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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Type of bind: DVD
EAN num: 9786305428411
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN number: 6305428417
Label: Miramax Films
Manufacturer: Miramax Films
Quantity: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Publishing house: Miramax Films
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 28, 1999
Running Time: 89 minutes
Sale Popularity Level: 1711
Studio: Miramax Films
Theatrical Release Date: June 26, 1998
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Description:
Critically acclaimed as one of the best films of the year, SMOKE SIGNALS was also a distinguished winner at the Sundance Film Festival! Though Victor and Thomas have lived their entire young lives in the same tiny town, they couldn't have less in common! But when Victor is urgently called away, it's Thomas who comes up with the money to pay for his trip. There's just one thing Victor has to do: take Thomas along for the ride! You're in for a rare and entertaining comic treat as this most unlikely pair leave home on what becomes an unexpectedly unforgettable adventure of friendship and discovery!
Amazon.com:
Based on a couple of short stories (from The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven) by Sherman Alexie, Smoke Signals is a lean and assured feature that speaks well of its lengthy, rich evolution, including a development stint at Sundance. The very first feature made by a Native American crew and creative team, the film concerns two young Idaho men with radically different memories of one Arnold Joseph (Gary Farmer), a former resident of the reservation who split years before and has just died in Phoenix. Arnold's strapping, popular son, Victor (Adam Beach), remembers him best as an alcoholic, occasionally abusive father who drove off one day and never came back. By contrast, Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams), whom Arnold had saved from certain death years earlier, has chosen to exaggerate the man's life and deeds in a mythmaking fashion that drives Victor crazy. Circumstances bring the two together, however, in a bus ride to retrieve Arnold's ashes. There, in Phoenix, a confrontation with the reality of the dead man's fullest legacy has a profound effect on both characters. Alexie, who wrote the script and was personally involved in all aspects of the production, and first-time director Chris Eyre are so polished in their approach that you can barely feel the cinematic engine at work here. This is the kind of movie in which the characters seem to be driving everything forward, a captivating and pleasant experience that gets a little too tidy at the end (can we call a moratorium on scenes of human ashes lovingly disposed to the winds?), but which is undeniably moving. The cast, including Irene Bedard (the voice of and physical inspiration for Disney's Pocahontas) is outstanding. --Tom Keogh
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Rated by buyers 
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The DVD was new in excellent condition and was delivered in an extremely short time.
Rated by buyers -
It's a fantastic movie, funny, and has a good little under story. I reccomend - it's not pow wow-ish or anything, it's just a story that is on a reservation..
Rated by buyers -
"Smoke Signals" is a 1998 film based on short stories from Sherman Alexie's book "Tonto and the Lone Ranger Fistfight in Heaven." This is one of the very first films directed by, written by, acted by and crewed by a full Native American team.
The story is about two unlikely young Native American men who are traveling together to retrieve Arnold Joseph (Gary Farmer's) ashes. Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) is the son that Arnold abandoned ten years before when his parents got into a drunken brawl. Thomas Builds-The-Fire (Evan Adams) is the same age as Victor and was saved by Arnold in a house fire that killed both of his parents.
Both have an entirely different point of view of the man who in a sense gave them their lives. Along the way, Thomas nearly drives Victor crazy with his storytelling of his father. Victor remains silent and angry about the family's parting.
In Phoenix, they meet Suzy Song (Irene Bedard) who loved Arnold and has an entirely different story to tell. Nobody's story is completely true, but when all the disjointed pieces come together they make a poetic sense.
Both the journey and the stories are beautifully told with humour and grace. The music is a great counterpoint to the tale, just enough but not overpowering.
Overall, "Smoke Signals" is very watchable and definitely a film I would want to own and recommend to friends.
Rebecca Kyle, July 2008
Rated by buyers -
Film is set on an Indian Reservation in Idaho. This is the very first film directly, acted and produced entirely by Native Americans. The story is centered around Victor and Thomas. Victor is handsome, athletic and a guy's guy. Thomas is a short, geeky nerd and relishes in storytelling. The boys are connected through Victor's Father, who saved Thomas from a fire that killed his parents. Thomas considers Victor's Father a hero and tells worship-like stories about him. He is optimistic, upbeat and a dreamer. Conversely, Victor has to contend with his Father's alcoholism, beatings and verbal abuse - and is a sullen young man who is constantly brooding. Victor and Thomas grow up together in the neighborhood - not a close friendship but one of a forced alliance.
Eventually, Victor's Father leaves him and his Mother to parts unknown. Victor learns that his Father dies and he is asked to pick up his Father's ashes and belongings. Victor leans on Thomas to lend him the money to make the trip to Phoenix, however Thomas will only do so if Victor brings him along the trip.
This is a quirky, funny film - similar to the awarded winning film, Juno. You feel the hatred, the love and the longing that Victor has for his Father. The relationship between Victor and the one-of-a-kind Thomas is similar to John Candy and Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Victor comes to learn about his Father and his friend Thomas on his journey. Terrific film.
Rated by buyers -
You'll like this movie. (Personally, I loved both!) Not only did it include at least two members of the NE cast, it had that same kind of otherworldly-yet-relatable feel to it.
I enjoyed the acting of both lead characters, although Thomas's accent was a little odd (it sounded similar to an Irish brogue in the way it moved up and down, but perhaps it's just because I've never heard a storytelling accent before). I really felt as though I knew the father in the story by the end of it. I won't spoil the movie for anyone but it is a heartbreaker when you find out what happened.
Great job--I hope to see more from this ensemble!
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