Dr. Sigler

• Directed by Chris Eyre.
• Written by Sherman Alexie, based on stories from his book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.
• Photographed by Brian Capener.

Victor Joseph: Adam Beach

Thomas Builds-the-Fire: Evan Adams

Suzy Song: Irene Bedard

Arnold Joseph: Gary Farmer

Arlene Joseph: Tantoo Cardinal

Grandma Builds-the-Fire: Monica Mojica

Police Chief: Tom Skerritt

As you watch the film and take notes, keep the following questions in mind:

• This is in many ways an archetypal "journey-quest" (or "coming-of-age") narrative about two young men venturing forth into the unfamiliar world for the first time. What do Victor and Thomas learn from their journey?
• Although much of this film follows the progress of a journey, the narrative often "pauses" while one of the characters (usually Thomas!) tells a story. What is the relationship between the larger narrative (the trip to Phoenix) and the interpolated stories? (Keep in mind that the story of the movie is told by Thomas, so at certain points he's telling the story about himself telling the story about somebody else telling a storyÖ).
• Sherman Alexie says that he used humor in Smoke Signals, and in other writings, because he claims that " humor is the most effective political tool out there, because people will listen to anything if they're laughing." If satire and humor are ways of questioning the status quo, then what, specifically, does this movie ask us to question?
• Smoke Signals is in many ways about the common American experience of belonging to multiple communities or cultures (e.g. home, school, ethnic, religious, sports, local and national cultures). What are the relationships between the groups/cultures to which Thomas and Victor belong? How do these cultures work together, test one another and come into conflict?
• How does the title of this film connect to the filmís theme(s)?