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By Shari Narine
Windspeaker.com Contributor
Twenty years ago when Smoke Signals hit the screen at the Sundance Film Festival it was to resounding praise, winning Filmmaker’s Trophy and Audience Award and nominated for Grand Jury Prize.
No one was more surprised by the way the 90-minute film was embraced than Evan Adams, one of the movie’s stars.
Having been in show business for more than a decade by that point, he felt that Hollywood was more interested in the stereotypical portrayal of the Indian than in “our complex truths.”
“I thought Smoke Signals would be seen by five people, including my mother, and that would be it,” said Adams, who added that each morning he prayed that he would be able to capture and portray the “beautiful Elder who would die for you” that his character Thomas Builds-the-Fire was.
Adams netted actor awards from the First Americans in the Arts and Independent Spirit Awards for the role.
The film was billed as unique, an all-Native American production: producers, director Chris Eyre, screenwriter Sherman Alexie, actors (including big names Adam Beach, Tantoo Cardinal, Gary Farmer and Irene Bedard) and technicians.
Critics raved with reviews like “unpretentious, funny and soulful;” "a warm film of friendship and reconciliation;” and "poignant and slyly humorous."
Smoke Signals, Adams’ “last hurrah,” was “that wonderful time of my life that set the stage for the rest of my life.” At 30 years of age—playing a character 18 years old—Adams had made the decision to return to university to study medicine. He had taken a 12-year break from his studies to embark on a successful acting career.
“I had this other dream to become a doctor … before I was an actor,” he said. “I really thought I could not live with never having tried to be a doctor. Even if I failed at being a doctor, at least I’ll know I have tried … and I’m just lucky that it worked out.”
Adams said Alexie’s screenplay hit home for him. Both men are Coast Salish, “kind of nerdy,” went to university, and the same age.
“I really felt like his vision was mine, his childhood was my childhood,” said Adams.
Smoke Signals is the story of Victor Joseph (played by Beach) and Thomas, brought together by Victor’s father, Arnold (played by Farmer), who abandons Victor and his mother. When Arnold dies, Joseph and Thomas travel to Phoenix to collect Arnold’s truck and his ashes. It’s a journey to self-awareness for both young men and a better understanding of Arnold.
“One nice thing about Smoke Signals is that it gave us a chance to remember our childhoods and to reframe it. Instead of being horrified and helpless, experiencing trauma and thinking about our childhood, we got to redeem it, form it, to teach and to love. We could have hated our dads, but we didn’t,” said Adams.
The movie ends with Thomas’ voice-over talking about fathers and forgiveness.
“I love the end of the movie. I never get tired of it,” said Adams. “There’s room for the audience member to think about their own dad. I just love that.”
Adams is now chief medical officer for the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia.
“Everywhere I go, people know that movie still,” he said. “It did set me a part because I became a doctor after that. I was never just a doctor. I was always the doctor that did Smoke Signals and people wanted to see me. People would be interested in talking to me because of that.”
Adams says he sees changes from the way life was depicted on Coeur d’Alene reservation in Smoke Signals to how life is now in First Nations in Canada.
“Life has changed enormously,” he said. “Our childhood was a long time ago now. Of course there’s still issues of drinking, but it’s not the same. We’re not the same. My kids are not the same as when I was a kid.”
The Sundance Film Festival, Jan. 18 to Jan. 28 in Park City, Utah, will be showing a special 20th Anniversary Archive Screening of Smoke Signals. The festival will also be marking the premiere of eight Indigenous-made films.
“I think it’s very sweet that apparently Smoke Signals has a timelessness that is still relevant 20 years later. It’s a little bit dated, but that’s okay, and I’m happy we had a chance to capture what we did,” said Adams.
While he laughs when people ask him about reprising his role as Thomas in a Smoke Signals sequel 20 years later, Adams admits he has given some thought as to where his character would be today.
“I think Thomas would be an Elder in training. I think he would be a powerful man. I think he would be fit and strong and with a family of his own and that’s such a different story from Smoke Signals 1,” said Adams.
Would Thomas still be wearing his trademark suit?
“I don’t think so. I think part of de-colonizing himself, he would stop the suit-thing,” said Adams, laughing. “I’m very interested in a de-colonized Thomas. I think he would be pretty sophisticated.”