Squanto: A Warrior's Tale

Last updated

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale
Squantoposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Xavier Koller
Written byDarlene Craviotto
Produced byKathryn F. Galan
Starring
Cinematography Robbie Greenberg
Edited by
  • Lisa Day
  • Gillian Hutshing
Music by Joel McNeely
Production
company
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • October 28, 1994 (1994-10-28)
Running time
102 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3.3 million [1]

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale is a 1994 historical action adventure film written by Darlene Craviato and directed by Xavier Koller. Very loosely based on the actual historical Native American figure Squanto, and his life prior to and including the arrival of the Mayflower in 1620, the film stars Adam Beach.

Contents

Principal photography took place in Louisbourg and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Squanto was theatrically released on October 28, 1994, by Walt Disney Pictures, to negative reviews and commercial failure.

Plot

Set in the early 17th century, a Patuxet tribesman named Squanto (Adam Beach) is kidnapped by English sailors. He is then taken to England, along with Epenow (Eric Schweig), a Nauset from Martha's Vineyard who was also captured by the sailors.

When the ship they are on arrives in Plymouth, Squanto and Epenow are forced to work for the employer of the crew, Sir George (Michael Gambon). Squanto gets thrown in a ring with a giant Grizzly bear. Their battle becomes a spectacle for the attendees. However, Squanto is able to calm the angry bear down by singing a Patuxet Native American lullaby to it, the audience and Sir George watch in surprise as Squanto sings the bear to sleep. This finally gives Squanto the chance to escape, and he flees in a rowboat soon after. He's discovered lying unconscious on a rocky shore by a trio of monks who had been fishing.

Squanto is taken into their monastery, in spite of the reluctancy of its head, Brother Paul. The monk who offers the most open arms, Brother Daniel (Mandy Patinkin), becomes a mentor and friend to Squanto. From Brother Daniel, Squanto learns English, and at the same time, he imparts some knowledge about his world to his new housemates, introducing them to moccasins and popcorn. Brother Paul remains skeptical of 'the pagan' and in any possibility of a "New World".

Meanwhile, Sir George firmly believes that Squanto is the property of the Plymouth shipping company, and he has men on the hunt. After hiding while they ransack the monastery, Brother Paul gives permission for Brother Daniel to take Squanto to a ship in London due to sail in 15 days. While there, Squanto sees Epenow in Sir George's arena and tries to save him, only to end up captured. In another cinematic sequence, Squanto pulls off an improbable escape to accompany Epenow (who has falsely promised gold to Sir George) and a crew setting sail back to America.

When they reach the New World, they are greeted by Epenow's tribe and son, Pequod. After the celebrations, Squanto wakes to Epenow and the others torching the ship with all the crew aboard. During his captivity, Epenow has come to see the English as nothing but greedy enemies and wishes to destroy them. Squanto returns to his village, only to find devastation. His entire tribe (including his wife, Nakooma) has been completely wiped out due to illnesses brought by the Europeans.

When the Pilgrim settlers arrive, the Nauset tribe is ready to do battle. After overhearing Bradford and how he does not want to fight them, Squanto attempts to settle things peacefully. Pequod charges forward and is injured. Epenow allows the colony's doctor to treat him. Throughout the night, both sides continue to pray in their respective languages. After Pequod regains consciousness, the Nauset tribe leaves peacefully. The last scenes of the film portray the first Thanksgiving celebration.

Cast

Reception

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film only one and a half stars and wrote: "Squanto is the kind of superficial, tidied-up, idealized history that might appeal to younger viewers. No thoughtful person will be able to take it seriously. For an incomparably more accurate and evocative portrayal of the earliest contacts between Native Americans and Europeans, see Bruce Beresford's Black Robe, which is to Squanto as Geronimo is to Tonto." [2] Lois Alter Mark from Entertainment Weekly gave it a C and stated: "Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale, the story of the first Thanksgiving as told by the Native American who brokered the event, has valuable lessons to teach, but it’s so self-conscious (not to mention misguided in parts) that it will probably be out of the theaters long before Turkey Day.". [3] However, on Rotten Tomatoes, Squanto currently holds a 60% rating, based on 10 reviews. [4]

Home media release

Walt Disney Home Video released the film on VHS on June 20, 1995, 3 days before the theatrical release of Pocahontas . It was released on a widescreen DVD on September 7, 2004.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy Patinkin</span> American actor and singer (born 1952)

Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway performer he has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Patinkin's leading roles on stage and screen have received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for seven Drama Desk Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

<i>The 13th Warrior</i> 1999 film by John McTiernan

The 13th Warrior is a 1999 American historical fiction action film based on Michael Crichton's 1976 novel Eaters of the Dead, which is a loose adaptation of the tale of Beowulf combined with Ahmad ibn Fadlan's historical account of the Volga Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Gambon</span> Irish-English actor (1940–2023)

Sir Michael John Gambon was an Irish-English actor. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre. Over his six-decade-long career, he received three Olivier Awards and four BAFTA TV Awards. In 1998, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.

<i>The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland</i> 1999 musical adventure comedy film

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland is a 1999 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Gary Halvorson in his feature film debut. This was the second of the two theatrical feature films to be based on the children's television series Sesame Street, after Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird in 1985. It stars Mandy Patinkin and Vanessa Williams alongside Muppet performers Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Steve Whitmire, and Frank Oz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth Colony</span> English colonial venture in America (1620–1691)

Plymouth Colony was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on the Mayflower at a location that had previously been surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement served as the capital of the colony and developed as the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. At its height, Plymouth Colony occupied most of what is now the southeastern portion of Massachusetts. Many of the people and events surrounding Plymouth Colony have become part of American folklore, including the American tradition of Thanksgiving and the monument of Plymouth Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squanto</span> Native American contact of the Pilgrims

Tisquantum, more commonly known as Squanto, was a member of the Patuxet tribe of Wampanoags, best known for being an early liaison between the Native American population in Southern New England and the Mayflower Pilgrims who made their settlement at the site of Tisquantum's former summer village, now Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Patuxet tribe had lived on the western coast of Cape Cod Bay, but were wiped out by an epidemic, traditionally assumed to be smallpox brought by previous European explorers, recent findings suggest however, that the disease was Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection transmitted to humans typically via "dirty water" or soil contaminated with the waste product of infected, often domestic animals.

<i>Brother Bear</i> 2003 American animated comedy-drama film

Brother Bear is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker and produced by Chuck Williams, from a screenplay written by Tab Murphy, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton, and the writing team of Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman. The film stars the voices of Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Jason Raize, and D.B. Sweeney. Brother Bear follows an Alaska native boy named Kenai who kills a grizzly bear as retribution for his older brother's death. The Great Spirits, incensed by the unnecessary killing, transform Kenai into a bear himself as punishment. In order to become human again, Kenai travels to a mountain where the Northern lights touch the earth, forging a relationship with a cub named Koda along the way.

<i>Impromptu</i> (1991 film) 1991 British film

Impromptu is a 1991 period drama film directed by James Lapine, written by Sarah Kernochan, produced by Daniel A. Sherkow and Stuart Oken, and starring Hugh Grant as Frédéric Chopin and Judy Davis as George Sand. It was shot entirely on location in France as a British production by an American company. Its main filming location was at the Château des Briottières outside Angers, in the Loire Valley.

<i>Little Big Man</i> (film) 1970 American Western film by Arthur Penn

Little Big Man is a 1970 American revisionist Western film directed by Arthur Penn, adapted by Calder Willingham from Thomas Berger's 1964 novel of the same title. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Chief Dan George, Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, Jeff Corey and Richard Mulligan. The film follows the life of a white man who was raised by members of the Cheyenne nation during the 19th century, and then attempts to reintegrate with American pioneer society. Although broadly categorized as a Western, or an epic, the film encompasses several literary/film genres, including comedy, drama and adventure. It parodies typical tropes of the Western genre, contrasting the lives of white settlers and Native Americans throughout the progression of the boy's life.

<i>The Last of the Mohicans</i> (1992 film) 1992 film by Michael Mann

The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 American epic historical drama film produced and directed by Michael Mann, who co-wrote the screenplay with Christopher Crowe, based on the 1826 novel of the same name by James Fenimore Cooper and its 1936 film adaptation. The film is set in 1757 during the French and Indian War. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, and Jodhi May in the leading roles, and features Russell Means, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig, Steven Waddington, Maurice Roëves and Patrice Chéreau.

<i>The Scarlet Letter</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Roland Joffé

The Scarlet Letter is a 1995 American romantic historical drama film directed by Roland Joffé. Adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel of the same name, it stars Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, and Robert Duvall.

<i>Daniel</i> (1983 film) Film directed by Sidney Lumet

Daniel is a 1983 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet from a screenplay by E. L. Doctorow, based on his 1971 novel The Book of Daniel. The film stars Timothy Hutton, Mandy Patinkin, Lindsay Crouse, and Edward Asner.

Thomas Dermer was a 17th-century navigator and explorer. Thomas Dermer explored the eastern coastline of America from 1614 to 1620. He was associated with Captain John Smith, The Newfoundland Company, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Jamestown, The Plymouth Company, and The Merchant Adventurers. Dermer, working side by side with Squanto, is credited with starting to normalize the relations between the Native Americans and Europeans. He was known to the Pilgrims from copies of his letters, that they had obtained. The Pilgrim colony directly benefited from the diplomatic ground work of Dermer and Squanto.

A Monkey's Tale is a feature-length animated film directed by Jean-François Laguionie. It was released in 1999, and won the Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the fifth Kecskemét Animation Film Festival. It was released theatrically in the UK by Miracle Communications in its original English-language version in 2000, featuring the voices of Rik Mayall, John Hurt, Michael York, Sally Anne Marsh, and Michael Gambon. It was initially going to be released straight-to-video in the US by Universal Pictures, but for unknown reasons, it never materialized. A sequel titled The Prince's Voyage was produced in 2019.

<i>Casino Jack</i> 2010 Canadian film by George Hickenlooper

Casino Jack is a 2010 biographical crime drama directed by George Hickenlooper and starring Kevin Spacey. The film focuses on the career of Washington, D.C., lobbyist and businessman Jack Abramoff, who was involved in a massive corruption scandal that led to his conviction as well as the conviction of two White House officials, Rep. Bob Ney, and nine other lobbyists and congressional staffers. Abramoff was convicted of fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion in 2006, and of trading expensive gifts, meals and vacations for political favors. Abramoff served three and a half years of a six-year sentence in federal prison, and was then assigned to a halfway house. He was released on December 3, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epenow</span>

Epenow was a Nauset man from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts who was kidnapped by sailors from an English merchant ship and taken to England in the 17th century. Being put on public display in London, Epenow eventually returned to New England by tricking his captors into thinking that he knew the location of a gold mine. Once he was back in New England, Epenow led Indian resistance to Pilgrim settlement of the region.

<i>Maxie</i> (1985 film) 1985 film by Paul Aaron

Maxie is a 1985 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Paul Aaron, and starring Glenn Close, Mandy Patinkin, Valerie Curtin, Ruth Gordon and Barnard Hughes. The plot is based on the novel Marion's Wall (1973) by Jack Finney about a woman who is possessed by a very outgoing female ghost — a budding actress from the 1920s — named Maxie, who wants to fulfill her destiny.

<i>Wish I Was Here</i> 2014 American comedy-drama film

Wish I Was Here is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Zach Braff and co-written with his brother Adam Braff. The film stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Josh Gad, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Joey King, Jim Parsons, and Mandy Patinkin. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014 and was given a limited release on July 18, 2014 by Focus Features. This marked the final film appearances for James Avery and Allan Rich before their deaths on December 31, 2013 and August 22, 2020 respectively.

<i>Jock the Hero Dog</i> 2011 South African film

Jock the Hero Dog is a 2011 South African animated adventure comedy film directed by Duncan MacNeillie. It features the voices of Bryan Adams, Donald Sutherland, Helen Hunt, Ted Danson, Desmond Tutu, Mandy Patinkin and William Baldwin. It is loosely based on the 1907 book Jock of the Bushveld by Sir James Percy FitzPatrick.

<i>The Magicians Elephant</i> (film) 2023 film by Wendy Rogers

The Magician's Elephant is a 2023 animated fantasy adventure film directed by Wendy Rogers, written by Martin Hynes and produced by Julia Pistor. Based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, the film features the voices of Noah Jupe, Mandy Patinkin, Natasia Demetriou, Benedict Wong, Miranda Richardson and Aasif Mandvi. Animated by Animal Logic, the film was distributed by Netflix and released on March 17, 2023.

References

  1. Squanto: A Warrior's Tale at Box Office Mojo
  2. Ebert, Roger. "Squanto". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  3. Alter Mark, Lois. "Squanto: A Warrior's Tale". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  4. "SQUANTO: A WARRIOR'S TALE (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 30, 2017.