Indians in A Warrior's Heart

A snarky look at a recent movie that co-stars Adam Beach:

The First High School Movie for Rich Bullies

By Soren BowieThe Plot

A Warrior's Heart revolves around two private-schooled, white-toothed teens named Conor and Brooklyn as they fall in love over completely surmountable odds. Together, they build a steamy and muscular love triangle between each other and their shared passion for lacrosse. Everything is plaid skirts and money until, look out! Conor's father dies while being a hero in Iraq. Unable to deal with his emotions, Conor acts out by breaking a trophy case and then has to go to a wilderness camp as punishment where he plays wilderness lacrosse with wilderness Indians. Through his time in camp he learns that the exorbitantly wealthy and Native Americans are not so different after all, they are both, for instance, minorities with little-to-no body hair. The story is bold and unapologetic in its exploration of the American teen, acknowledging that every boy has to learn to quell his rage while slowly and painfully learning what it means to be a man, and that every girl really likes boys who play sports.

The Cultural Importance

In order to overcome the sadness of losing his father, Conor has to explore his roots. Well, some roots. Any roots will do, really. Conor is whisked away by his father's Native American war buddy to a camp where he can vent his anger by hitting stuff with tools or kicking over barn frames. Conor is mad but the Indians are wise and soon he's learning to cope with loss through the healing power of wilderness lacrosse. And so lacrosse becomes a great metaphor for the film as a whole. Just as the Native Americans graciously handed the sport to white, East Coast prep schools, their very presence in this film serves only to pass on the minority spotlight to a new and deserving group: The one percent.Comment:  For more on the subject, see A Warrior's Heart to Be Released.

Below:  The white, blond cast of A Warrior's Heart.

A Warrior's Heart to be released

"Twilight" Stars Kellan Lutz And Ashley Greene Reteam To Bring Lacrosse And Love to The Big Screen For "A Warrior's Heart"

In their first lead roles Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene share star-making chemistry in the heartfelt drama "A Warrior's Heart."Xenon Pictures and California Pictures in association with Family Productions and Camelot Entertainment Group have announced plans to release the highly anticipated "A Warrior's Heart." Written by Martin Dugard and directed by Mike Sears, "A Warrior's Heart" stars Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene ("The Twilight Saga"), Chord Overstreet ("Glee"), Adam Beach ("Cowboys and Aliens"), and Gabrielle Anwar (TV's "Burn Notice").

Screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival to enthusiastic cheers, "A Warrior's Heart" has inked a deal for a theatrical, VOD and DVD release.

Not only have early screenings of "A Warrior's Heart" been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews but the film has also been highly praised by lacrosse fans who are converging on the Major League Lacrosse Championship in Annapolis, Maryland on August 27th.

Producers Jamie Thompson, Steven Istock and Marc Spizzirri describe the movie as "a heartfelt family friendly teen love story."

In shock and denial over his Marine father's death in battle, high-school lacrosse star Conor Sullivan starts acting out in self-destructive ways until he's kicked off the team and sent to a wilderness lacrosse camp run by his dad's Native American combat buddy (Adam Beach). With support from his girlfriend Brooklyn (Ashley Greene) Conor embraces the game's Native American roots and open his eyes to the true meaning of sportsmanship and life.Comment:  I reported on this film back in January 2009 when it was just called Warrior. The new title is about as bland as the old one.

The whole "athlete as warrior" thing is such a cliché. I'd be stunned if a movie compared an athlete to a poet, dancer, surgeon, chess player, or robot.

What about Crooked Arrows?

I thought Crooked Arrows was the lacrosse movie. Now we have two lacrosse movies. Will audiences sit still for that much lacrosse?

Like Crooked Arrows, A Warrior's Heart uses a non-Native protagonist to introduce a Native sport. Because we can't have a mainstream movie centered on Natives, right?

Movies where sports are a metaphor for life--where "bad" characters are redeemed by teamwork and camaraderie--are a dime a dozen, of course. Sometimes these movies are good despite the tired, clichéd premise. We'll see whether A Warrior's Heart is a good one or not.

For more on lacrosse movies, see Crooked Arrows Announces Lacrosse Team and Birmingham to Play Routh's Father.

From calendar model to Warrior

Cody Jones rising Native star

By Rachel FlorianoCody Jones, one of the hottest new talents today, isn’t getting much sleep. He schedules his interview for 9:00 a.m. so he can “sleep in” because he worked late shooting the popular TV show Deadliest Warrior. Being an early riser can probably be traced back to his rural upbringing. Cody (Eastern Shoshone) grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. As a boy, he never dreamed of being an actor or moving to Hollywood. “I wanted to be like my grandfather. I just wanted to be a good cowboy,” said Cody. So, Cody learned everything he could about horses. Little did he know that his riding skills would launch his acting career.

From grueling stunt work on Steven Spielberg’s Into the West to a lacrosse player in the film Warrior, starring Twilight favorites Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz, Cody is quickly making his mark in Hollywood. In Warrior, Cody was at an advantage since he played lacrosse in his youth. “They needed an actor who knew the rules of the game,” Cody said. From playing lacrosse as a child to playing with superstar Kellan Lutz, Cody’s career has certainly taken off.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.