MovieChat Forums > Smoke Signals (1998) Discussion > Why Does Thomas Mysteriously Ditch the F...

Why Does Thomas Mysteriously Ditch the Frybread Shirt?

posted 17 years ago by emailraven
15 replies | jump to latest

Okay, this is a question that has bugged me for years. I've taught the film in my English classes and consider myself pretty well versed in just about every aspect of the film-except for this one mysterious quirk, which (not unusally) one particularly bright student will notice and comment on, and unfortunately, I have no adeqaute explanation.

We see the magic transfornmation that takes place when Victor goads Thomas to ditch his nerdy suit and braids for casual clothing (the infamous Frybread power shirt) and loose, flowing hair. He is seen in this attire for pretty much the rest of the film-but then, without explanation, he is back in the suit and braids when they leave Phoenix.

I've always wondered if this was a goof, or intentional. But if it's intentional, it is not explained. One of the possible interpretations that my students and I have discussed is that perhaps this is indicative of Thomas's determination to stay true to himself and not let Victor change him into something he's not. But that is only conjecture at best, and an answer that never really feels adequate.

If anyone has any insight, or have heard the truth about why this was done, I'd love to hear about it.

[–] noahkup 17 years ago

I don't know anything for certain, but it seems to me that the last scenes were probably shot at the same time as the first scenes--on the Rez. They shoot movies completely out of order, to save money.

Maybe the decision was made later on in the filming, in Arizona, to have Thomas make this transformation--which is awesome, by the way--and they couldn't go back and reshoot the end.

I don't see any good character or thematic reason for him to go backwards. That's my two cents.

[–] shoeihell 17 years ago

I totally agree with your theory/explanation. They mostly shoot movies out of sequence for a number of reasons, but mostly for economic concerns as you stated. Sometimes the seasons give it away, or the faking of same.

"...and don't call on Him to save you from your social graces and the sins you wish to waive"

[–] emailraven 17 years ago

This probably makes sense. From all accounts, Chris Eyre was running pretty low on funds during filming (which is also why Adam Beach got stuck with that lousy cheap wig, too!). Still, you think they would have fixed such an obvious glitch.
For me, it's always sort of distracted from my appreciation of the film-not a huge issue, but I'm always conscious of it.

[–] shoeihell 17 years ago

Yeah, the wig was too much. I'm not that detail oriented though, fortunately. I tend to look through movie quirks most of the time. However, if I was using a film as a teaching aid or seeing it many times, I'd probably start to pick up on the mistakes.;-) Editing costs a lot of money because all of the frames have to be studied for mistakes and it leads to long, unappreciated hrs. Even the big mega budget movies have many mistakes-there's even people who watch movies just to spot mistakes, like for the sport of it. Life's too short.;-)

"...and don't call on Him to save you from your social graces and the sins you wish to waive"

[–] couchrose 17 years ago

I figured that it was because he just didn't buy a whole lot of clothing at that store. I mean the kid was on limited funds and bought his shirt at a roadside bus stop. It probably cost alot of money.

But the more I think about it the more I realize it makes sense. This movie in a sense perpetuates two stereotypic Native American characters, the medicine man and the warrior being Thomas and Victor respectively. Thomas changes his look at the encouragment of Victor, but towards the end of the film Victor becomes more accepting of Thomas as person, and so Thomas doesn't have to pretend to be the warrior anymore, he can go back to being his own medicine man storytelling self.

[–] jlee054 17 years ago

To thicken the plot... Victor suddenly changes clothes too! Where does the classic fancy cowboy shirt come from when before all he has been wearing are plaids? I don't remember what he wears in the truck driving away from Susy's, but in the hopsital when the girl says "You two are like the Lone Ranger and Tanto," Victor is wearing a white and tan cowboy shirt and holding his cowboy boots in his lap. Thomas corrects that "it's more like Tanto and Tanto" and in the next scene Victor is challenged on several levels to answer to "what kind of Injun are you" and designate a physical object as "That's my father."

So yes I would agree that the film is playing out the two predomiant stereotypes of Native Americans in film, but the negation of those stereotypes comes through the complexity of Victor's struggle for self-deffinition: sometimes miming, sometimes defying. To return to Thomas, does he ever really change? Does he ever really critically engage his identity and voice? I can't tell yet.

[–] incubus_fan 17 years ago

I was wondering that when I was watching it, but I just though I had missed something. haha. thanks for bringing it up :D

[–] sim_sun 17 years ago

because even though he was trying to change, it was for Victor, and I assume he wasn't very comfortable with it, so he went back to a style he was more comfortable with. and I thought it was one of Victors shirts he put on, not that he bought it at the roadside store. Maybe I'm wrong. All that stuff about the filming sequence is just ridiculous!

[–] RidinNmyndncar 14 years ago

he just went back to his original style thats all.

[–] RidinNmyndncar 14 years ago

I always wondered what roadside store would even sell a shirt like that. it'd be the equivalent of buying cowboy gear in a downtown somewhere major or buying fubu type gear in a predominately white community. possible but not likely.

[–] deepdelver_hb 13 years ago

It always seemed to me that it was because of Suzy. Thomas is clearly taken with her, and as soon as she meets him, she compliments him on his glasses, one of the things Victor was always giving him crap for. You'll note that he and Victor share a glance at that moment, with Thomas clearly pleased and Victor exasperated. The next day Thomas is braided and suited up again, and seems to be proud of it.

That was always my interpretation, anyway, and I like it :)

And so it goes...

[–] sanfranman123 12 years ago

How about they slept and put on fresh clothes in the morning?

[–] chas437 12 years ago

Exactly right! The questions some people come up with on these boards are so stupid! Some folks just need to be slapped.

It only took 6 years for someone to answer the question.

[–] emailraven 8 years ago

Those who respond moronically to intelligent questions should be slapped.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5990) 3 years ago

Just because he changed his hair and clothing, he did not change himself. That was no real transformation. That was just showing that he was willing to be a friend enough to please Victor. After Victor had been healed, he felt free to go back to the way he truly wanted to look. Despite his tall tales, Thomas is a very authentic character.