It’s clearly obvious that the reference point for Billy Luther’s Frybread Face and Me is Taika Waititi’s Boy. Behind the scenes, Waititi himself is an executive producer; on screen, the film’s beats feel similar. Scenes often finish on jokes reminiscent of the dry, often sardonic, humor that Waititi is famous for. Sadly, Luther’s film acts as a pale imitation of someone else’s form.
et me be frank: this is a form of cinema that is not really for me for about a half-a-dozen reasons. This isn’t to say that Frybread Face and Me won’t have an audience. It will. Rather, it’s to point out that whatever your initial impression of a three-sentence synopsis is, they are probably correct.
In Frybread Face and Me, 11-year-old Benny’s (Kier Tallman) summer is thrown for a loop when, instead of seeing Fleetwood Mac in concert, he’s sent to live with his grandmother on the Navajo Nation. Trying to deal with his bullying Uncle Marvin (Martin Sensemeier, Wind River), Benny forms a friendship with his cousin Dawn (Charley Hogan) – a.k.a Frybread Face – who guides him through his summer.
Luther’s intentions are clear: this is a coming of age story that’s meant to move to both laughter and tears. Like Waititi’s work, the thesis of the film is often that laughter and connection help move you through the darkness. I have grown weary of films where that thesis is all that seems to be happening. More power to you if that’s the case for you.
- Rated: NR
- Genre: Drama
- Release Date: 9/11/2023
- Directed by: Billy Luther
- Starring: Charley Hogan, Keir Tallman, Leilani Taliaferro, Martin Sensmeier, MorningStar Angeline, Nasheen Sleuth
- Produced by: Dan Janvey, Delaney Buffett, Evan Arnold, Martha Gregory, Rebecca Wyzan, Robina Riccitiello
- Written by: Billy Luther
- Studio: Fit Via Vi, Good Gravy Films, Indion Entertainment Group, MACRO, REI Co-op Studios, River Road Entertainment
