Smoke Signals

Smoke Signals follows Victor Joseph, a young Native American man living on a reservation in Idaho, and Thomas Builds-the-Fire, an eccentric storyteller whom few want to listen to. The two share a childhood connection: Thomas's parents died in a 1976 house fire and Arnold, Victor's father, saved Thomas's life. Arnold later left his family, and Victor has not seen him in a decade. When word arrives that Arnold has died in Arizona, Victor wants to collect his father's ashes but lacks the money. Thomas offers to pay for the journey on the condition that he comes along. The two set off on a road trip together, an uneasy pairing given their clashing temperaments.

The film, released in 1998, is a comedy-drama running 89 minutes, made in Canada and the United States by Miramax and ShadowCatcher Entertainment. It was directed by Chris Eyre; the first film in his directing career, it precedes Skins and Skinwalkers, both from 2002, Hide Away from 2011, and Jim Thorpe: Lit by Lightning from 2025. Sherman Alexie wrote the screenplay, and the producers were Larry Estes and Scott M. Rosenfelt. Adam Beach plays Victor and Evan Adams plays Thomas, with Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal, and Cody Lightning in supporting roles. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6.8 out of 10 from 118 votes.