Rain in the Mountains (2007) User Reviews

A missed opportunity.

[lalo-schifrin · 5/10 · 16 November 2008]

It wasn't awful but I fear it was suffering from an unpolished script and an identity crisis (much like the lead character).

I found this film as funny as Schindler's List. The story is essentially very sad: about people who have been robbed of their land, culture and history. Anyone who finds that anything but tragic probably shares a gene with Jeffrey Dalmer.

I think this film would have been brilliant if they had took it in the direction of 'Life is Beautiful'.

As is stands, the story is not funny, the script isn't finished (some pretty lame storytelling mistakes going on), and a few really bad actors spoil some otherwise great performances.

If the writers and directors really intended for us to be laughing AT these people they need counselling or the electric chair.

awful

[raisinman · 1/10 · 13 September 2008]

This movie is ridiculous. Anyone saying the acting is great and the casting is superb have never seen even mediocre cinema. The acting is obviously terrible in the first 5 characters you meet. Lame. I feel like all the other "soaring" comments must have been made by people associated with the filmmakers. I was not very impressed by the storyline, but just wanted to see some beautiful Oregon countryside, and there was some decent cinematography--but the casting was anything BUT inspired. I think this movie also makes a mockery of the generally noble suggestion that something deep in the Amerindian culture has been ignored and perhaps lost and that reviving it is worthwhile, and possible. It places jokes in the wrong and all-too-obvious places, and makes me think it was written by the State Department or something. Back to the drawing board. To even suggest that this film deserves a place in the same vicinity of classics like Harold and Maude is absolutely retarded, and along the same line of begging and pretension and "joking" as is rampant in this film.

Bad as the smell of the rotting dead animal under my trailer

[shomikaci · 1/10 · 30 January 2009]

As a Native film professor, I can honestly say that this is perhaps one of the worst films with Native content that I have ever viewed. I would rather get a root canal than view this film again. The use of stereotyping, uncreative attempts at utilizing portions of traditional coyote stories and poor camera work were only made worse by the glib uncreative story-line and bad script. The writer and director have displayed the worst parts of a colonized approach to portraying Native people and communities. If this person is Native, they need to go home and apologize to everyone they know for being an apple and for the internalized racism and poor sense of humor that they have developed. If this person is non-native, they need to seriously re-examine their white privilege and ask themselves if they are displaying unexamined, unintentional racism, or if they are intentionally being ignorant. My only hope is that the Native actors in this film had a good time and at least got paid for their efforts. If you want to see good Native films then check out: Christmas in the Clouds, Dance me Outside, Medicine River, PowWow Highway, Smoke Signals...to name just a few.

Piece of crap

[thejimhale · 1/10 · 31 March 2008]

My wife and I really had high hopes for this film, but it was a major disappointment. It was a Native American version of Mr. Magoo. A pathetic father who fails at everything he tries e.g. fishing, hunting, in an obvious way he subjects his family to his wild fantasies. His "visions" are not only ridiculous but in the process he lies to his son numerous times about various obvious things. Words cannot express how bad this film is. The children and wife are very real which makes the film even sadder. I don't get the humor... unless you like laughing at other people making a fool of themselves. I don't get how this could have come up for awards. Save your bucks, it's not worth the rental.

funny, non-politically correct

[marykate23-880-700227 · 7/10 · 9 January 2014]

My family loves this movie. It is a comedy, and you can't help but laugh at the stupidity. My family has done some mission work on the Navajo reservation. I tried to study up on native culture before visiting the reservation, but the books were mostly based on old history and a more primitive culture. In reality, although with a great and unique heritage, the people I met are just like me. The kids I worked with were everyday kids just like the boy in this movie. So I laughed when the protagonist tried to get back to his roots, with hilarious attempts to do so. I love this comedy, but as a white suburbanite, I was concerned whether a native American would find this funny, or offensive. I got the movie on amazon, and on my last trip to the reservation, showed it to a Navajo couple. Well, it passed the test - they thought it was hysterical and asked for a copy of it.

I really liked it!

[Matt M. · 10/10 · 7 November 2007]

I recently had a chance to see this film at the Moondance film festival. I thought the writing, directing and acting were all top notch. I especially liked the gentleman who played Eric...he brought a genuine authenticity to the film. I don't see any other IMDb credits for him, so I assume he's just a real guy, and it works.

The budget didn't seem huge, but the film looked good, and the production values were solid all around. Definitely a good use of resources.

All in all, a good story, well told, with interesting and unique characters. What more could you ask for?

A fun, quirky indie

[jthetland-1 · 8/10 · 5 March 2008]

I hadn't heard of this movie but rented it because it sounded interesting, and I was glad that I did. It was pretty entertaining. It obviously didn't have a huge budget, but the father-son relationship really makes the movie. It's definitely worth checking out if you get a chance.

It seems to have also come out on HD-DVD, which is kind of surprising since it's such an indie flick, but it's good that some true indies are making it to HD - even if HD-DVD is about to be a dead format! I didn't get a chance to check out the HD-DVD - it might be good, though, since this movie has a lot of beautiful scenery.

Great film

[kleinlf · 10/10 · 5 March 2008]

A friend rented this video and said I had to see it. She was so right. It is set in the Northwest where I am living and the sense of place is about the best I have seen in a film. It also reflects the lives of local Native people in a manner few films do. They are real people with common and cultural problems that they cope with. Not heroes or monsters, they are fully realized people. Beyond this, however, this film is hysterical. There are parts where I could not stop laughing. The whole set-up is funny and some scenes just over the top. I am really looking forward to the next film by this team of creative people.

Very well-done cult classic in the making

[brucebaskin · 10/10 · 5 May 2007]

I attended an independent movie festival with another movie topping my short "must-see" list, but this one (which was almost an afterthought to me) was hands-down the best one I saw. It's a very gentle film with no swearing that does a superb job of depicting the internal conflict of Native Americans raised in mainstream society who want to reconnect with their culture, but never gets preachy or overarching.

The script is well-written, the cinematography is rich, and the casting was inspired. This strikes me as a movie that people of all ages can watch and come away with something. While another indie, "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding" got a lot more notice, "Rain in the Mountains" to me is by far the better film. It has the chance to join such movies as "Harold and Maude" and "King of Hearts" as cult favorites because it is both timeless and very human. Unlike those two, you could take a 10-year-old kid to this one without blushing.

I can't recommend "RITM" highly enough.

Yes!

[mpotter01-109-162157 · 10/10 · 17 July 2011]

I am Native American, and if you can not laugh at this there really is something wrong with you, this is meant to be a spoof on native life and beliefs. This is not meant to be serious just roll with it and laugh. The acting is bad but meant to be. The jokes are silly but the surrounds and story line make up for the silly antics of an out of work dad trying to show his son and family a simpler way of life. I love the one liners about destiny. I really can't say enough about this movie. my only regret is I didn't watch this sooner. I have recommended to friends and have even posted on face book. Please watch this movie anyway you can! awesome!

Definitely not your p.c. movie

[curtis_dawn · 10/10 · 21 February 2010]

My whole family laughed so hard the tears rolled. This movie is FUNNY, thanks to the comedic delivery and slapstick talents of Steven Pierre. Not politically correct, but it's a COMEDY for crying out loud! Somebody has to be out of kilter or it's not FUNNY. I didn't think the movie put down Native Americans any more than George Lopez's comedy is insulting to Latinos. Get a sense of humor please. Low-budget, refreshing, and just plain fun to watch. If you're looking for something with heavy politically correct content, go watch Ghandi or Brokeback Mountain. If you're looking for entertainment, watch Rain in The Mountains.