DreamKeeper (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Steve Barron

Writer (WGA):

John Fusco (written by)

Release Date:

28 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A grandfather who believes in tradition. A teenager who believes in today.

Plot:

In South Dakota, in an Indian reservation, an old storyteller Indian asks his grandson Shane, who is in trouble owing money to some bad guys...

Plot Keywords:

Native American

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Victoria Aberdeen	...	Thin Elk's Wife
George Aguilar	...	Grandfather Stone
Nathaniel Arcand	...	Broken Lance
Gerald Auger	...	Crow Hunter
Sekwan Auger	...	Little New Rider
Zachary Nolan Auger	...	Fourth Brother
Joanne Badger	...	Two Lodges
Russell Badger	...	War Chief
Simon Baker	...	Second Brother
Lawrence Bayne	...	Raven
Clifford Crane Bear	...	Older Kiowa
Lesia Bear	...	Stand in
William Belleau	...	Young Pawnee
Terry Big Charles	...	First Brother
Stan Big Sorrel Horse	...	Hunter
Patrick James Bird	...	Big Bow
Gil Birmingham	...	Sam
Jonathan Brewer	...	A Dog Soldier
Casey Camp-Horinek	...	Sky Woman
Tantoo Cardinal	...	Old Pawnee Woman
Keith Chief Moon	...	Pawnee Elder
Tokala Clifford	...	Red Deer (as Gerald Tokala Clifford)
Kyle Daniels	...	Little Hand
William Daniels	...	Third Brother
Joseph Darwish	...	Brother
Stacy Da Silva	...	Young Lakota Woman
Travis Dugas	...	Ekuskini
Gloria May Eshkibok	...	Ugly Woman
Gary Farmer	...	Iktome
Sage Galesi	...	Blue Bird Woman / Mae Little Wounded
Chief Leonard George	...	Crossrs Father (as Leonard George)
Jerry Dale Giroux	...	Buffalo Runner
Saginaw Grant	...	Old Medicine Man
Lenne Greenwood	...	Mohawk Farmer
Michael Greyeyes	...	Thunder Spirit
Scott Grimes	...	Tehan, Red Headed Stranger
Kimberly Guerrero	...	Pretty Woman (as Kimberly Norris)
Stephen Hair	...	Shadow Catcher
Al Harrington	...	Buffalo Bull
Jimmy Herman	...	Multnomah Elder
Dakota House	...	Dirty Belly
Margo Kane	...	Cross Clan Mother
Geraldine Keams	...	Ikto's Wife
Julian Kootenhayoo	...	Lakota Child
Michael Lamouche	...	Pawnee Elder
Alexandra Lazarowich	...	Lakota Woman
George Leach	...	Young Clatsop Hunter
Dave Leader	...	Young Soldier
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse	...	Verdel
Cody Lightning	...	Sixth Brother
Georgina Lightning	...	Crystal Heart
Cory Little Light	...	B Dog Soldier
Darren Lucas	...	2nd Soldier
Sean Wei Mah	...	High Horse
David McNally	...	The Colonel
David Midthunder	...	Eagle Boy (voice)
Vincent Papequash	...	Young Red Deer
Wilma Pelly	...	Old Multnomah Woman
Sykes Powderface	...	Oglala-Lakota Chief
Griffin Powell-Arcand	...	Thunder Boy
Edna Rain	...	Old Woman
Alex Rice	...	She-Crosses-the-Water
August Schellenberg	...	Grandpa
Sheena Shymanski	...	Pawnee Girl
Sammy Simon	...	Ghost Hunter
Cliff Solomon	...	Multnomah Chief
Eddie Spears	...	Shane
Chaske Spencer	...	Eagle Boy
Anthony Starlight	...	Thin Elk
Stephen Strachan	...	Soldier
Delanna Studi	...	Talks A Lot
Michelle Thrush	...	Morning Horse
Gordon Tootoosis	...	Kills Enemy
Tyrone Tootoosis	...	Whirlwind Dreamer
Sheila Tousey	...	Janine
John Trudell	...	Coyote
Bertha Twin	...	Thin Elk's Wife
Helmer Twoyoungmen	...	Salmon Hunter
Misty Upham	...	Chief's Daughter
Colin Van Loon	...	Dog Soldier
Sarain Waskawitch	...	Fifth Brother
James Weldon	...	Wrangler
Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman	...	Iron Spoon
Teneil Whiskeyjack	...	Quillwork Girl / Powwow Girl

Runtime:

France:174 min (DVD)

Country:

Canada | USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Trivia:

The "All Nations Pow-wow" that the grandfather and grandson Shane are going to is actually the Gathering of Nations Pow-wow that takes place annually in April in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Shane is first standing with Mae Little Wounded in front of her house, May has both hands out admiring the ring, then in the next shot a second later, May only has one hand out, which is held by Shane's hand.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#33.4)" (2005)

Don't have enough good things to say about this film

I recommend that all Americans watch this as a reminder that a life built around computers and cars and owning a house in the suburbs is a hollow one. August Schellenberg is an awesome grandpa, and his grandson Shane (Eddy Spears) is the archetypal disaffected, apathetic teenager-man in the making. The Indian legends and stories, which are the broad subject of this movie, have everything to rivet all of us, Indian and white, to the screen. Heroes, villains, beautiful girls, brave warriors, comedy, and fantastic special effects. The color and variety of scenery, covering many different regions of North America, from the northeast Great Lakes nations, the Rockies, the Pacific northwest, and the southwest desert, remind us of an ancient something that we have mostly forgotten as we struggle in this age of mass production and mass destruction. It makes one ask: "are we really better off now?" It seems to give the answer that as long as you have tradition, you're never really poor. I look at what the white man has, and see it is a vaporous and transient dream. Your SUV will rust away in time, it is not an heirloom. The things we whites pass on to our children simply add to their lost confusion about their place in the universe. One generation replaces another, with no real connectedness to our ancestors. Trash piles up as we consume the planet. There is no real gain, certainly no spiritual gain. An interesting device is the white hitchhiker, who well represents those of us who are not Native American. We are "wannabes", but it is genuine. And the story of Tehan, the red headed Kiowa, who, it's equally important for the Indian to realize, also represents the sentiments and love of many whites.

When the electricity is turned off, and our phone is disconnected, and our car runs out of gasoline, and our rent or mortgage goes unpaid, what is there left for us? Modern civilization is a farce, it is founded upon desires and necessities that were foisted upon us unwittingly, and often at gun point. I also had to stop the film when I heard "Inktomi" and do a Google search, and what do you know? Inktomi is a spider trickster, an associate of "Coyote". Very interesting, I always presumed Inktomi was some kind of Japanese word.

This film has definitely hooked me into learning more about the people we have displaced. Forget the Middle East, the Far East, and any other exotic desires or destinations you may be seeking, there is not enough time in one life to learn the mysteries and fascinating culture of the native peoples in our very own North America.