“SKINWALKERS” (2002)

Starring: Adam Beach, Wes Studi, Alex Pete & Sheila Tousey
Written by James Redford
Directed by Chris Eyre

Polly Staffle Rating: **

A thought occurred to me while watching the TV-made mystery “Skinwalkers.” Now that African American male actors get cast in movies for parts besides the “token black guy,” when will the other minorities get their due? Essentially what I mean is Morgan Freeman doesn't have to play the role of Miss Daisy's driver any more, but Native Americans still are stuck playing Indians.

“Skinwalkers” is the first in a trilogy of films produced as “American Mystery! Specials” for PBS based on Tony Hillerman novels and starring Adam Beach and Wes Studi as Navajo police officers.

Produced by Robert Redford with a screenplay penned by his son James, the film revolves around the murder of several medicine men. Their deaths may or may not have been the result of a skinwalker, a witch that can change forms and kills with curses.

Beach plays Jim Chee, a Navajo reservation cop that means well, but has a quick temper. He is very much in tune with his heritage and is in training to be a medicine man. Studi is detective Joe Leaphorn from the city. He has moved back to the reservation because his sick wife wanted to return to her homeland. He wants things done by the book and isn't a fan of Chee's ways.

“Skinwalkers” is a great watch for a PBS movie. But with a bigger budget and a longer running time, director Chris Eyre could have done a lot better.

The casting here is perfect. Beach is a much underrated first-rate actor. This is the third time I've been impressed with him as the lead in a film. Some may remember him from Eyre's debut “Smoke Signals,” which was the first film to be written, produced and directed by Native Americans. Beach also played opposite Mia Kirshner in “Now and Forever.” He was also in John Woo's “Windtalkers,” which I never saw, but from what I understand is about Navajo Marines. And this brings me back to my first point, he's always cast as a Native American. Sure he is a Saulteaux Indian and a part of the Ojibwa Nation but does that mean he only can play a part that calls for an Indian? He's 5-foot-11, making him taller than Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise, he has a smile like Denzel Washington that can light up the screen and he has a certain charisma that would work well in any film. Why not cast him in one of Cruise, Depp, Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio or Ben Affleck's many roles?

Studi is also good here. I am less familiar with him, but also notice he too usually plays either the lead or token Native American. He starred as Geronimo, appeared in “The Lone Ranger,” was in “Dances with Wolves” and played the “Indian in the desert” in “The Doors.” I could see Studi playing some of the roles Al Pacino has been getting in recent years. And since Pacino is starting to look more and more like Michael Jackson these days, why not share the wealth?

But it probably won't happen any time soon. Movies about Native Americans starring Native Americans have so much trouble getting funded that they have to be produced by “Viewers Like You.” And it's not just Native Americans that are seeing a narrow stack of screenplays to memorize. Excellent actor Peter Dinklage, who is like a small George Clooney, usually just gets stuck with the dwarf role. After the “Station Agent” I thought for sure he would be getting a lot of great opportunities, but future projects of his include “The Dwarf” and “Mendel's Dwarf.” Great actor Freddy Rodriguez of “Six Feet Under” usually plays the Latino. He is cast in the upcoming “The Poseidon Adventure” remake, but he isn't the lead or anything, just the token Hispanic on the sinking ship.

What's even worse than that is it usually doesn't matter what minority the actor is as long as the role calls for a minority. Antonio Banderas is Spanish and usually plays Mexicans such as El Mariachi in “Desperado” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” Hawaiian Jason Scott Lee played the Chinese martial arts legend Bruce Lee in “Dragon.” Lou Diamond Phillips got his big break playing the first Mexican American rock star Ritchie Valens in “La Bamba” even though Phillips is Filipino. Phillips is also one-eighth Cherokee, but has been criticized for playing Indian roles.

Banderas and Phillips have both been able to break the mold and have roles besides the “minority” part, but they are more of the exception. For Beach to do this I guess he is going to have to play up the stereotypes of his heritage and be nominated for an Oscar like Freeman did with “Driving Miss Daisy” before he can be taken seriously. For now, the fact he is getting to play Indians is better than those roles going to Banderas or even worse a “white man” with red face paint speaking in broken sentences.

- CCF, February 2006