It feels like everywhere that you look Lily Gladstone is getting the flowers she deserves for her work and talent. The Oscar-nominated actress was just in a TV miniseries titled Under the Bridge. And from the looks of it, there’s a movie coming our way starring her. The twist is that this isn’t a new movie. Fancy Dance, starring Gladstone, is an indie film from 2023. And Gladstone has been championing the movie for a while. Her Oscar nomination seems to have tipped the scales as the film was acquired by Apple Original Films.
In Fancy Dance, it tells the story of Jax, played by Gladstone. Her sister is missing on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma and her niece Roki, played by Isabel Deroy-Olson, is taken from her home to live with her white grandparents. Jax isn’t going to idly sit by as no one does anything to search for her sister and her family gets torn apart. So she embarks on a road trip with Roki to find her sister aka Roki’s mother and make it to the states powwow. But things start to go awry as an Amber Alert is put out, setting a countdown clock for Jax, her niece, and her sister.
Watching the official trailer shared by Apple TV+, it’s clear that this is an emotional story that centers on Native American communities. The tradition of a powwow is at the heart of it and there are blatant examples of the continued disregard for missing women from these reservations and the way that their customs and traditions are ignored by white people who think they know better. Reviews said that even though much of the plot feels preordained, convincing performances keep things interesting and someone unpredictable. Others said that Fancy Dance chronicles the main duo’s journey while emphasizing that they’re learning to build a stronger connection with their culture.
And with Fancy Dance coming to Apple TV+ on June 28th, we’ll get to experience this movie for ourselves and per usual, open people’s minds and hearts to the epidemic of missing women that are often ignored.
Watch the trailer below:
Fancy Dance premieres on Apple+ on June 28 and in select theaters on the 21st.
