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IMDb > House Made of Dawn (1987)

House Made of Dawn (1987) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
5.0/10   15 votes
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Director:
Richardson Morse
Writers:
N. Scott Momaday (novel)
N. Scott Momaday (screenplay)
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Genre:
Drama more
User Comments:
A kiva of missed opportunity more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Larry Littlebird ... Abel
Judith Doty ... Milly
Jay Varela ... Benally
Mesa Bird ... Grandfather
Philip Kenneally ... Martinez
Wright King ... Father Olguin
Skeeter Vaughan ... Albino and Old Man (as Skeeter Vaughn)
Teddy García ... Abelito
Herb Robins ... Los Angeles Foreman
George Burdeau ... John
Charlie L. Bird ... Tom
Preston Jefferson ... Cruz
Wilson Peshlakai ... Wilson
Jack Kane ... New Mexico Foreman
James Sargent ... Judge
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Additional Details

Runtime:
90 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Mono

FAQ

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-
A kiva of missed opportunity, 19 September 2004
1/10
Author: Jon from United States

Since as a novel, "House Made of Dawn" was Pulitzer-Prize material, the inspiration must be there, somewhere. But the film adaptation is a clunker in every act, every scene, every frame. "Dawn" is little more than in essay in the depression of a young Native American man who is forced to relocate to Los Angeles after his release from prison for his murder of another Indian suspected of shape-shifting and witchcraft.

Characterization is virtually nil. The main character, Abel, portrays the "strong, silent, frustrated warrior" stereotype, Benally, his friend in the city epitomizes the "meek,Uncle Tom, paying-protection-money-to-survive" stereotype. Of course, there's Millie, playing the "requisite blond girlfriend" stereotype. The only interesting character is Tosamah, a Native American Church priest played by the conspicuously Anglo John Saxon. Despite that, Tosamah distinguishes himself by actually being able to articulate thoughts and has a non-monosyllabic vocabulary.

The music is singularly bad, an atonal flute score that sounds like it was composed by a first-year composition student a few hours after encountering Schoenberg for the first time. Pass on this one.

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