Fancy Dance

Much has been made of the relative death of the movie star over the past two decades, and the story of Fancy Dance serves as a great case study of their importance. I've talked about it a bit before, but to recap: a movie star is someone who drives audience attendance, regardless of the movie's subject matter (although stars tend to make very deliberate choices). They'll be in some crowd-pleasers, building their clout and good-will, which they can bring with them to smaller, more daring films, aiding them in getting financing and marketing and distribution deals. Traditionally, it's been a pipeline to elevate new talent and pet themes and the like, and one way for actors to exert control over their art.

Despite being released to extremely positive reviews at Sundance 2023, Fancy Dance went over a year without landing a distribution deal, which is way longer than normal¹. It was finally picked up two weeks after the Oscar nominations were announced, which included Lily Gladstone as co-favorite to win Best Actress for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon. Reading between the lines, it seems that in the eyes of Apple, she'd transformed from an afterthought into a marketable star, allowing her to wield her influence to get this film seen by a wider audience.

Having now watched the film, I don't really get what the issue was. Her previous starring role was in The Unknown Country, which got picked up out of SXSW in six months, despite being a poetically abstract docufiction by way of solo road movie. As much as I loved that film, this certainly has more commercial appeal.

Admittedly, the subject matter is a bit more bleak. Jax (Gladstone) is taking care of her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) while looking for her sister Tawi (Hauli Gray), who disappeared from the reservation a few weeks ago. The Feds don't much seem to care, until they learn about Jax's criminal history and jail time, at which point Child Services and Indian Child Welfare show up to remove Roki to the care of her white, off-res grandparents Frank and Nancy (Shea Whigham and Audrey Wasilewski). Determined to ensure Roki at least makes it to the Oklahoma City powwow she's been looking forward to for weeks, Jax takes her on a little road trip, working all the angles she possibly can to figure out what happened to Tawi.

The most refreshing element is how little the movie tries to get you to like Jax. She's definitely sympathetic, having never gotten back on her feet following her incarceration, to say nothing of the way we see people in positions of authority look down on the residents of the res. But it's definitely a choice to introduce us to her and Roki as they scam a fisherman out of his wallet and pickup truck. He hasn't wronged them to our knowledge, nor has anyone from whom them shoplift or steal gasoline. What keeps us on their side through it all is partially that they do so without violence (well, mostly...), but primarily that there's a clear desperation underlying it all.

Ultimately, that's what this story is about. There's the literal goal, of course, to draw the broader (white) society's attention to the way the authorities disregard what happens on Indian reservations, which has allowed the problem of Indigenous women "disappearing" to reach crisis levels. But the emotional core is trying like hell to keep your life and your family and yourself together, despite the many forces aligned against you. Jax is the definition of perseverance, unafraid to push on anyone she thinks could provide her information. She goes to some dark places in her and Tawi's past in the pursuit, and in doing so strains her relationship with Roki, but not without also providing plenty of opportunity for mischief along the way.

The experience of their relationship is as lovely as can be given that it's underlined by tragedy. Gladstone and Deroy-Olson have an easy rapport befitting young teenager and cool aunt, including elements where Roki maybe doesn't quite get why she means so much to Jax. Both actors make their characters feel lived in, especially Gladstone, which should come as no surprise at this point given her track record and prior recognition. But for Deroy-Olson to keep pace with her is impressive given this is her film debut, and she's just a few TV roles to her name. The tone is kept evenly and unrelentingly heavy throughout, remaining a background presence even in the more joyous moments. Which all leads to a remarkable and nearly perfect final shot, one which is sure to put off those who want a more traditional sense of closure.