Naturally Native (1998)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Directors:

Jennifer Wynne Farmer
Valerie Red-Horse

Writer:

Valerie Red-Horse (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Three Native American sisters (Red-Horse, Bedard, Guerrero) decide to try to sell a line of cosmetics they call Naturally Native...

Plot Keywords:

Native American | Independent Film

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Valerie Red-Horse	...	Vickie Lewis Bighawk
Yvonne Russo	...	Joanne Chapa
Irene Bedard	...	Tanya Lewis
Kimberly Guerrero	...	Karen Lewis (as Kimberly Norris Guerrero)
Pato Hoffmann	...	Steve Bighawk
Mark Abbott	...	Mark
Collin Bernsen	...	Craig
Mary Kay Place	...	Madame Celeste
Carol Potter	...	Rape Counselor
Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman	...	Chairman Pico
Max Gail	...	Mr. Carlson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Akima
Kevin Cloud Brechner	...	Extra
Jerry Rector	...	Policeman
Courtney Red-Horse Mohl	...	Vickie Lewis Bighawk's daughter
Robert J. Thissen	...	Party Cook

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief violence and some sexuality.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Company:

Red-horse Native Productions

We were really hoping for better

We bought this movie on videotape from the Naturally Native website and we both really, really wanted to like it. It's definitely a milestone film for the industry for a number of reasons. But unfortunately, it's something of a stinker.

The main problem with the film is how much it suffers from bad writing. The dialogue is often choppy and cliche. And the writer tries to somehow work in every single issue confronting modern Native Americans, which is just overkill.

Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anyone exercising good control over the writer, who also co-directed and starred in the film. There were a number of scenes left in that should have been cut, as they don't have anything to do with the plot or development of characters.

You can tell the actors really gave it their all, but I wondered how they didn't break out laughing at some of the terrible dialogue and implausible scenes they were given.

On the other hand, the basic plot of the film is very sound and good. I hope that in another 5 years someone comes along and remakes the film, with an edited script and a little more preparation. There are a few really touching or funny scenes. Some (though unfortunately not most) of the acting was really, really good. And it's always good to see contemporary native topics addressed in film.