Smoke Signals (1998)

86% of critics liked it
(29 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(9,683 ratings)

This dramatic feature was written, directed, and co-produced by Native Americans. Native American writer Sherman Alexie scripted this adaptation of his 1993 short story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Director Chris Eyre's previous short Someone Kept Saying Powwow is… More This dramatic feature was written, directed, and co-produced by Native Americans. Native American writer Sherman Alexie scripted this adaptation of his 1993 short story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Director Chris Eyre's previous short Someone Kept Saying Powwow is incorporated into the 88-minute feature. Developed at the Sundance Lab in 1995, the film was a winner of both the Audience Award and the Filmmakers' Trophy at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. In 1976, an infant survives a fire that kills his parents. In a flash forward to the present day, the infant has grown up to become the skinny, nerdy adult Thomas (Evan Adams). At Idaho's desolate Coeur d'Alene Indian reservation, the overeager youth is mostly ignored by others, including stoic athletic Victor Joseph (Adam Beach), even though it was Victor's father, alcoholic Arnold Joseph (Gary Farmer), who saved the infant Thomas' life in the fire. A drunken Arnold later abandoned his family, and Victor hasn't seen his father in a decade. When Victor learns of Arnold's death in Phoenix, Thomas offers to pay for the trip to Phoenix if he can accompany Victor. They make an odd couple since Victor is embarrassed by Thomas' geekiness. In Phoenix, they find that Arnold lived in a small trailer in the desert, and they meet Arnold's friend Suzy Song (Irene Bedard), who provides disturbing truths about Arnold that impact on Victor. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Chris Eyre
Written By: Sherman Alexie
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 26, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Jul 27, 1999
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
It was shocking to realize that as late as 1998, this was still one of the few movies made by insiders, written, directed, and acted by Native Americans. The father-son narrative is conventional but it has humor and is well acted.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
A brilliantly performed movie....Beach is a knockout
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Native American themed story has great moments
Martin Scribbs, Low IQ Canadian
A resolutely so-so movie puffed beyond all recognition by non-First Nation critics looking to expiate their dimly-felt sense of historic debt.
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
A moving and engrossing look at life on The Rez for two Native American youths. Adam Beach's performance is admirable. Irene Bedard is gorgeous and mesmerizing.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
It wasn't perfectly put together, the actors were sometimes too enthusiastic or not enough ... but it really touched me.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The good news is that Smoke Signals is a movie that requires no dispensation ...
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
The film pokes fun at the interface between life on "the rez" and the dominant white culture. It also reveals how ritual and friendship can be healing medicine.

Read all 8 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

I recently finished reading Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and felt compelled to revisit Smoke Signals for about the 8th or 9th time. I love this film a little more every time I view it, which is easy to do… More
I recently finished reading Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" and felt compelled to revisit Smoke Signals for about the 8th or 9th time. I love this film a little more every time I view it, which is easy to do considering that the first time I saw it I just wasn't that impressed. I had felt that, in their quest to have the first "All Indian" movie, they had sacrificed a little quality and technical expertise. Maybe I still feel that's true but it's not something I notice much any more. Now I find myself engrossed in the rich characters, especially Arnold (Evan Adams). Arnold is a misfit and yet he might be the most 'indian' character in the entire ensemble. He's bright, he's introspective, and he's terribly, terribly honest. Even when he's embellishing stories he is still exposing truths. Much like it's screenwriter, Smoke Signals is deceptively deep, intelligent and philosophical even if it's not perfectly crafted. .
Drew S

All right...objectively, this is just not a very good movie. The two main characters are an unlikable prick and an unlikable nerd, respectively, and the themes are telegraphed and insultingly obvious. But Smoke Signals is important simply because of its lineage - and even though… More
All right...objectively, this is just not a very good movie. The two main characters are an unlikable prick and an unlikable nerd, respectively, and the themes are telegraphed and insultingly obvious. But Smoke Signals is important simply because of its lineage - and even though it's not that great, it's a difficult film to dislike. It's very earnest. I guess if your only exposure to Native Americans in film is, like, Indian in the Cupboard, this movie would be well worth seeing. As a cinematic craft, not so much.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Smoke Signals" starts at a celebration on July 4, 1976 on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation where Arnold Joseph(Gary Farmer) made a stuning catch to save the life of infant Thomas, while his parents died in a fiery blaze. Later, Arnold cut his… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Smoke Signals" starts at a celebration on July 4, 1976 on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation where Arnold Joseph(Gary Farmer) made a stuning catch to save the life of infant Thomas, while his parents died in a fiery blaze. Later, Arnold cut his hair short before disappearing from the reservation, leaving behind his wife(Tantoo Cardinal) and young son, Victor. As an adult(Adam Beach), Victor receives word that his father died in Phoenix. But because he is broke, he cannot go there to claim the body and possessions. However, Thomas(Evan Adams) agrees to fund him, as long as he can tag along...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Smoke Signals" is a an endearing seriocomic road movie that is more concerned with the destination than with the journey.(I suppose there is some symbolism in the men going from the sight of a fire to Phoenix but maybe I'm just reading too much into it.) The movie is about redemption and forgiveness as Victor tries to reconcile the abusive father he once knew with the memories that other people have of him. That is why, as with any story, it does not really matter if it is exactly true, as long as the essence of it is right.[/font]
Lord N

*sigh* this review isn't going to be very long. it's mainly for the people who have seen it. All I can say about this movie is this: "Heeey Victor, I heard you Dad died" Yep that's all I can say. anyone who has seen the movie knows what I'm talking about.… More
*sigh* this review isn't going to be very long. it's mainly for the people who have seen it. All I can say about this movie is this: "Heeey Victor, I heard you Dad died" Yep that's all I can say. anyone who has seen the movie knows what I'm talking about. TRIVIA TIME: The first movie to be written, directed, and co-produced by a Native American.
Donna D

I actually thought the acting was cheesy with stupid lines. Not all natives talk that way. If only the actors were more realistic the movie would have been better. Sometimes, i think that it's best to speak in their own native tongue and have it in English diaglogue. It would… More
I actually thought the acting was cheesy with stupid lines. Not all natives talk that way. If only the actors were more realistic the movie would have been better. Sometimes, i think that it's best to speak in their own native tongue and have it in English diaglogue. It would have worked better. It was promising, but i was hugely dissapointed.
Leo L

A great film! Hilarious!!