Hank Williams First Nation

No smoking No swearing No belittling sarcasm No drinking No angry temper-tantrums No hurtful put-downs No forcing change No judgmental discrimination No grad dress No Hank Williams No subtitles for the Man Speaking Cree

This movie flows like water over rocks in clear air. It has strength and resilience because of events which occur before the film begins, during the film, and after the film closes. It carries us along for a time with the lives of these people, and provides us with a hopeful promise of a new tomorrow at the same time recognizing the enormous impact of a far-reaching past. The characters maintain their integrity throughout. The Music is also Great!

Forget Tom Cruise and his invading aliens - my pick for THE movie to see this summer is "Hank Williams - First Nation".

Calgarian Aaron James Sorenson wrote and directed the film, all the music was done by local artists and the cast is made up of local actors, including Gordon Tootosis - whom many of you will recognize as "Albert" from North of 60 and also having appeared with Brad Pitt and Sir Anthony Hopkins in Legends of the Fall. Sammy Simon does a phenomenal job as the Radio Announcer, providing a great deal of HONEST laughter.

When I say "Honest" laughter, what I mean is that, unlike many of the "slick, high budget, Hollywood blockbusters" - this film doesn't rely on laughs generated by potty jokes, self-depreciation and at the expense of others.

Hank Williams, First Nation is a story based on characters that Mr Sorenson grew to know. The story itself is about a family, a community, a dream. Uncle Martin, a lifelong Hank Williams fan, has decided that perhaps Hank isn't dead after all. He decides to travel to Nashville to see Hank's grave for his own eyes. His younger brother sends his grandson Jacob with Uncle Martin not only to keep the oldest Fox family member company, but to teach his grandson a little about the world. The two become celebrities in the U.S., being interviewed by small town newspapers and having their picture taken to be posted at diners along the way.

Meanwhile, at home, Jacob's sister, Sara is facing her pending graduation and all the emotional ups and downs of the big event that we all faced. Her boyfriend is a big schmuck, her brother's best friend has a huge crush on her and she is a sure bet for valedictorian. On top of it all, her absentee mother, whom Jacob has only seen once when he was a toddler, may be coming for a visit.

The other characters have issues of their own to deal with and they do so as we all do. Mr Sorenson has created some of the most REAL characters I've encountered in film since Fargo and Beautiful Girls. They don't win the lotto, they don't drive insanely expensive cars, they aren't unbelievably beautiful and spend nights having sex we can only envy. They don't have some sort of "lightbulb" moment and solve every problem they've ever had. They laugh. They cry. They get up every day and head off to work when they'd rather stay in bed. They have car starters that don't work. They look forward to the weekly Radio Bingo games. They have crappy winter weather. What you see is what you get. In short, I LOVED these characters. I cared about them. I wanted to see what would happen to them. I STILL wonder how things will work out for them.

As a writer, Mr Sorenson has accomplished what many writers strive for. He created characters with heart and soul and depth. Some of the cinematography will knock your socks off. The film captures the beauty of the Canadian landscape which is often overlooked in Canadian cinema.

I laughed. I laughed a LOT. Not just a little smile here and there or a chuckle kept to myself. I experienced honest, out loud, unabashed laughter the likes of which I've not experienced in a film in some time. My advice, grab a friend and go see this film. You won't regret it.

This is mostly a movie about people and their most sincere levels of connection. Don't be confused by the title. Hank Williams is only the nail to hang this story from. In fact, although almost all of it centers on a town of Cree Indians in Alberta, it is a universal story of people going through their lives, living with family, and working to make or deal with connections. Funny at the start, interesting in the middle, moving in the last. A well filmed, well crafted story, that leads you along a simple path that will eventually fill your heart with more than you expected.

I think if there were any flaws, they were budget related. For instance, there was no actual Hank Williams music in the film, but I'm sure that was only due to the cost and complexity of arranging to use his music. At this lower-budget level, it works anyway. The script is great, actors feel real, and the filming looks good.

I expected a small light-hearted movie. It is that, in part. It is also a great story that slowly pulls you in, gets you involved, and then draws you to an experience that should resonate deeply if you have a heart. It seems simple but weaves that simplicity into something more. In the end I was choking back emotions. I walked out feeling myself taken to a place that makes me glad I keep looking for these film experiences -- sometimes because someone told me, sometimes unexpected.

There's a joke or two about "Indian time" in this movie, but in reality, the whole movie moves in "Indian time". Conversations are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Altman's overlapping dialog. Here a character speaks and the other characters pause for a couple of seconds thinking about what's been said before making the next comment. It's all very unhurried and laconic. For example, at one point we here on the radio, "So that's your forecast . . . It's cold today . . It'll be cold tomorrow . . . It'll probably get colder after that. But this here's February, so what'd you expect?" The music is terrific, but I don't think any actual Hank Williams' songs are used. Everyone talks about playing Hank Williams, but somehow it never seems to happen on camera. All of the characters in this film are so real, that by the end you feel like you've spent a week getting to know your cousin's neighbors in a town you've never visited before. You should also be aware that the quest to visit Hank Williams' grave is not really the centerpiece of the movie. The movie mostly takes place in the Cree Nation community it starts in. The quest is mostly there to give the locals something to talk about. I was deeply moved, to the point of tears, by this movie.

I had a great time watching this movie. I do wish that I spoke Cree, or that I would have brought a Cree speaker with me. There is a scene where it would have been handy. You can infer what the conversation is about, but the woman beside me was killing herself laughing and I only had a little chuckle at the parts of the conversation that were in English. The acting in this film is superior for the most part. However, there was one role that I would re-cast if it was up to me -- the teacher. Her acting was poor and actually quite distracting, but I am sure that it was well intended. Her role in general was a little confusing. There seemed to be some inconsistencies around her character. That said, Sorensen did an excellent job capturing the spirit of the north, and Da Silva (especially) brought his words to life. I laughed and almost cried. Support this Canadian gem; you will not be disappointed.