing ways and insistence on frequent stops to meditate prove irritating at first to Buddy, but the men reach an accommodation as the trip wears on. Buddy comes to see that blaming the white man and what he sees as system rigged against Native Americans is distracting him from his true mission: to better understand himself and his place in the world. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Jonathan Wacks
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 24, 1989 Wide
On DVD: Nov 23, 2004

Critic Reviews

James Sanford, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Martinez gives a solid, thoroughly credible performance, but it's Farmer who makes the movie truly special; look at his half-amused/half-offended reaction to a TV commercial featuring a car dealer wearing a feathered headdress and whooping it up.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

I don't mind 'message films' but I don't care for ones that repeatedly beat you about the head and shoulders with preachy, cliched stereotypes.
Donna D

Pretty funny and awesome native movie!!! and Best of all is I got to meet GARY FARMER! ;) Great movie with lots of humor on Natives. :)
Leo L

Funny!