Lily Gladstone shines as Jax in Erica Tremblay’s debut feature, Fancy Dance. The film tells the story of Jax, a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation, who is raising her niece Roki after Roki’s mother mysteriously disappears.
Jax and thirteen-year-old Roki share a close bond as they grieve the loss of Tawi, Roki’s mother, and try to find answers about what happened to her. But their search brings only more questions and faces opposition from authorities indifferent to missing Native women.
When child protective services threaten to remove Roki from Jax’s custody, the two go on the run. Jax is determined to keep her family together and give Roki the opportunity to participate in a powwow, an important cultural tradition. Their journey takes them across Oklahoma as Jax follows any leads that could solve the mystery of Tawi’s disappearance.
Throughout it all, Gladstone profoundly captures Jax’s resilience, fear, and devotion to her family in the face of prejudice and indifference from the outside world. Joined by the talented Isabel Deroy-Olson as Roki, Fancy Dance provides an intimate look at the profound family ties that sustain Native American communities in the face of injustice.
The Road to Tradition
Lily Gladstone shines as Jax, a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation raising her young niece Roki after the mysterious disappearance of Roki’s mother, Tawi. Thirteen-year-old Roki is distraught over her mother’s disappearance, pouring her energy into dance preparations for an upcoming powwow. Though Jax searches tirelessly for clues to her sister’s whereabouts, authorities show little interest in the case of yet another missing Native woman.
When Jax’s criminal record is discovered, child protective services take Roki from her guardianship and place the girl with her estranged white grandfather, Frank. Neither Jax nor Roki want this separation, as Frank cannot provide the cultural connections so important to Roki. Meanwhile, Jax’s leads have turned up nothing but dread about what may have befallen Tawi.
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Determined to give Roki the opportunity to participate in the powwow, a cherished tradition central to their community, Jax hatches a plan to get her niece back. She hits the road with Roki, evading the authorities now pursuing them across Oklahoma. Along the way, their journey strengthens the profound bond between aunt and niece while highlighting the prejudices they face.
Through Gladstone’s powerful performance, we see Jax’s fierce resilience and love for her family override any fears as she struggles against a system indifferent to Native lives and culture. With no other choice left, Jax is willing to risk everything to ensure Roki can find meaning in their traditions and hold onto the hope of being reunited with her mother.
Cultural Immersion Through Directing
Director Erica Tremblay brought a deeply authentic vision to Fancy Dance, thanks to her commitment to truly understanding the world she portrayed. Drawing from her background in documentaries, she strived to present life on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation without exaggeration or stereotype. Tremblay lived there for months prior to filming, immersing herself in the community to ensure cultural details felt genuine.
This effort shone through in how natural everything appeared on screen. While the visuals lack standout cinematography, their muted realism reinforces the down-to-earth tone. Scenes reflected the routines and environments of regular people living day to day, rather than sensationalized drama. Subtle actions and decor emphasized traditions without needing explanation. The production maintained this fly-on-the-wall quality even during story climaxes, keeping viewers grounded in the reality of the characters’ struggles.
Authenticity also extended to collaborations with native talent. Tremblay was coached in the Seneca-Cayuga language spoken by Lily Gladstone and Isabel Deroy-Olson’s characters. Their dialogue felt right at home, a testament to the director prioritizing cultural accuracy over flashy Hollywood techniques. While the plot occasionally strained credibility, the strength of Tremblay’s direction lay in making difficult topics feel close and compassionate and ensuring the story’s heart remained with its hardworking Native American heroines.
Profound Performances Shape Complex Characters
At the heart of Fancy Dance are the rich performances that bring its compelling characters to life. Lily Gladstone delivers yet another masterful turn as Jax, capturing the many layers of a woman pushed to her limits. Beneath Jax’s troublesome exploits exists a deep caring for her family, which Gladstone imbues with compassion.
Her expressive eyes communicate the constant turmoil within: fear for her missing sister, love for her niece, anger at indifferent authorities. Gladstone makes even Jax’s most questionable choices feel justified by her profound, haunting humanity.
Isabel Deroy-Olson more than holds her own against such an acclaimed co-star. As young Roki, she portrays wise-beyond-her-years resilience alongside youthful vulnerability. Deroy-Olson paints a vivid picture of a child attempting normalcy despite disruption all around. Whether prepping eagerly for powwow dances or clinging to her aunt’s side, Roki’s longing eyes show a premature understanding of life’s harsh realities. The natural bond between Gladstone and Deroy-Olson anchors the film; their tender scenes together bring bittersweet poignancy.
Shea Whigham also impressively fleshes out layers of the complex Frank. Whigham imbues the character with conflict, viewing his estranged family through both concern and an obstinate disconnect from his Native heritage. Audrey Wasilewski matches Whigham’s nuance as Nancy, whose tentative care for Roki hints at private hopes of her own.
In small roles, Blayne Weaver menacingly hints at darker forces circling the community through a subtly menacing Boo. Sapphire, too, shines in brief scenes as a sympathetic confidant for Jax, bringing warmth to the aunt’s precarious existence.
Across the board, the perceptive performances elevate Fancy Dance by bringing an introspective humanity to people too often obscured or ignored. The actresses’ beautiful work ensures these compelling characters and the realities they represent linger hauntingly with viewers.
Navigating Struggles With Spirit and Pride
Fancy Dance shone a light on some tough realities facing Jax, Roki, and other Native community members. Police showed little care in helping find Roki’s missing mother, mirroring longstanding issues of indifference toward missing and murdered Indigenous women. And authorities quickly took Roki from Jax due to biases, threatening the bond so vital to her in that difficult time.
Yet the film also conveyed the intense pride and cultural connection that sustain these strong women. In one scene, the tender way Jax and Roki speak Cayuga to each other, communicating in a language not all can understand, beautifully represented the importance of heritage. Beyond just words, we see this pride come alive through Roki’s dancing at the powwow. Though experiencing deep pain, in those celebratory routines, she found a reclaiming of identity and community.
Pressures of assimilation constantly haunted as well. Roki’s white grandparents hoped she’d abandon her cultural practices, like powwow dancing. And the system aimed to separate her from her native aunt and upbringing. But Jax would let nothing weaken Roki’s ties to who she was. She vibrantly embraced their traditions herself and fiercely protected Roki’s right to fully embrace her Indigenous roots, come what may.
Even amid immense challenges, this film portrayed Jax and Roki facing life’s struggles with remarkable spirit and determination. Though they often encountered indifference or opposition to their very existence, their connection to ancestors and lineage afforded them inner strength. Cultural practices and family bonds became lifelines in hard times. And their resilience, pride in their heritage, and refusal to let any hardship diminish who they were reflected a profound message of surviving with the soul intact.
Finding Hope Despite Adversity
Fancy Dance takes on the challenging task of portraying the struggles and richness of Native American life with care, spotlighting issues too often overlooked. At its best, it shines light on the resilience of Jax and Roki, facing immense challenges with spirit, cultural pride, and a refusal to let hardship diminish who they are. While not fully realizing its potential due to some contrived elements, the film achieves its aim of thought-provoking representation overall.
The story leaves us with affecting reminders—of communities supporting each other despite risks and traditions becoming strong in darkness. Deeper still, it conveys hope that by upholding one’s roots and bonding with loved ones, one can survive any storm with dignity intact. This message no doubt resonates long after viewers gain new understandings.
With this solid debut effort, Erica Tremblay shows promise as not just a documentarian but a narrative director, tackling thorny issues with empathy. Lily Gladstone further confirms her immense talent, imbuing Jax with a richness any role would be lucky to have. Their work elevating this film bodes well for future projects that perhaps hew closer to these artists’ full creative visions. While the journey is not over, Fancy Dance has begun important conversations and illuminated the paths ahead.
The Review
Fancy Dance
While not flawless, Fancy Dance succeeds in its aim to craft a thoughtful, engaging portrayal of Indigenous experiences through nuanced characters faced with challenging realities. Thanks to direction attuned to representing such issues respectfully and standout performances from Gladstone and Deroy-Olson anchoring empathy, the film delivers a noteworthy contribution to Native stories on screen. Despite some contrived elements, it ultimately leaves an impact by confronting hard truths while finding hope in cultural ties and community.
PROS
- Authentic representation of Native American life and struggles on reservations
- Strong lead performances from Gladstone and Deroy-Olson ground the film.
- Thoughtful exploration of important themes like cultural preservation, family, and justice
- Scenes conveying injustices faced hit their mark.
CONS
- The plot becomes manipulated and less believable in the final act.
- Some dialogue and exposition feel clunky.
- Tension isn't built as effectively as it could be.
- The potential of issues tackled is not fully realized.
