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Movie:		8.0
Picture:		6.0
Sound:		7.0
Extras:		9.0
Score:		8.0

Director(s):	James R. Gorrie
Writer(s):	James R. Gorrie
Starring:	Matt Dallas • Sal Landi • Jane Higginson • Richard Portnow
Genre:	Drama
Website:	http://www.theindianthemovie.com/
Release Date:	November 24, 2009

List Price:	DVD - $16.99
Amazon:

After watching The Indian, it’s easy to see why it was selected as Best Screenplay at Breckenridge Festival of Film, Best Feature at the Cinema City International Film Festival and Best Ensemble Cast at the Monaco Film Festival, along with several other awards. This independent film, written and directed by James R. Gorrie, features Matt Dallas (of Kyle XY fame) as Danny, a troubled teen raised by his aunt when his father ditches him. But when Danny is arrested for breaking a window at a motorcycle shop after being tossed out of a party, his Hepatitis infected father Skip, played by Sal Landi, pays the bail money and reenters his life in hopes that Danny will agree to be a partial liver donor.

Danny doesn’t trust Skip, or really, anyone else, so when Skip suggests they bond by putting together an old Indian motorcycle that belonged to Danny’s grandfather, Danny bails. Enter the girl. Shelby is the daughter of a motorcycle repair man, and an excellent mechanic herself. Skip hires her to help him rebuild the bike, presumably hoping the draw of a pretty girl will bring Danny around. Along the way, Shelby and Danny grow closer and realize that they can’t let their parental issues define them.

The acting in this film was amazing, although with writing like this, the cast had some great material to work with. With minimal dialogue, Matt Dallas’s portrayal of Danny could have been flat, but he really pulled off the angsty teen thing without turning into R-Pattz (sorry Twilight fans, but you’ve got to admit, he’s patented sullen and broody). Likewise, Skip could have been a villainous caricature, but Landi fleshes out the character and allows you to sympathize with him, even when you know you should want to slap him. And Allison Haislip is dazzling as Shelby, especially in the brief clips where we get some insight into her back story, such as when she yells at her alcoholic father who hasn’t made any effort to move on since her slutty mother abandoned them. Her beachfront scenes with Dallas were the high point of the movie, even though there are very few lines. The pair have great on-screen chemistry.

The only serious flaw I found with this film is the photography. A lot of times the camera cuts in at odd angles, or actors will be so close to the camera that you miss part of their face. It was a little distracting, and definitely gives the film an indie or low budget feel in certain scenes. Most scenes are fine though, and with these exceptions I found the film to be indistinguishable from many more mainstream productions.

DVD Bonus Features

There is an interview with Allison Haislip, Matt Dallas and writer/director James R. Gorrie, which is both highly amusing and interesting if you want to know more about the process Gorrie went through, since this is his directorial debut. It’s also a great chance to see more of the chemistry between Haislip and Dallas, and to learn more about some of the scenes that were toughest for the actors. There are also cast auditions and a table read/cast rehearsal featurette, both of which were fascinating and were worth watching. I wish these features could be found on more DVDs.