Smoke Signals: Difference between revisions

[[File:SmokeSignals98_5737.jpg|frame|A New Film From the Heart of Native America]]

 

 

Geeky, orphaned Thomas lives on the Coeur d'Alene reservation in Idaho where he's reluctantly looked after by stoic Victor, whose long-gone father Arnold saved Thomas from the fire that killed his parents. When Victor learns of Arnold's death in Phoenix, Thomas says he'll pay the expenses of the trip if he can accompany Victor. The young men reach an understanding during their travels, while Victor struggles to deal with his complicated feelings about his father and the past.

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* [[Adaptation]]: From the short story ''This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona'', featured in the short story collection ''Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven'' by Sherman Alexie.

* [[Adaptation Expansion]]: The movie includes a number of additional scenes and plot points that don't appear in the original story, many of which are adapted from other stories in the collection by Alexie.

*** To his credit though, Thomas had just finished asking Victor if the reason his father Arnold had left their family was because he hated Victor.

* [[Jerkass Woobie]]: Victor falls into this as well. Abusive alcoholic dad: check. [[Parental Abandonment]]: check. Poverty stricken: check.

* [[Mama Bear]]: Arlene is a strong but nonviolent example of this. After a night of "boozing", she wakes up at the sound of a young Victor breaking beer bottles on the side of their house. The impact of seeing her son in that state prompts her to stop drinking. Being an alcoholic, the fact that she goes cold turkey and evidently STAYS on the wagon not only doubles over as a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] but proves the lengths she will go to for her son. She is even willing to put up with Arnold's beatings if it means Victor won't have to see her or Arnold drunk ever again.

* [[Manic Pixie Dream Girl]]: Suzy Song. That is all.

* [[Momma's Boy]]: While Victor is generally aloof, cold and a [[Jerkass]] to those around him, he clearly has a close bond with his mother, Arlene.

** Thomas is this in spades with his grandmother. Complete with the selection of wardrobe and the same hair styles.

* [[Stepford Smiler]]: Victor serves as a Type A male example of this. He gives a gymnast Thomas talks to on the bus to Arizona a brutal verbal smackdown after catching her in a lie, all the while smiling.

** He does tend to insult people while smiling the whole way through.

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Films of the 1990s]]

[[Category:Film]]