Movie Review - The Indian (2007)

directed by James R. Gorrie featuring Matt Dallas, Sal Landi, Jane Higginson, Alison Haislip

The Indian is a story about a rebellious teenager Danny (Matt Dallas), who is raised by his aunt after the death of his mother, and the abandonment of his father Skip (Sal Landi). When Skip learns that he needs a partial-liver transplant, he returns to make amends with his only hope of a donor, his grown son Danny. The title is of an old motorcycle (the 17 Indian) that Skip's father had hoped to rebuild with his son, but Skip never had the time of day. Skip finds the pieces and hopes to win Danny over, seeing Danny's interest in bikes. The movie is worth a watch, I definitely enjoyed it -- and not just because of Matt Dallas. The comments that follow might contain spoilers, so if you haven't yet and would rather watch the movie first, you can find some good links here. The movie bagged a couple of awards, including Best Newcomer for Matt Dallas at Monaco Film Festival (2007); see more as listed on the movie's webpage. The Indian has a very real feel and isn't overdone with artificial drama. Yet, it is captivating right from the start where the audience begins to feel for Danny. He is lost, angry, and most of all has no faith in himself. Matt Dallas did a great job in this movie, his face shows all kinds of frustration and anger that Danny is feeling. The very first scene where he is humiliated and thrown out of a party wins me over. When his father suddenly returns, Danny understandably rejects him outright, shouting at him to leave. Slowly as Danny lets Skip in, I start to dread the moment when Danny would find out why Skip has returned. Predictably, he does. The movie's climax is unsurprising, but yet so touching as Danny breaks down and asks the real questions of his father: "Why did you leave me? What was wrong with me?" The ending is sad yet satisfying, and the last thing Skip leaves for Danny to find is a nice little surprise.