Frybread Face and Me

Frybread Face and Me is a spiritual awakening for little Benny, caught between the divorce of his parents and trying to find where he fits in the universe. He learns the Navaho way of life thanks to his cousin Dawn, (she played a wonderful role), his 'bull riding' and sheep herding uncle Marvin and most of all, the two females who played major roles in his native awakening. The Grandmother is the central spiritual leader and family matriarch, while Lucy tries to meld together each of the individual personalities in this film. Also included are an aunt and uncle, and their very young baby, who laughs for the first time thanks to Benny.

If you're looking for a drama film, this isn't it. However, if you want to learn and enjoy the path Benny and his cousin Dawn embark on together that summer, this is a film you will appreciate.

Frybread Face And Me is wonderfully entertaining - each character has their own aspect within the story that truly engaged me. From the wise old grandmother, who you come to respect the moment she is introduced to the young aunt, who you find truly charismatic. I was rooting for her success almost immediately.

This story follows a young boy connecting with his roots as a Navajo, spending his summer with his grandmother, cousins, aunts and uncles. He unexpectedly finds that he is eager to understand his culture, despite his hesitance at his arrival. It is a fantastic story about family, generations, and tradition.

The film is told from a man's perspective of his childhood; his memories are something many children can easily relate to. The boy in the film is extremely curious and innocent at his age, playing with toys regularly and generally enjoying his childhood in any way he can.

The story is very easy to follow, the narrator is a perfect way to introduce characters and situations clearly. Each character is lively and interesting enough that I truly stayed engaged throughout the entire story. The film's concept fits wonderfully for the intended age group; each course of action the main character takes is typical of what a child would do in the same situation. There is one scene in which graphic violence occurs - men riding bulls and getting hurt to the point of bleeding and bruising. The set is particularly impressive, as the accuracy of the reservation is astounding. The acting is also incredibly good - the children are easy to understand and sympathize with, which is a great feat for a young actor. The film encourages audiences to self-reflect on their own culture, how much they engage in and learn from it.

The film's message is that culture is an important aspect of life; learning from it can be extremely beneficial to yourself as well as the people around you.

I give Frybread Face And Me 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. It is available now in limited theaters and on Netflix. By Maverick C., KIDS FIRST!

Loved every second of this movie. To hear the Dine language felt nourishing to the soul. I truly enjoyed watching shimásání weave and her telling the stories to Dawn whilst Benny was observing. How he talked about his dreams about his shimásání was heartfelt for me...

My husband spend some years on a res in yucca valley and I kept seeing his expressions, I could tell he's had similar experiences growing up. The actors were beautiful and wonderful. I would love to see more movies like this.

I enjoyed the slow pace and lack of "action" some people complained about.

Recommending this to my friends.

I appreciate the movie focusing on the slice of life concepts on the Native American culture as rarely movies have explored this culture and aspect. Regarding as a whole, the movie isn't perfect but it's sweet and solid coming-of-age narrative about a Native American kid spending the summer at his grandma's house on a Navajo reservation with strong direction, solid performances and nice camerawork.

The camerawork is good on showing the atmosphere and the writing, while it's predictable and simple, does offer some interesting aspects on the Native American culture. The performances, while some of the performances are inconsistent, were mainly solid. The soundtrack is fine and some dialogue moments were a bit messy. It's definitely not perfect but the director does have a lot of heart in this story which is visible throughout.

Overall, not perfect but it's a heart-warming and sweet. Good for a watch.

I laughed, I cried, and I throughly enjoyed this film. Wonderful performances, beautiful cinematography, and heartfelt dialogue. Every scene worked. The child actors were so good, I want to see more from them.

I was drawn into the story from the opening. The camera work was so well done, it never felt intrusive. The acting was spot on and the look of the film made the whole thing feel authentic. I appreciated the narration, it moved the story without being over-handed.

I appreciate that this is a film for everyone in the family. It has a beautiful message of love and respect. The importance of knowing where you come from, traditions, and loving the characters that are your family.

This is a film I will definitely watch again.