Fancy Dance movie brings to light the numerous problems and challenges faced by the Indigenous Native community in North America. Even today, they are being exploited.
In this Native American movie, the protagonist Aunt Jax is played by actress Lily Gladstone. The deuteragonist is a teenage niece Roki, who has been portrayed by young actress Isabel Deroy-Olson. So, its emotional story primarily focuses on women folks belonging to the Indigenous Native community.
“Fancy Dance” Brings To Screen The Trials & Tribulations Of Indigenous Native Americans
Trailer: Fancy Dance (2024) Movie
Spoiler Free Review: Fancy Dance (2024) Movie
The storyline/plotline/synopsis/summary
In the wake of her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has been caring for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) on the Seneca-Cayuga* reservation in Oklahoma. She dedicates all her free time to searching for her missing sister and helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow** celebration. Despite the risk of losing custody of Roki’s grandfather, Frank (Shea Whigham), Jax and Roki embark on a journey through the wilderness to find Roki’s missing mother before the powwow. What starts as a search soon turns into a profound exploration of the challenges faced by Indigenous women navigating a colonized world under an unjust legal system.
Based in Oklahoma, United States of America, the Seneca–Cayuga* (Reservation) Nation is one of the three federally recognized tribes of Seneca people in the USA, which also includes the Cayuga people.
Powwow** is a celebration of Native American Indian culture in which people from diverse indigenous nations gather for the purpose of dancing, singing, and honouring the traditions of their ancestors. (Info. Source: Britannica)
In an emotional roller-coaster Native family drama ride, Erica has raised important questions related to the concepts of family, community, society and country concerning the Indigenous Native community of North America. In this love letter (according to actress Lily, and we agree) to Indigenous Native women, the issues of colonial occupation and the broken (social, political and economic) systems have been subtly underlined.
It is a kind of love letter to Indigenous Native women
The movie writers – Erica Tremblay and Miciana Alise have shared a simple yet insightful tale about the Native American community and their representations. After her sister goes missing, a Native American hustler takes away her niece from the child’s white grandparents and heads towards the state powwow to preserve their Indigenous family bond. So, the movie director Erica Tremblay presents a distinctive narrative that explores indigenous land, language, and community by portraying the beautiful bond between an aunt and her niece.
Furthermore, Erica has smartly highlighted the deeply engrained racial divide that exists in American society, between the Indigenous Native community and the immigrant non-native people. Erica has given voices and amplified the sense of hurt felt by Natives. The cinematographer Carolina Costa has wielded her camera to great effect by adding depth and layers to its visual storytelling. We especially loved the shot, which showed Aunt Jax talking on the phone and her niece Roki listening to her secret conversation in one frame, hidden by a thin wall.
The movie exposes that the existing law and justice structures in the USA are heavily biased against the Natives. Also, we do not wish to generalize, but the crumbling infrastructure, powerless authorities, limited opportunities and poverty-stricken lives plague the Natives’ lives in reservation areas. It is in complete contrast to how non-Native folks live in non-reservation localities of the USA. This perceptive film takes Indigenous people’s issues forward and makes you feel for their pains and tribulations.
Lily Gladstone & Isabel Deroy-Olson breathed life into their characters
Lily Gladstone plays the main character of Aunt Jax, who is a hustler and a drifter perhaps. Whereas, young teenage actress Isabel Deroy-Olson portrays the supporting role of her niece Rori. However, the tragic and sudden disappearance of her sister forces Aunt Jax to reevaluate her life choices. Fascinatingly, as the story progresses further, Aunt Jax (Lily Gladstone) discovers a purpose and an anchor in her niece Rori.
The on-screen chemistry and relationship between the two women – Aunt Jax and niece Rori have been explored gracefully. Both the actresses, Lily Gladstone and Isabel Deroy-Olson, have breathed life into their complex yet realistic characters. We marvel at the immense acting talent both of these actresses possess. While watching their movie, one could feel the outpouring of empathy and emotions. The film illustrates loss, pain, misery, suffering, heartache, and bitterness among the Indigenous Native characters.
It is worth noting that actress Lily Gladstone filmed this during her breaks from "Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)" movie, for which she received an Oscar Award nomination.
And, we recently reviewed Lily's "Under the Bridge" (2024) Mini-Series, for which she has been nominated for Emmy Awards.
It seems that the colonial policies of the past few centuries continue to thrive and operate in North America. Therefore, we still get to see the widespread instances of Institutional racism in the USA. Systematic racism is the perpetuation of discrimination based on “race” by political, economic, or legal institutions and systems. And this is what the movie and the ensemble cast members have successfully depicted in it.
The conclusion
{Spoilers Alert} – the closing scene of the Fancy Dance (2024) Movie
Track 1: MMIW (Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women) Honor Song by Otterail (Alexander Santos)
Track 2: Sky World by Teioswáthe (Theresa Monica Fox)
In the final closing scene of the movie, we see the “Annual Missing and Murdered Memorial Dance” of the Natives. This emotional movie scene commemorates the missing and murdered relatives of the Native folks. As they dance for justice, dance for closure, and dance to honour those taken too soon. This is what the “powwow” and the said movie were all about. They highlighted and honoured the “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women” (MMIW).
Nowadays, it seems that the mainstream entertainment platforms are supporting Indigenous Native voices, at least in the USA. So, the Natives are being seen and heard there. And that is a big positive development. No doubt, it is catharsis for many Natives living around the world. Many of these Indigenous Natives have suffered immensely because of the destructive colonial policies. Although it is a melancholic movie, it exudes hope. We think it is a thoughtful film to watch.
Rating:
| FM Rating | 3.75/5 |
Key Details:
| Genre | Drama |
| Original Language | English (USA) & the Native American language {Seneca and Cayuga are members of the Iroquoian language family} |
| Duration | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Age-restrictions | A (18+) Rated R for language, some drug content and sexual material. |
| Writers | Erica Tremblay & Miciana Alise |
| Director | Erica Tremblay |
| Cinematographer | Carolina Costa |
| Cast | Lily Gladstone (Jax), Isabel Deroy-Olson (Roki), Ryan Begay (JJ), Crystle Lightning (Sapphire), Shea Whigham (Frank), Audrey Wasilewski (Nancy), Patrice Fisher (Ruth), etc. |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
Poster:
Awards won by this Native American Movie
| Awards Names | Awards Winners |
|---|---|
| Hamptons International Film Festival | Erica Tremblay – 2023 Winner – New York Women in Film & Television Award – Excellence in Narrative Filmmaking |
| L.A. Outfest | Erica Tremblay – 2023 Winner – Special Mention – North American Narrative Feature |
| SXSW Film Festival | Carolina Costa – 2023 Winner – ZEISS Cinematography Award |
| Film Club’s The Lost Weekend | Isabel Deroy-Olson (actress) – 2023 Winner – Lost Weekend Award – Best Supporting Actress |
| Music + Sound Awards, International | Sean Mulligan (Music Supervisor) & Victoria Beard (Music Supervisor) – 2023 Winner Music+Sound Award – Best Sync in Film |
| Austin Film Critics Association | Lily Gladstone – 2024 Winner – Breakthrough Artist Award |
| Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards | Erica Tremblay – 2024 Winner – OFCC Award – Achievement in Oklahoma Independent Filmmaking |
Poster and Featured Image of the Fancy Dance (2024) Movie are courtesy of Apple TV+.