Coyote Waits

OMG!!!! It was so cool to see home on the small screen, I just moved out east and was missing the Frontier, and there it was on PBS. You could see UNM in the background. That's where I used to eat, and I used to waltz around that campus!!!! I love any movie that films in my home state; there aren't any real mountains out here. Just grass. Having read the book and seeing it translated onto film is always hard because most of the flow and context is lost. Hillerman has developed these characters over a series of novels, and his fans are familiar with them and need no guidelines. For those that haven't read the book, they probably got lost in the story line. (I don't buy Adam Beach as a Navajo, he's too pretty. The acting itself is fine, though.)

The second American Mystery! Special from a Tony Hillerman book, that basically picks up where the first one ended. Praise should be given to the producers of Mystery!, the ones who listened to the American audience when it begged for stories from American writers that were set in America.

Both Adam Beech and Wes Studi reprise their roles as lawmen, seeking truth this time about an unlikely murderer and the crime he supposedly committed. The struggle between mythology and law continues in this movie as Adam Beech's character, Jim Chee, has to deal with doubt and remorse, and Joe Leaphorn, played again by Wes Studi, reluctantly seeks positive proof about the reservation murder.

Robert Redford also lends his name again as Executive Producer, thus ensuring the unchanged production value. There is no doubt that the next movie, due to air in Spring of 2004, will exceed its predecessors in taut, mysterious entertainment.

This was my first Hillerman experience. Maybe the slowness of the beginning is necessary, but I was wanting to check out. It got better towards the end with several interesting twists that I was glad I stayed for. I enjoyed seeing the area of the reservation (or 'rez' as they say in the movie) and hearing a bit of American Indian mythology and stories. No special effects, just good acting and a good story.

My wife and I TiVo'd this and watched it yesterday. I'd been looking forward to seeing it since I first saw it advertised a month ago. I had no idea there was another made-for-TV movie using the same actors, and thought this was the first. I'm glad to hear it won't be the last.

Not having read the book, I thought this was a decent film, though it could have been better. While it's nice they cast real natives in the major roles, I thought it was pretty strange that not a single person looked Navajo. Given the huge number of people in this country with Navajo ancestry, I'm surprised Redford couldn't find one or two he thought could act well enough to carry a made-for-TV movie. And half the scenes didn't look to me like they were shot anywhere near the Navajo Nation, though I admit it's a big place that no one could know all of. Finally, too many of the characters came across as stereotypes. I've only read one Hillerman novel, so I don't know if that's due to the original novel or the screenplay or the directing.

All that said, it was a decent couple hours of entertainment, and I'll watch upcoming episodes, though I'm definitely not rushing out to buy the DVD.

While watching this movie, you follow two Navajo police officers as they uncover the truth behind a series of murders.

This enjoyable, well acted, film keeps you guessing until the end.

Due to the scenery, it is visually entertaining as it maintains a good story line. At the same time, the characters are full of life and emotion, but not so much as to overwhelm the mystery lurking beneath the story line.

Adam Beech and Wes Studi both give good, believable performances.

As this is an intelligent persons movie, I would recommend this film to people who do not need graphic violence or bad language to enjoy a film.