Dance Me Outside (1994)

This is an interesting look into the lives of native Americans living on a reservation.  It's not preachy, and there is more to the story than just their living conditions, as it shows what directions their steer their lives in, (or lack of direction) as well as how they deal with the murder of a native and the unjust punishment given to the white man who committed the crime.

I am a little surprised to see that Frank and Silas are quite aimless, and appear to put a priority on getting drunk.  I know this is common among young people, and a problems among natives, but for me it seems completely pointless.

I was a bit appalled at the way had Illianna sleep with Gooch, behind her husband's back, due to his problems with infertility.  I don't know if this was just something the writer thought up, or is something culturally acceptable to native Americans.  Obviously, being a lawyer, Robert McVey, would have had access to fertility treatments, as he would have enough funds to pay for them.

It was interesting they way the the natives took Robert McVey to have him take part in a sacred native American ceremony, but I would think Robert would have suspected something, as it didn't appear they had gone to a site that was prepared for a sacred ceremony, as the site was littered with car parts and looked very make shift.  And some of the ridiculous things they said and had Robert do, should have been a give away.  Most obviously was when Silas, when speaking of his spirit animal said "I am the walrus"  That scene may have been just for entertainment value.

It's always great to see Adam Beach in a film, who was so outstanding in Smoke Signals and has created quite a career for himself, being in a large number of films, both native and Hollywood.