The Only Good Indian (2009)

Set in Kansas during the early 1900s, a teen-aged Native American boy (newcomer Winter Fox Frank) is taken from his family and forced to attend a distant Indian "training" school to ... See full summary »

Director:

Kevin Willmott

Writer:

Thomas L. Carmody

Stars:

Wes Studi, J. Kenneth Campbell, Winter Fox Frank

7 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wes Studi	...	Sam
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	McCoy
Winter Fox Frank	...	Charlie
Paul Butler	...	Harkin
Thirza Defoe	...	Sally
Christopher Wheatley	...	Mean Joe
Laura Kirk	...	Miss Harris
Delanna Studi	...	Aquene
Blake Robbins	...	Moller
Kevin Geer	...	Peairs
Kip Niven	...	Dr. Hummber
T. Max Graham	...	Finkle
David Midthunder	...	Nawkaw
Scott Allegrucci	...	Pharmicist
Queen Bey	...	Ms. Tillie

Storyline

Set in Kansas during the early 1900s, a teen-aged Native American boy (newcomer Winter Fox Frank) is taken from his family and forced to attend a distant Indian "training" school to assimilate into White society. When he escapes to return to his family, Sam Franklin (Wes Studi), a bounty hunter of Cherokee descent, is hired to find and return him to the institution. Franklin, a former Indian scout for the U.S. Army, has renounced his Native heritage and has adopted the White Man's way of life, believing it's the only way for Indians to survive. Along the way, a tragic incident spurs Franklin's longtime nemesis, the famous "Indian Fighter" Sheriff Henry McCoy (J. Kenneth Campbell), to pursue both Franklin and the boy.

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 2009 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

TLC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min (European Film Market)

Color:

Color

User Reviews

A new and important addition to the "Western" film genre

I live in Lawrence Kansas where one of the earliest "normalizing" schools was set up for Indian children. Parents, after having their children confiscated, traveled and set up tents around Haskell School where their mournful cries were heard every night. This film is the FIRST in cinema history (that I am aware of anyway) that attempts to refer to this era of American history from this point of view. The storyline and script are dramatically engaging. The movie showcases a clash of cultures but rather than generalizing, the film reveals the individuality of both white and native individuals and showcases just how war and strife can create opportunistic "survivors" from any ethnic group.

I believe this movie adds a new chapter to the Western genre because the Native point of view is well represented in a realistic and powerful manner and because the protagonists, an Indian boy and man, are put into a fully developed role!