After watching this film a few times I fully understand why James Duval's character was extremely frustrated growing up during childhood. In my opinion, his father was just a controlling white guy who didn't give 2 hoots about his wife's Cherokee culture. It was hard to tell if he truly loved his family or not. But I didn't get any impression that he cared enough about them. I don't know why he married into a Native family to begin with. He clearly didn't care about their ways, customs and culture. He didn't even agree with the boy's grandfather, Marvin, who in my eyes was as respectably knowledgeable as any true Elder would be. Other than the fact that Duval's father was completely disrespectful towards the Native ways, I really don't know why he was so desensitized to his wife's Native ways.
I recall one scene where him and Duval were talking downstairs in the basement. Apparently they were talking about something regarding a war of some sort. After a few minutes the discussion turned into an argument and the father ended up slapping him across the face just because he told him something that was absolutely true. The father didn't want to hear it because he knew it was true so he physically lashed out on him. Of course, he had no right touching him like that. He should have just admitted his guilt and that's it. The next day when he told his wife what happened between him and his son, he didn't even bother to apologize about the whole incident. All he said to her was that there was no way he was going to tolerate his son talking to him in that manner, that's all. He may have acted out of pure discipline when he struck him like that but unless he was his real father, he had no right hitting him..... period! But...... anyways...... it was a good film overall. I'm a big Alex Rice fan and she was great in it. I liked her Oklahoman accent.... she played her part very well..... and Nathaniel Arcand was excellent as usual too!! But..... ANYWAY..... these are my reasons why I gave this film a 6 out of 10.
I recall one scene where him and Duval were talking downstairs in the basement. Apparently they were talking about something regarding a war of some sort. After a few minutes the discussion turned into an argument and the father ended up slapping him across the face just because he told him something that was absolutely true. The father didn't want to hear it because he knew it was true so he physically lashed out on him. Of course, he had no right touching him like that. He should have just admitted his guilt and that's it. The next day when he told his wife what happened between him and his son, he didn't even bother to apologize about the whole incident. All he said to her was that there was no way he was going to tolerate his son talking to him in that manner, that's all. He may have acted out of pure discipline when he struck him like that but unless he was his real father, he had no right hitting him..... period! But...... anyways...... it was a good film overall. I'm a big Alex Rice fan and she was great in it. I liked her Oklahoman accent.... she played her part very well..... and Nathaniel Arcand was excellent as usual too!! But..... ANYWAY..... these are my reasons why I gave this film a 6 out of 10.