Fish Hawk

In the movie Fishhawk refers to the Osage tribe instead of the Cherokee. I am a not too distant cousin of Will(Sonny)Sampson and was in attendance at his funeral and burial in 1987. His mother and mine were related some where down the line but as to where I am not quite sure but my mother always talked about Sonnys mother as a relative and a very good person in many ways. I own a VHS copy of this movie and am in total agreement that this is one, if not the best, of all his performances. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity. I personally, never had the privilege to actually meet with Will"sonny"Sampson but from the first I watched "Cuckoos Nest" I was impressed with his acting ability and his portrayal of chief Bromdon.

It reminded me of a Disney film, wholesome and giving you a story with a lesson. All of the actors played their characters well. It's almost all shot outdoors and the location is rural and pretty. Plenty of animals liven things up: A bear, a boar, wild cats, ducks, cows,dogs, and horses pulling a very basic looking carriage that makes appealing rustic wood creaky noises as it drives along. There are old colored glass bottles too, which one character loves so much that he collects them in a burlap sack. There's even a little folk music played by the farmer and a couple of other guys. The speech and expressions they use, and the clothing they wear all seem right on, accurate to the time being portrayed. The movie did not make me cry (like Old Yeller) but I would call it heart-warming.

Though most of the movies made during Canada's tax shelter days weren't that great, I'd rather watch one of them instead of the typical art house crap the Canadian government funds nowadays. "Fish Hawk" actually isn't a bad movie. Not great, but not bad either. It does have some genuine positive attributes. First, the acting by everyone (especially Will Sampson) is surprisingly good. Also, the movie largely avoids racism when it comes to Sampson's character. His character is considered by most of the white people of his community to be an equal. Some have criticized Sampson's character to be another drunken Indian, but his character actually stops drinking and starts acting a lot seriously far before the half way point.

Still, I think the movie could have been better. The movie and its situations and characters are more often than not treated in a "soft" manner, which means that a lot of bite that could have been here is missing. Also, the friendship that grows between the boy and Sampson's character seems a little thin. More scenes showing the growing bond would have helped a lot.

But the movie is still an okay way to pass 90 or so minutes. One warning if you are planning to view the movie on DVD - the DVD manufacturer simply copied an ex-rental videotape, meaning the picture quality is both full-frame and not very good looking.

I can't see why this movie was so under-rated. It would make great viewing for older children and their parents. Some scenes of animal deaths, one human death and Fish Hawk's behavior when drinking may be too intense for really young kids. Will Sampson was excellently cast in the title role, although his overcoming alcohol dependence seemed too easy. And why he stayed years and years in one town and then suddenly decides to move on when Corby starts to develop a friendship is a little jolting. The only other fault I have is that it seemed to glide over scenes in episodic fashion. However, it is a good lesson in cultural differences and tolerance.