Smoke Signals (1998)

Smoke Signals
Directed By	Chris Eyre
Written By	Sherman Alexie
Cast	Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer
Produced By	Chris Eyre, Sherman Alexie, Carl Bressler, Larry Estes, Scott Rosenfelt, David Skinner
Cinematography By	Brian Capener
Film Editing By	Brian Berdan
Music By	B.C. Smith
Distributed By	Miramax Films
Country	United States, Canada
Language	English
Release Date	June 26, 1998
Runtime	89 Minutes
Rating	PG-13

Smoke Signals is a 1998 Canadian-American independent drama film directed by Chris Eyre from a screenplay written by Sherman Alexie. This film stars Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, and Tantoo Cardinal. The film is based on Alexie's short story "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" from his 1993 book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.

Overview

Arnold (Gary Farmer) rescued Thomas (Evan Adams) from a fire when he was a child. Thomas thinks of Arnold as a hero, while Arnold's son Victor (Adam Beach) resents his father's alcoholism, violence and abandonment of his family. Uneasy rivals and friends, Thomas and Victor spend their days killing time on a Coeur d'Alene reservation in Idaho and arguing about their cultural identities. When Arnold dies, the duo set out on a cross-country journey to Phoenix to retrieve Arnold's ashes.

Cast

• Adam Beach as Victor Joseph
• Evan Adams as Thomas Builds-the-Fire
• Irene Bedard as Suzy Song
• Gary Farmer as Arnold Joseph
• Tantoo Cardinal as Arlene Joseph
• Cody Lightning as Young Victor Joseph
• Simon Baker as Young Thomas Builds-the-Fire
• Monique Mojica as Grandma Builds-the-Fire
• John Trudell as Randy Peone
• Chief Leonard George as Lester Fallsapart
• Michael Greyeyes as Junior Polatkin
• Darwin Haine as Boo
• Michelle St. John as Velma
• Elaine Miles as Lucy
• Cynthia Geary as Cathy
• Perrey Reeves as Holly
• Nicolette Vajtay as Julie
• Molly Cheek as Penny Cicero
• Robert Miano as Burt Cicero
• Tom Skerritt as Police Chief