Misty Upham in the 2015 Oscars

Here are my Facebook comments on the 2015 Academy Awards. The big issue for fans of Native movies was whether actress Misty Upham would appear in the In Memoriam tribute.

Live-blogging

Entertaining Oscar ceremony so far.

Lots of brown people getting screen time on the ‪#‎Oscars‬ to make up for the lack of them in the movies.

As usual! So much diversity on the #Oscars show!

Nice to see the Village People performing Everything Is Awesome. But seriously, a few years ago, you would've seen an Indian chief and others in ethnic costumes. Progress!

‪#‎Oscar‬ acceptance tip: Don't talk about getting a free donut at your local bakery when you have only seconds to thank everyone who helped make your film.

Oprah Winfrey, Lupita Nyong'o, Octavia Spencer, Kerry Washington, Viola Davis...so many black actresses who aren't starring in movies or getting ‪#‎Oscars‬ this year!

Good times if you're a black actor too. Less so if you're any ethnicity but black or white. ‪#‎Oscars‬



Casting directors, check the ‪#‎Oscars‬ if you want an actor of color! They're all there!

Thank you, Edward Snowden, for exposing the excesses of government. ‪#‎Oscars‬

So much talk about the struggles that continue today! The ‪#‎Oscars‬ are un-American!

Who hates America more: Oscar or Obama?

The sound of music

Redemption for John Travolta pronouncing "Idina Menzel"! Our long national nightmare is over! ‪#‎Oscars‬

Awesome comments by Common and John Legend. I'm glad someone can talk about race since our president and politicians can't. ‪#‎Oscars‬

The Sound of Music...best movie ever! ‪#‎Oscars‬

Nice classical singing by Lady Gaga...unlike almost every singer today.

David Oyelowo wasn't nominated for Best Actor? Selma should've gone colorblind and cast Bradley Cooper or Benedict Cumberbatch. ‪#‎Oscars‬

That's what often happens when the main character is Latino, Asian, or Native. Why shouldn't it happen when the main character is black?

I think I'll make a movie called 12 Years a Slave Movie--the searing struggle to get a slavery movie made. It's a lock to win an Oscar.

Now I gotta call my mom because J.K. Simmons said so? Geez.

Next year, it's the Galaxy Trio's turn for an Oscar!

Birdman and the Galaxy Trio



Epilogue

Misty made it! Diversity among the dearly departed!

Other than her, I don't think any other Natives appeared on-screen at the ceremony. As usual, the question is why 1-2% of the performers aren't Native to match the Native population.

And poor NPH! Alas, the reviews for Harris's hosting weren't kind:

Neil Patrick Harris’ painfully boring Oscar night: How did a great host get it so wrong?

I don't think he was on-screen enough to call him boring or painful. But nothing he did was special or memorable either.

For more on the subject, see Hollywood Still White in 2015 and Another White Year at the Oscars.

Racism involved in Upham search?

Misty Upham's Family Claims Racism Involved In Lack Of Police Action To Search For Missing Actress

By Oulimata BaMisty Upham's family has accused Washington authorities of racism and neglect for ignoring their pleas to find the missing Native American actress, who was found dead on Thursday by a search party coordinated by friends and family.
Upham's body was found at the bottom of a 150-foot ravine near a river in a wooded area of Auburn, Washington.

Tracey Rector, a friend of the family and their spokeswoman, told The Washington Post that relatives feel they were blown off by Auburn police and that long-standing racial tensions between local Native Americans and police may have played a role in their lack of concern.

"The family pleaded for the police department to look for her; they pleaded for dogs," Rector said of Upham, who was reported missing by her father, Charles, on Oct. 6. At the time police said they did not consider the "August: Osage County" actress to be "endangered," The Post reported.

"Unfortunately, it feels like 1950's racism in many ways," Rector added. "The family is concerned that Misty was considered just another Native person and treated as such. Even that is unacceptable. Native lives matter. It doesn't matter what her skin color was."Was she murdered? Family friend of Django Unchained star Misty Upham claims she may have been the victim of 'foul play' after Juliette Lewis says actress 'feared she would be targeted'

Relatives say uncle Robert Upham organized search party
Believes that she did not commit suicide, suggesting it was an accident
Source, known as Harry, said police were 'derelict' in their search
Her father already posted on Facebook saying police were not helping
Others claimed she may have been the victim of 'foul play'
The 32-year-old was found dead in Seattle woodland by her uncle
Police claim 'no evidence of foul play', she was missing since October 5
Didn't respond to comments that they didn't do enough to look for her
Lewis insists 'this is not a suicide' and calls for investigation into death
Her family claim she fell, they insist she 'would not commit suicide'

By Mia de Graaf and Wills Robinson and Victoria CavaliereA spokesman for the family released a statement on Friday evening saying: 'The family wants to make it clear the Auburn police did not help in the investigation or the finding of Misty at all. It was her uncle, Robert Upham, who organized the search party that found Misty.

'The family is concerned that if the police had actually taken their concerns seriously within those first few hours of the report that perhaps she would have been found.

'We are now just waiting on the coroner's report.'

Asked if family and friends could trust the coroner's report, she responded: 'The family has concerns. We are waiting to hear what is stated in the coroner's report but there is a long history of police harassment between the Auburn police and the Native community.

'There's a lot of distrust. And that's founded in the historical trauma experienced by the Native community at the hands of the police.

'And you know, Misty has also experienced harassment at the hands of police so you know, the family is concerned about the circumstances surrounding what happened and why police chose not look for Misty.'Comment:  For more on the subject, see Misty Upham Dies.

Misty Upham dies

I tweeted about the disappearance of Misty Upham over the last week. Here's the sad outcome:

Coroner’s Office Confirms Body of Native Actress Misty Upham Found

By Levi RickertFriends and family of Misty Upham gathered on Thursday night after the county coroner’s office confirmed the body found earlier in the day was that of the 32-year-old actress.

Charlie Upham, father of the actress, was asked to identify his daughter’s body and he did so.

A search party discovered her purse, which contained her California driver license, about 1:00 p.m.–PDT Thursday afternoon within walking distance of the apartment Upham left on the evening of Sunday, October 5, 2014.

The three-person search and rescue party, which included her uncle, Robert Upham, then tied a rope to a tree to climb down a 150-feet ravine and discovered her body near the White River in Auburn, Washington. The two others in the search party were Robert J. Kennedy and Jeff Barehand.

The party then called 911.

Upham left her sister’s apartment on her own freewill and vanished into the night. Even though Upham’s family wanted the Auburn Police Department to exert more effort in finding her, the police department did not mount an effort in finding her since she left on her own freewill.

So the family mounted their own search and rescue parties find Upham. By Thursday some two dozen members of the American Indian community, including three tribal council members of the Muckleshoot Tribe, formed small groups to attempt to find her.

Misty Upham Confirmed Dead: Family Identifies Body, Meryl Streep and Melissa Leo Express Grief

By Scott FeinbergUpham's cause of death has not yet been determined. On Oct. 10, her father told THR that Upham suffered from bipolar disorder and was off her medication when she disappeared, leading him to believe that she may have been suicidal. On Thursday night, however, Rector said the family felt differently: "The family has stated that, after seeing the body, they still do not feel that Misty Upham committed suicide."

Rector also indicated that the family is enraged at the Auburn Police Department for what they say is a lack of assistance in the search to locate Upham. "First and foremost," she told THR, "the family wants everyone to know that the Auburn police did not help with this situation at all. They refused to help. When she disappeared on Oct. 5, the family knew something was seriously wrong—it was out of character for her to be gone so long without being in touch—and they repeatedly went to the police, who insisted there was no cause for concern."

There is apparently a history of hostility between the Auburn police and the Muckleshoot Reservation, on which several thousand Muckleshoot reside, that falls largely within Auburn. According to Rector, "Robert Upham led the search with the help of the Muckleshoot tribal community."

Auburn police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the hours after the news broke, there was a huge outpouring of grief via social media from Upham's friends, fans and colleagues. Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively obtained comments from two of Upham's most prominent costars, August's Meryl Streep and Frozen River's Melissa Leo.

Streep, who played the matriarch of the family for which Upham served as a caretaker in August: Osage County, wrote, "So so sad to hear this news—all our thoughts are with her family and with her beautiful spirit." Leo, whose character collaborated with Upham's to smuggle illegal immigrants from Canada into America in Frozen River, wrote, "Such a loss... so sad, so so sad."Comment:  As you may know, I wrote a few articles about Misty and her movies. We were casual friends, and I attended one of her Hollywood events with her.

She called me "Grinch" and I called her "Grinchette," since she could be as contrary as I was. Good-bye, Grinchette.

Misty Upham's outside activities

Another of my interviews with Misty Upham:

'August: Osage County' Actress Misty Upham: 'Acting Saved my Life'

By Rob SchmidtBlackfeet actress Misty Upham had a big year in 2013 with important roles in two major movies: Jimmy P. and August: Osage County. She and Michelle Thrush walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival—the first Native actresses to do so—for Jimmy P. Her work in the August: Osage County ensemble has been recognized by the Screen Actors Guild, the Hollywood Film Festival and several critics’ societies.

But Upham has been just as busy off the screen with professional and personal activities. She recently spoke with ICTMN about what she’s doing when she’s not making movies.Comment:  For more on Misty Upham, see Misty Upham on Filming Jimmy P. and Native Actresses in Cannes Competition.

Below:  "Misty Upham with her 'August: Osage County' co-star Juliette Lewis at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where the cast of the film was nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award."

Misty Upham in August: Osage County

Another of my interviews with actress Misty Upham:

Misty Upham Co-Stars with Meryl Streep in August: Osage County

By Rob SchmidtAugust: Osage County, a darkly comedic play by Tracy Letts, premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in 2007. It went on to Broadway, where it had 648 performances and won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Since then it’s toured across the U.S. and around the world.

One of the play’s key roles is Johnna Monevata, a Cheyenne woman whom the Weston family hires as a live-in housekeeper. Johnna is the witness as the sharp-tongued matriarch lashes out at family members, in-laws and hangers-on. Actress Kimberly Guerrero originated the role and went on to play it in New York and London.

Now Harvey Weinstein and George Clooney are producing a movie version. It’s directed by John Wells (ER) and its all-star cast includes Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Ewan McGregor. It’s scheduled to be released in 2013.

Other than Johnny Depp as Tonto, Johnna may be the highest-profile Native role of 2013. The plum assignment went to Blackfeet actress Misty Upham (Frozen River), fresh off filming another high-profile picture, Jimmy Picard, with Benicio Del Toro. We chatted with Upham via e-mail as she was finishing the August: Osage County shoot in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.And a bonus interview:

An Interview With Rising Star Misty Upham, 'August: Osage County'What was it like to be in an all-star cast?

Intimidating. I was so nervous. It took about two weeks before I could step onto set without feeling faint. Then I got to know some of them and realize they are regular people. Some I didn't want to know because they have been such a presence throughout my life with their work. Didn't want to ruin the fantasy that their “star-power” gave me in times when I wanted to give up. That's what happens when you work on sets. You learn that people are humans. Just like every day. It's just a bit more complicated with the fame and power.

What is August: Osage County about?

It's about family, dysfunction, selfishness, sacrifice, frailty and love. One of the lessons I'm learning is that you can love someone without them loving you back. Love is given. Love can never be taken. And if someone doesn't want to give it, all you can do is love them anyhow. That's the beautiful part of this movie. Forgiveness doesn't always happen in our life-times. More times than not it, happens too late.

Misty Upham on filming Jimmy P.

Here's another interview I conducted with Blackfeet actress Misty Upham:

Blackfeet Actress Misty Upham On Filming 'Jimmy P.' with Benicio Del Toro

Here's the rest of the interview, which didn't make it into the article:The movie was set in the 1940s. Is this the first time you’ve acted in a period piece without buckskins? What was it like portraying a woman from that era?

I actually had a small part in Expiration Date from the same era, but it was not on as big of a scale. I loved the clothes. The costume designer did Zoolander! It was also nice to not be poor. The thing I love about movies is you get to temporarily travel back in time.

Jane and Jimmy P. are Blackfeet and so are you. Did you get to add any touches that were uniquely Blackfeet?

The accent. But our characters focus was less on traditions and more on the human aspect. It took a French director to finally do that.

Recently you’ve worked with Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Ewan McGregor (in August: Osage County) as well as Benicio Del Toro. Who else is on your wish list of creative collaborators?

I would love to work with Tilda Swinton. Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. So much respect for their training. Sofia Coppola.

I really feel lucky. The other day I was at target and literally saw these DVDs … Pretty Woman, Julia & Julia, 21 Grams, Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting and Little Miss Sunshine. I realized it and said to my dad, “Holy shit! I worked with those people!” It was an emotional moment for sure.

I hear you’re heading an acting troupe in Los Angeles. Can you tell us about that?

Yes. I started a troupe called “Indigo Children” for a few reasons. One reason was to be more active in between films. Another reason was to help some really talented friends who are hidden diamonds.

So much of acting these days is “me, me, me” that I think we’ve lost a certain beauty. The non-artists will never know how difficult, scary and risky it is to put yourself out there to be accepted or rejected by the world. We’re poor, exhausted and surviving most of the time. No stability for dreamers. It’s a huge risk. I want to help others realize that nothing is impossible. I’ve beaten almost every odds. It can be done, it’s just a hard and sometimes lonely road.Comment:  For more on Misty Upham, see Native Actresses in Cannes Competition and My Interview with Misty Upham.

Native actresses in Cannes competition

Native American actress proud to walk Cannes red carpet

By Belinda GoldsmithNative American actress Misty Upham never dreamt she would be walking the red carpet at Cannes to showcase a film shot on her reservation.

Upham features in "Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian", focused on the relationship between World War Two veteran Jimmy Picard, a Native American Blackfoot, and Georges Devereux, his psychoanalyst.

Upham said like Picard, played by Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro, she is Blackfeet, the largest tribe in Montana state. She said she was a direct descendant of the last chief and grew up on the reservation where much of the movie was filmed.

"I had no dreams and no way to make a dream. I had to leave the reservation," Upham, 30, told a news conference on Saturday ahead of the premiere of the film's premiere by French director Arnaud Desplechin.

"So 18 years later ... (I am) coming a full circle to the reservation I left to fulfill my dream."

Upham says [she] and another "Jimmy P." actress, Michelle Thrush, a Cree from Canada, are the first Native American women in the official selection at Cannes, although organizers of the festival, now in its 66th year, were unable to confirm it.And:Upham, who plays the mother of Jimmy's daughter, said the film recognized the different approach needed to treat psychological illness among Native Americans.

"We believe in spirits. We believe in ghosts. We believe in shape shifting. We believe in medicine and curses. We are very spiritual people," said the actress, best known for the 2008 film "Frozen River".

"What somebody else would call delusional, to us it is normal. That is why they had to create a new way to see what is going on in our minds without confusing the spirituality."

Cannes Film Festival 2013 Spotlight: Rising Starlet Misty UphamStars of tomorrow are certainly emerging at CANNES and MISTY UPHAM is one who is on song to steal our hearts with a series of upcoming roles. Most significant of all, she will be at CANNES walking down the red carpet with leading man Benicio Del Toro for the premiere of “Jimmy P”. Buzz is swirling around for this film that deals with loss from a Native American perspective and surely eyes are on MISTY who in the press photos can be seen in scenes with Benicio. Apparently MISTY’s character JANE has a romantic liaison with Benicio’s Jimmy P which will be talked about by many. In fact, she has been a scene stealer before in the critically acclaimed hit “Frozen River” alongside Melissa Leo and it would be fitting if she garnered the plaudits this time around. Having been nominated for best supporting actress at the Independent Spirit Awards for embodying Lila Littlewolf in “Frozen River.”

As Lila the widowed Mohawk mum looking to reclaim her son from the mother-in-law while smuggling immigrants, MISTY was a revelation and showcased how great she is at delivering on conflicting emotions. She was able to sustain the attention of audiences who must have been fascinated with the multi-layered role MISTY so successfully made believable. Slated to star with the legendary Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County,” a dark comedy based on a play, things are looking very rosy indeed. It’s a key role for MISTY as Johnna Monevata, a Cheyenne woman hired as a live-in housekeeper by the Weston family whom has demanding matriarch Violet Weston of course played by Meryl Streep. So start admiring this most graceful Native American talent certain to make waves the world over!Native Actresses Michelle Thrush and Misty Upham Hit the Cannes Film FestivalUpham's star has been on the rise since at least 2008, when she appeared in the acclaimed Frozen River; she's also in the star-studded film version of August: Osage County, which will hit theaters later this year. Thrush, Cree, has herself been steadily gaining notice, particularly for her work in the rez drama Blackstone--in 2011, her work on the show earned a Gemini Award (the Canadian equivalent of an Emmy) for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role.

Thrush is at Cannes with her own story of dreams coming true. "I was interviewed the previous year on Entertainment Tonight and asked ‘Out of every actor in the world who would I want to work with? Who would be my dream to work with?'" she told the Calgary Herald. “I said Benicio Del Toro. So it was quite interesting that it happened.” Thrush admitted that her admiration for her co-star was initially an impediment. "I couldn’t seem to get my lines right,” she said. “I just couldn’t get over the fact that I’m sitting beside this person who I have such a huge amount of respect for." Eventually, Del Toro pulled her aside for a conversation that put her at ease.

This isn't Thrush's first time in a Cannes contender--she played Nobody's Girlfriend (opposite Gary Farmer, who is also in Jimmy P.) in the 1995 Palme D'Or nominee Dead Man. But Thrush didn't attend that year's festival. This time around, she's not permitting herself to miss out--she is, to put it plainly, ready to party. “People keep telling me to try and get into the yacht parties and boat parties,” she told the Calgary Herald. “I’m going to do it. I will live every single moment. I probably will not sleep for seven days straight.”Del Toro branches out with Freudian drama at Cannes

Comment:  For more on the subject, see My Interview with Misty Upham and Del Toro to Play Native Veteran.

Below:  "Director Arnaud Desplechin (2ndR) and cast members Gina McKee (R), Misty Upham (2ndL) and Michelle Thrush pose during a photocall for the film 'Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian)' at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes May 18, 2013." (Reuters/Eric Gaillard)

Negative reviews of Jimmy P.

'Jimmy P.' (2013) Movie Review--Cannes Film Festival

A misguided effort lacking in focus and interest

By Brad BrevetThey all can't be winners, and Arnaud Desplechin's Jimmy P. would seem to have the material to make a good film, but my god, as we watch the film's title character go through two hours of therapy we begin to feel as if we are the ones locked in a mental ward, waiting for the credits to roll so we know when we can finally break out.

Set during the end of the second World War, the film is based on George Devereux's non-fiction book "Reality and Dream: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian" and we are introduced to Jimmy Picard (Benicio Del Toro), a Native American soldier who suffered a head trauma in the war who is now troubled by an inexplicable illness that's causing painful headaches and temporary blindness. Taken to a military hospital by his sister (Misty Upham), he eventually falls under the care of Georges Devereux (Mathieu Amalric), who is given one hour a day to treat him and we are "treated" to snippets of what feels like every single one of those hours.

Del Toro plays Jimmy as if he is slow-witted, but I never got the impression we were to think of him this way. He delivers his words in short, staccato bursts as if he is eight years old and it's a maddening exercise in patience considering so much of the film is dedicated to listening to Jimmy and Georges' conversations.

When the two aren't talking the scene typically shifts to Georges' quarters where Madeleine (Gina McKee), a married friend of his, arrives and spends a considerable amount of time with him. You'd think her character would have some major bearing on the story, but for all I could tell she was there as a distraction to break up the film so it wasn't one therapy session after another. Instead it becomes one therapy session after another, broken up only by moments between Georges and Madeleine either talking about the therapy sessions or random nonsense that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the film we're watching.

GRADE: D+

Cannes Review of Jimmy P

Arnaud Desplechin stumbles with his first film in the English language

By Donald ClarkeThe film is based on the true story of a native American who, in the aftermath of the second World War, underwent analysis in Kansas to disentangle traumatic stress disorder. On the evidence of this film, the psychiatrist was an overdressed loon, prone to erratic hand gestures and at home to a French accent that would give Pepe le Pew pause to snigger. To this date we have thought Mathieu Amalric incapable of giving a bad performance. But Desplechin proves his impressive way with performers by extracting an total stinker from the gifted Frenchman. If the character is supposed to be funny, he is surely not supposed to be funny in quite this fashion.

French viewers can, at least, relax in the knowledge that one of their own is bouncing national stereotypes into the red. Benicio de Toro may have “some Indigenous American ancestry,” but he still looks and sounds like a Puerto Rican. It’s not quite like the old days when Yul Brynner or Anthony Quinn were asked to play any required nationality. It would, however, have been nice to cast a Native American actor in a Native American role.

This is not to suggest that any such minor tweaks would save the film. Amalric raves. Del Toro mumbles. Gena McKee turns up to stand around awkwardly in a tweed jacket. At the end of it all, we get no closer to understanding why these interactions should be of any interest to a modern audience. We learn nothing new about Native American culture. We learn nothing new about psychotherapy. We do learn that Desplechin would be best advised to never direct in English again, but that lesson hardly justifies two hours of unremitting tedium.Cannes Review: The Mind Heals The Soul In Meandering & Unsatisfying 'Jimmy P.'

By Kevin JagernauthThe largely interior, dialogue intensive picture sometimes veers into feeling like a TV movie (not helped by Howard Shore's often overbearing, obvious score) with its static visuals, but strong turns by Del Toro and Amalric (who thankfully ditches a sea of quirks early on and settles into the part) at least keep things engaging, even if the narrative remains stuck in neutral for large chunks of the film. After the sprawling, messy but rich "A Christmas Tale," Desplechin falls short with "Jimmy P." The mind may cure the soul for Jimmy P., but Desplechin can't seem to find that quality in his own picture.The Curious Case of Benicio del Toro in ‘Jimmy P’

The film is based on a 1951 study by the French ethnopsychiatrist Georges Devereux

By Sharon WaxmanIn minute and often crushingly slow detail (at times one wonders if the entire contents of Deveraux’s notes were laid out in the screenplay), the story plumbs the depths of Picard’s relationship to his native culture and his abandonment of personal responsibilities after his war service, through his friendship with Deveraux.

[T]he movie suffers from being too light and too heavy at the same time: the stakes are rather lightweight (especially given the history of native Americans) and the treatment of those stakes ponderous.Comment:  Note that a couple of reviews singled out Del Toro's dubious performance. It sounds as though he were playing the Indian as slow and inarticulate. Like a classic stoic Indian--a Tonto type.

This is why you have Native actors play Native roles. They'll avoid stereotypes in their performance, or at least argue for avoiding stereotypes. They won't simply emulate what they've seen in other movies.

For more on the subject, see My Interview with Misty Upham and Del Toro to Play Native Veteran.

Positive reviews of Jimmy P.

Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian

By Mark AdamsAn impressively nuanced and intriguingly un-showy drama, Arnaud Desplechin’s Jimmy P. Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian is a film of subtle understatement, resisting the temptation to engage in overly dramatic flourishes and providing a solid platform for the charismatic talents of Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric, who deliver memorably mannered performances.

The issues in their characters’ background are touched on but never exploited, with Desplechin letting the gently developing relationship drive the story rather than any obvious dramatic devices.

Between them, Del Toro and Amalric could have reduced the film to a series of showy acting moments, but Desplechin seems to have been able to harness their considerable talents (for much of its time the film is a virtual two-hander, and could work just as well as a theatre production) to bring out the strength of this relatively simple story of a World War II veteran getting psychiatric help after the end of the war.Cannes Film Review: ‘Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian)’

This demanding but highly absorbing two-hander showcases Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric at the top of their craft

By Scott FoundasThe prosaic, marquee-challenging title tells mostly all in the case of “Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian),” Arnaud Desplechin’s profoundly Freudian study of loss and healing in post-WWII America, as seen through the experience of a dynamic shrink and his prize Native American patient. Largely a two-hander for stars Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric, both working at the top of their craft, this demanding but highly absorbing closeup on the analyst/analysand relationship seems sure to earn a warmer reception than the iconoclastic French auteur’s previous foray into English-lingo period filmmaking (with 2000’s unfairly maligned “Esther Kahn”). Pic’s highly specialized subject matter, however, presents a significant sales and marketing challenge, especially for distribs still licking their wounds from last year’s similar-themed “The Master.”

Sporting one of the more unusual literary sources ever adapted into a feature film, the pic draws its inspiration from “Reality and Dream,” a book-length case study by the ethnologist and psychoanalyst Georges Devereux (played by Amalric) about his treatment of one James Picard (Del Toro), a Blackfoot Indian whom Devereux encountered at Topeka’s famed Menninger Clinic in 1948. But as adapted by Desplechin, together with co-screenwriters Julie Peyr and Kent Jones, “Jimmy P.” constantly searches for—and finds—cinematic equivalents for Devereux’s clinical language.Jimmy P., Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian: Cannes Review

By Deborah YoungPerhaps because there’s an actual case study behind the screenplay, adapted from Devereau's book Reality and Dream by Desplechin, Julie Peyr and Kent Jones, it goes off in unexpected directions as Jimmy’s sharp mind ranges over his past. Happily, breaking another tedious film cliché, he doesn’t resist his doctor in the least and analysis rolls on briskly. Yes, there’s a traumatic Oedipal moment when little Jimmy sees his recently widowed mother in bed with another man, and on another occasion he gets a thrashing after being caught playing in the hay with a little girl. Then there’s the war and the accident in which he suffered a severe head injury. But ultimately, his greatest trauma involves his own mistreatment of his mistress and the daughter she bore him. Once that guilt is peeled away, a whole other level opens up of repressed anger over the prejudice and discrimination he is subject to as a Native American–another source of his blinding headaches.

In early scenes Del Toro devotes so much visible effort to acting the part that his performance is distracting, even off-putting. But as the film goes on, he becomes more natural in a complex role, leaving the viewer with the memory of a powerful and unusual mind, a man one would like to know. Amalric, who played a mental patient for Desplechin in Kings and Queen, is spectacularly likable in all his guises, except as the lover of a sophisticated married woman (Gina McKee) who comes out of nowhere and disappears in the same direction, leaving the audience to wonder what that was all about. Surely the screen time could have been put to better use sketching in some of the mysteries of this fascinating figure, a founder of ethno-anthropology.Comment:  For more on the subject, see My Interview with Misty Upham and Del Toro to Play Native Veteran.

Science-fair star inspires movie

'Junkyard Genius' inspires a movie

By Cindy YurthAfter appearing in multiple newspapers, on TV ("Extreme Home Makeover"), being written up in Oprah magazine and being profiled in a book (Judy Dutton's "Science Fair Season"), Garrett Yazzie thought his 15 minutes of fame may be coming to an end.

But there was still one medium that hadn't tackled Yazzie's compelling story of making it all the way to a national science competition with a device made out of scraps from the rez: film.

Now he can cross that one off his list too.

For two weeks, a crew led by promising young writer/director Eliza McNitt was holed up in Pinon, Ariz., Yazzie's hometown, filming "Without Fire," a 15-minute short film based on Yazzie's 2005 invention of a solar device that heats both water and air, made almost entirely of things he found lying around.Comment:  For more on Navajo science, see Navajo Nation Science Fair and Navajo Engineers Receives Presidential Award.

Below:  "Misty Upham, playing the mother of the young scientist in Eliza McNitt's short film "Without Fire," reacts as she realizes the radiator of her truck is missing as a film crew records the scene. Upham's character is based on Georgia Yazzie, mother of national science fair entrant Garrett Yazzie. Believe it or not, the truck was towed in from Albuquerque." (Cindy Yurth)

Upham films August: Osage County

Here's another interview I conducted with actress Misty Upham:

Misty Upham Co-Stars with Meryl Streep in August: Osage County

By Rob SchmidtAugust: Osage County, a darkly comedic play by Tracy Letts, premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago in 2007. It went on to Broadway, where it had 648 performances and won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Since then it’s toured across the U.S. and around the world.

One of the play’s key roles is Johnna Monevata, a Cheyenne woman whom the Weston family hires as a live-in housekeeper. Johnna is the witness as the sharp-tongued matriarch lashes out at family members, in-laws and hangers-on. Actress Kimberly Guerrero originated the role and went on to play it in New York and London.

Now Harvey Weinstein and George Clooney are producing a movie version. It’s directed by John Wells (ER) and its all-star cast includes Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Ewan McGregor. It’s scheduled to be released in 2013.

Other than Johnny Depp as Tonto, Johnna may be the highest-profile Native role of 2013. The plum assignment went to Blackfeet actress Misty Upham (Frozen River), fresh off filming another high-profile picture, Jimmy Picard, with Benicio Del Toro. We chatted with Upham via e-mail as she was finishing the August: Osage County shoot in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.Comment:  For more on Misty Upham, see Upham Joins August: Osage County and My Interview with Misty Upham.

Upham joins August: Osage County

Misty Upham joins 'August: Osage County'

Weinstein Co. adaptation stars Streep, Roberts

By Justin KrollMisty Upham has joined the cast of the Weinstein Co. ensembler "August: Osage County," starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

John Wells is directing a cast that also includes Abigail Breslin, Chris Cooper and Sam Shepard.

The adaptation of Tracy Letts' play revolves around the Weston family, whose members have to overcome certain differences when their alcoholic patriarch goes missing.

Upham would play a college student who comes to work for Streep's character.Comment:  This is an extremely high-profile role for a Native actor. It could open doors for Upham and other Native actors.

For more on Misty Upham, see My Interview with Misty Upham and Black & Gold Gala with Misty Upham.

My interview with Misty Upham

As you may recall, I accompanied actress Misty Upham to an AIDS fundraiser. Since we're casual friends, I did this Q&A with her.

Misty Upham Goes Mainstream With Jimmy Picard

By Rob SchmidtActress Misty Upham, Blackfeet, approaches each role with almost religious fervor. That’s not surprising for someone who once planned to become a nun.

Growing up in Seattle, Upham’s love of religion and music drew her to the church. But her life took a different direction when her parents enrolled her in a summer theater program for Native youth. Soon she was a stand-out performer and Hollywood beckoned. Chris Eyre introduced her in Skins, his second movie, but her real breakthrough came when she played a Mohawk in the Oscar-nominated Frozen River.

Since then she’s kept busy. Coming up is a role in A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, based on the bestseller by Michael Dorris. But first, French director Arnaud Desplechin has chosen her to co-star with Benicio del Toro in Jimmy Picard. Based on the book Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian, it tells the true story of a friendship between a Blackfeet World War II veteran and a French psychoanalyst.

Via e-mail, Upham told ICTMN about the thrill of working with a top director and actor.If you follow the link you can read the short 700-word version of the interview. But here's the long, unexpurgated version exclusively for Newspaper Rock readers:How did you get involved? What attracted you to the project?

The casting director Avy Kaufman contacted my manager and asked me to tape a monologue from The Exiles. I wasn't familiar with the material, but it was heavy subject matter and really intense so I just did what I felt was right after studying it for a few days. Sent it in and a few days later Mr. Despleshin asked for a meeting. A few weeks later I met with he and the producer Jennifer Roth (The Wrestler, Black Swan) at Chateau Marmont. We discussed everything from Blackfeet history to Benicio to my career beginnings. He knew all my work and could tell me details about it which was really touching. He was so passionate, which I love because sometimes I feel like I'm too passionate about film. But we had a wonderful discussion and I left feeling really good about the whole thing.

What's it like working with Desplechin and Del Toro?

I haven't started filming yet, but from what I can tell from the meeting I'm going to really love working with Arnaud. He's a director who's in control, but not controlling. He was really open to my ideas and input as well as my knowledge of my tribe's history and language. He was full of energy and super excited which was fun. We laughed and after the meeting went for a smoke outside. Can't wait to get to set. And Benicio is one of my idols. Never thought I'd be working with him. Love his work. And he as an actor and the respect he gives to the craft. He's definitely prepared and interesting in every role he does. Still have to pinch myself everyday. Amazing. Working with another Oscar winner. Scary, but exciting.

How are you preparing for your role?

I have my own process which I've developed over the years. Lots of meditation and character development in terms of energy and spirit. I don't believe acting is technical. Acting is basically feeling and experiencing emotions and situations and being really truthful about it. I believe that acting is a prayer. So I go deep into it. Hard to explain. Can be quite abstract, but it's what works for me. But I create my characters from before their beginnings. I feel that to really tell the truth, I have to know them inside and out. So you create this world, this entire human and it's beautiful.

As a Blackfeet actress, what's it like to play a Blackfeet character?

Awesome. Never thought I'd get to play a Blackfeet. Was thinking of writing a script myself, but just haven't come up with the right idea yet. Then comes this project and I'm like, "Finally." I can finally talk and act like myself. The Blackfeet slang and dialect are very distinct. People can tell who we are just by hearing our expressions and accent. It's very sing-song; up and down and all over the place. It's gonna be cool to just be more of me and my family.

What do you think about Del Toro's taking a Native role?

I think it's great that someone of his calliber is portraying one of my people. He's done Native roles before, one in particular was amazing (The Pledge) and unforgettable. That's the first thought that went through my head when they told me I'd be working with him. I thought, "This is amazing, but I know people are gonna protest and be upset." At the end of the day, as much as we'd like it to be about culture and accuracy, Hollywood is about box office numbers, money and the best actors for the part. It's easy to judge the subject from the unknowing outside, which is valid in it's own right, but ask any producer and they'll tell you how difficult it is to get a film going without a star like Benicio. People and companies are investing millions of dollars into this project. People who invest that much want stars, which hopefully secures some of their return on the film. So until we have a legit Native-Benicio, unfortunately most of the time people will take this route. Movies are art, but Hollywood is business and growing up in this business and knowing what I know about the behind-the-screen dealings, it's extremely complicated. It's not just the director's decision. He has to deal with twenty, thirty other people who all have a say in who gets this work. It takes months. And it's a difficult puzzle to put together. So when people complain and hate on the subject I wonder what they are doing to help the struggle? If Native casinos invested in our films we'd have millions of dollars at our fingertips to make movies as we see fit. But I'm helping to raise money for a couple films and whenever we approach any Native money we get no or no answer at all. So what can you do? Whoever is throwing money at the film gets to control it. So if Natives want control, we need financing and we need people to turn up and buy tickets. If our films don't sell, then Hollywood isn't gonna be interested. We need our audience. Show up and buy your damn ticket and bring our box office numbers up. We need to unite and support each other. And on the acting side of things, if there is someone who would have like to go against Benicio for this role, you better have the minerals to back up your guns. Directors don't see blood quantum or ancestory too often. They see talent. And Benicio is classically trained and an alumni of the Stella Adler institute. He's put in years of training, deep training. If he were an athlete he'd be in the NBA or the Olympics. It's not as easy as just being the right race. It takes years to make it. My career is just now picking up and I've been acting and training since I was thirteen. It's been a long seventeen years. It's training. Nothing else can carry you as an actor. And then it comes down to smaller details like age, body-type, looks. It's a fukken tightrope.

Do you have a romantic scene with Del Toro on-screen?

Yes! Can't wait. I'm gonna savor every second of it.

What are your hopes and expectations for the movie?

I hope it goes to the Oscars. A Blackfeet story at the Oscars? That would be amazing. But with an Oscar-winner like Benicio, and director as respected as Arnaud, I have no worries about how this film will do. It's gonna be great fun.

Any other interesting or exciting news you'd like to share with us?

Yes. But I can't right now. Soon.Comment:  Alas, there are several fallacies in Misty's statement about casting Benicio del Toro. "Stars" don't guarantee a movie's success--far from it. And del Toro, although obviously talented and well-respected, isn't really a star. Nobody's building a movie franchise around him like a Tom Cruise or Will Smith.

Most of del Toro's movies make little or no money. His recent "star" vehicle, The Wolf Man, is a good example. Production cost: $150,000,000. Worldwide box-office: $142,634,358. Oops.

Any investors who want a "star" like del Toro to get their money back don't know the facts. The real reason they want del Toro, I'd say, is as a security blanket. He's a known quantity, so he makes the investors comfortable. No one will laugh at them for going with a dark-skinned unknown.

Comfortable with a light-skinned Puerto Rican. Not comfortable with a Native actor. Another word for color-based comfort is prejudice.

For more on the subject, see Del Toro to Play Native Veteran and The Best Indian Movies.

Black & Gold Gala with Misty Upham

On Saturday, Misty Upham (Native actress in Frozen River), invited me to be her plus-one at this charity event:

Tony Award Nominees & Winners Join Together for the 2012 Black & Gold Gala Live Performance and Silent Auction Benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at L.A. Center StudiosIn conjunction with TV Personality, Christian Moralde's fortieth birthday celebration, Tony Award Winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Tony Award Nominee Lainie Kazan, former Pussycat Doll Kaya Jones, actress/comedienne Lisa Ann Walter and Grammy Nominee Frenchie Davis all join the stage for a one-night performance event at L.A. Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA. With an extensive silent auction benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), this invitation only event is expected to be attended by Dot-Marie Jones (GLEE Emmy Award Nominee), Misty Upham (Spirit Award Nominee from FROZEN RIVER), [and] Chyna (WWE & PLAYBOY).Lainie Kazan couldn't attend, but the others were there. Misty did a turn for the cameras...we enjoyed the hour-long show...then had a light dinner in the lounge. Misty told someone's fortune...we sang "Happy Birthday" for Moralde, and gossiped about Hollywood's Natives. And that was the evening.

Here are my pix of the events:

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS--April 28, 2012

Misty Upham's PETA interview

Misty Upham's Warm HeartIn a candid and heartfelt interview with PETA, actor Misty Upham—whose mesmerizing performance in Frozen River garnered rave reviews—expresses her dismay over a wide range of animal issues, including the treatment of captive bears who are displayed in pits and cages as tourist attractions in Cherokee, North Carolina:Upham grew up on a Black Foot Indian reservation in Montana, and she's passionate about bringing animal issues to Native American communities. In the interview, she also speaks out about puppy mills and the importance of adopting from animal shelters as well as the cruelty of carting animals around in traveling shows.

Please join Misty in asking Cherokee and federal officials to close the bear pits for good.Native American Star Calls for Closure of Cherokee Bear Pits

Frozen River and Big Love Actor Misty Upham Says Bears Are Subjected to 'Years of Torture'In a brand-new interview with PETA, Frozen River star Misty Upham expresses her dismay over the treatment of captive bears displayed in pits and cages as tourist attractions in Cherokee, N.C. Says Upham, "I do hope that the Native American elders can separate tradition, pride, and what is popular and give these bears the right to have a peaceful, healthy, respected lifestyle and to possibly have peace of mind after so many years of torture."

Upham, who grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, also says, "Anybody who goes anywhere to feed an animal who's being kept in a space where … there's nowhere else to go, I think they're all in a huge denial of what they owe the land."

In the interview, Upham also talks about animals who are carted around by exhibitors (the animals are subjected to "psychological torture") and describes how dogs helped her in therapy for sexual abuse.

TV icon Bob Barker has also spoken out against keeping bears captive as tourist attractions. Recently, PETA filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) against Chief Saunooke Bear Park in Cherokee after a 9-year-old girl was bitten by a captive bear—it was the second bite by a bear at the facility in one week. Since then, the facility has also been cited by the USDA for failure to provide veterinary care, failure to separate incompatible animals, failure to maintain facilities to protect the animals from injury, and reusing dirty paper trays to feed the bears.Comment:  The tribe is the Blackfeet, not "Black Foot."

For more on the subject, see PETA Billboards:  "Avoid Cruel Bear Pits" and Bear Pits = Boarding Schools.

Laundress by day, actress by night

From rags to the river, an actor's dreamMisty Upham is living a real Cinderella story, but the "happily ever after" is yet to be written.

Upham says this is a wonderful time in her life. She is extremely proud of her work in "Frozen River." She is even up for an Independent Spirit Award for her work. Misty knows this is the biggest break of her career. But as a working actress, she also knows attention and acclaim don't pay the bills.

"There was one instance where I was scrubbing the toilets next door and I got a call from Sony and they said, 'You have to be on the red carpet at 6,'" said Upham.

Upham, 26, lives to act. However, to live and make ends meet, she works at the E-Z Laundromat and Cyber Café in Culver City.Comment:  I believe Upham is talking about this event: the opening night of the Red Nation Film Festival. I met her there and she told me the toilet-scrubbing story.

Since I live in Culver City, I'll have to drop in at the E-Z Laundromat and Cyber Café and say hello sometime.

Anyway, follow the link to see a video interview. Or read the article, since it quotes most of the lines from the video.

Below:  Cute enough to be a Quileute werewolf in Twilight? You be the judge.

My Frozen River interviews

Misty Upham from 'Frozen River'

Discusses filming, Hollywood and future projectsICT: How did you get the role in "Frozen River"?

Upham: Courtney looked me up on Native Celebs and called my agent while I was promoting "Edge of America" at Sundance. We talked for an hour or so on the phone and she had a "really good feeling" and asked me to do "Frozen River," the short. We all loved working with each other so much that over the three years it took to get the feature going, we kept in touch and all made plans to be back.

ICT: Did you research the Mohawk culture or the smuggling issue before you started?

Upham: No. I really just went by the script and took my direction and tried to stay true to it. I knew about smuggling because my own tribe does it. So I kind of grew up with this knowledge of it to the point where it wasn't shocking at all. Some of the cast were actually smugglers, so I just asked them about it and kept it in the back of my mind.And a related article based on an interview with writer/director Courtney Hunt:

'Frozen River': how to make a Native movieAs she worked on the story, she met a perplexing number of leaders in the Mohawks' three-chiefs system of government. Fortunately, they seemed open to the idea of the movie. They saw it as a nice little women's film.

When it came time to shoot, Hunt's Mohawk friend assured her that everyone approved. "But what she'd done is she talked to the people on the Canadian side," said Hunt. "She hadn't talked to the tribal council on the American side, and they were like, 'What are you doing?' And I was like, 'Oh boy. I'm in trouble now.'"

Fortunately, continued Hunt, "They voted 2-1 to let me stay. One of the chiefs was like, 'I'm offended by this.' And the other two sort of had the idea of, 'Yeah, but it's awfully close to the truth.'"Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

All about Misty Upham

Former Seattle actress Misty Upham finds a great role in "Frozen River"In the film, Lila (Upham) and Ray (Leo) are not so much friends as conspirators, drawn into the illegal world of immigrant smuggling. Lila lives on a Mohawk reservation in upstate New York, near the Canadian border, and there's money to be made by ferrying Chinese and Pakistani immigrants across the frozen St. Lawrence River that represents both an international boundary and a lawless no man's land.

Upham found her character to be a rarity: "a Native American woman who's not in buckskin. She's complex, she has depth and [she's not] standing in the background looking stoic. That's what I loved about this film." She plays Lila with a quiet, carefully controlled determination. "The Mohawk women, the way they hold themselves that's so reserved, that's definitely Lila's main strength."Some background on Upham:For Upham, the role of Lila is the latest in a film career that took her by surprise. Born in Montana, she moved to Seattle with her family at the age of 8. "I went to high school all over King County," she said—Auburn, Federal Way, Renton, home-schooling. As a young teenager, she began acting with the Native American theater group Red Eagle Soaring (Upham's tribal heritage is Blackfeet); other early training was with the Young Shakespeare Workshop and Freehold Theatre, among others.

Her break came not long after high school, at a showcase at Seattle's Nippon Kan Theatre. "I wrote my own play and directed it and acted in it," Upham remembered. "Somebody in the audience filmed it and sent it to a casting director in L.A. She called the next day and asked me to submit a portfolio. I was so green, I didn't have a portfolio."

Within a month, Upham had an agent and her first movie role, in Chris Eyre's 2002 drama "Skins," set on a South Dakota reservation. Steady work in television and movies followed, including a role in Rick Stevenson's 2006 made-in-Seattle comedy "Expiration Date."

Upham, who says she misses Seattle ("I'd move back to Seattle in a second if I could get the work"), hopes her work in "Frozen River" will bring her more visible roles. But she's not taking any chances—currently she's at work writing a thriller in which she'll star. "I'm writing my own stuff, because there's just not quality work out there for the type of actress I am," she said. "I want [roles] that a Native American could be that have nothing to do with the fact that I'm Native."Frozen River--Melissa Leo and Misty Upham on Stereotypes



Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Raves for Frozen River

Wow. Frozen River is getting rave reviews, including some Best Actress talk for Melissa Leo. Check it out:

Review:  'Frozen River'

This intense indie drama of unlikely female partners involved in a smuggling operation on the Canadian border is a bracing character study.AS THE summer heats up, let "Frozen River" wash over you; let its bracing drama and the intensity of its acting restore your spirits as well as your faith in American independent film.

As those who have seen more than their share can testify, the all-purpose independent label guarantees only a modest budget and sometimes not even that. "Frozen River," however, is not only the deserved winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, it also beautifully illustrates what the movement is supposed to be about.

Spare and unsentimental as well as intensely dramatic, character-based but grounded in reality and filled with involving incidents, "Frozen River's" account of two women who end up unlikely partners smuggling illegal immigrants over the Canadian border is very much the vision of writer-director Courtney Hunt, who told the story first as a short film before expanding it to feature length.

Hunt has not only created a powerful narrative, she also has cast the film with two exceptional actresses. The formidably gifted but perennially underutilized Melissa Leo finally gets to carry a film, and the relative newcomer Misty Upham has the skills to match up with her. Together, there is almost nothing they can't do.'Frozen River':  Not a typical chatty chick flick

These women act upon their world.With the role of Lila, there is the additional element that the character is a portrait of contemporary Native American life rarely seen onscreen. According to Upham, she knew the role was a breakthrough even when filming the first, short version of "Frozen River."

"For the last 20 years, actresses who are native have been trying to get the break native men have already received," she said, "the roles where you can break out of the leathers and feathers. They go to the men and the women are stuck in the background.

"That's been the major fight, not only to get a leading role as a woman, but also to not be a Pocahontas-type talking to trees and whatnot, to have actual depth and character that adds to the movie. And this is the first time I've had a chance to play a character who actually has a personality, who has emotions and depth."For Your Consideration:  Melissa Leo for Best Actress in Frozen RiverTA: The movie revolves around two great central performances--you and Misty. The acting avoids melodrama. Is that partially because Misty is so solid?

ML: Solid is a really good word for her. Misty, however, is a consummate actress. And not really very much like her Lila Littlewolf lead. There's a lot of gregarity in Misty, she's deeply, deeply wise I'll be walking somewhere with her and I'll go, "Misty, are you sure it's this way?" and she'll go "yeah, I'm sure" and, alright, I'm with Misty. She always knows where she's headed. She's remarkable.

TA: Has FR changed her career?

ML: That's waiting yet to see what happens with it. What Misty is acutely aware of and, I think is worth mentioning, is that there has never in the history of film been anything like her performance. Misty and her native community across the US are aware of it: she's not playing an Indian, she's playing a person with a complete life, with the ups and the downs of it, the wisdom and the mistakes, and a rounded person whose tale does not hinge on their being an Indian or not. It's an extraordinarily rare thing to have that kind of character in a film and I hope that she and the performance are celebrated and she can parlay it into other things. She has the talent to do it.Comment:  I'll have to add Frozen River to my must-see list.

But the first Native actor to play a person, not an Indian? Hmm. The makers of Pow Wow Highway, Thunderheart, Dance Me Outside, Smoke Signals, Grand Avenue, Skins, The Business of Fancydancing, The Fast Runner, Edge of America, Christmas in the Clouds, Flags of Our Fathers, Four Sheets to the Wind, and Mile Post 398--to name a few alternatives--might disagree with that.

It's a bit ironic that Upham criticizes Pocahontas types since she contributed to the romanticizing of Pocahontas in a 2006 essay. Maybe she's had a change of heart.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

P.S. By "gregarity," I presume Leo means "gregariousness."

Frozen River keeps rolling

Here's a description of a film I've mentioned before. Completed in 2007, it's playing this month at the Seattle International Film Festival. From a MySpace fulletin:

Misty Upham, Blackfeet tribal member, in Frozen RiverFilmed in sub-zero weather in upstate New York, March of 2007, Frozen River is Courtney Hunt’s directorial debut.

Courtney’s feature-length script is set in a real-life smuggling zone on a Native American reservation between New York State and Quebec where the lure of fast money presents a daily challenge to single moms who would otherwise be making minimum wage. Strapped for money and having been deserted by her husband, working class Ray (Melissa Leo), reluctantly teams up with Lila (Misty Upham), a widowed Mohawk Indian, to smuggle illegal immigrants across the frozen St. Lawrence River from Canada to the U.S. in the trunk of a Dodge Spirit. Both women swear each trip will be their last, but one final run across the river leads to a showdown with the law on all sides.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.