Powwow Highway

Infobox Film
name = Powwow Highway


caption =
director = Jonathan Wacks
producer = George Harrison
Denis O'Brien
Jan Wieringa
writer = David Seals
Janet Heaney
starring = A Martinez
Gary Farmer
Amanda Wyss
music = Barry Goldberg
cinematography = Toyomichi Kurita
editing = Jim Stewart
distributor = Anchor Bay
released = Jan, 1989
Film Festivals
Feb 24, 1989
Wide Release
runtime = 87 min.
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0098112

"Powwow Highway" is a 1989 comedic road movie based on a novel by David Seals. It features A Martinez, Gary Farmer, and Amanda Wyss. Wes Studi and Graham Greene, who were relatively unknown actors at the time, have small supporting roles.

Plot

For the Northern Cheyenne tribe of Lame Deer, Montana, the American Dream has taken a grim detour. Buddy Red Bow (Martinez), a quick-tempered activist, is battling greedy developers who send fast-talking, slick Sandy Youngblood to the reservation to try and persuade the council to vote in favor of a strip-mining contract. Philbert Bono (Farmer) is a serene hulk of a man guided by sacred visions. He desperately wants to find his medicine, and starts his journey to become a warrior by trading some drugs, booze, and a few bucks for his 'war pony' - a rusted out, beat up 1964 Buick he names 'Protector.' Meanwhile, Buddy's estranged sister, Bonnie, is arrested in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Buddy is the only family member who can help her and her children, Jane and Sky Red Bow. Buddy does not own a car, so he is forced to make the journey with Philbert. They set out on their road trip, and Philbert's easygoing ways and insistence on frequent stops to meditate and eat prove irritating at first to Buddy, but the men reach an understanding as the trip wears on. When they finally reach Santa Fe, they meet up with Bonnie's friend, Rabbit (Wyss) who is also trying to get Bonnie out of jail. Buddy and Philbert end up taking more than just a trip from Lame Deer to Santa Fe, finding themselves on a journey with many unexpected twists, turns, and stops. Together, they face the realities and dreams of being Cheyenne in the modern-day United States as they travel down the Powwow Highway.

Box Office and Critical Reception

Powwow Highway did poorly at the box office, grossing a mere $283,747, despite mostly positive reviews. It then enjoyed a notable second life in video and DVD sales, especially among Indians, and aired numerous times on HBO, Bravo, and translated into 8 languages, often seen in France, Russia, Japan, and Mexico.

Roger Ebert called Farmer's performance "...one of the most wholly convincing I’ve seen..." The New York Times called the sequel novel 'Sweet Medicine', by David Seals, "a comic masterpiece." {Edward Hower, Cornell University, Nov. 1992}

Leslie Marmon Silko wrote, "I love the way David Seals loots all the literary traditions of the world. And I never laughed so hard! He has truly captured in a unique and brilliant way that elusive genius of our 'Indian humor'."

Awards

# Sundance Film Festival: Filmmakers Trophy. Nominations: Grand Jury Prize.
# Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: Best Supporting Male, Best Cinematography, and Best First Feature.
# Native American Film Festival: Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Actor.

External links

*