ld Pete Chasing Horse (Schellenberg) is the storyteller of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and he's more than happy to pass along the stories of his ancestors as they were told to him. However, he's worried that the newest generation may not learn the stories to pass them along. He's especially worried about his grandson, Shane Chasing Horse (Spears), a young man who seems to get into more trouble every day.
Fearing it might be his last powwow, Pete asks Shane to drive him to the All Nations ceremony in Albuquerque, N.M. Shane would rather do just about anything else than be stuck with his grandfather on a 600-mile road trip. However, he owes some money to the wrong people, and when his grandfather offers him his 1966 V8 "pony" called "many miles with no muffler," Shane realizes he can sell the truck and pay off the debt he owes.
What Shane doesn't count on is his grandfather bringing along his old horse, Three Moons, and a horse trailer to haul the animal. As they begin their journey, Pete begins to tell the stories of his ancestors. As the wondrous and magical tales spring to life in his mind, Shane can't help but begin to get caught up in the stories. Still, Shane's an angry young man—angry at the world, the white man and his absentee father. And for each problem Shane has, Pete has a story to tell.
However, while each man begins to learn about the other, the people Shane owes money to are not far behind. As they begin to close in, Shane knows all his grandfather's stories combined won't help him if they catch up with him. However, Old Pete knows a thing or two himself, and while Shane faces his demons, the storyteller does what he must to help his grandson journey to the good red road of life.
Weaving tales of tradition and wonder
With another gloriously produced Hallmark four-hour miniseries, Dreamkeeper mines the rich world of Native American legends. While there are plenty of stories to bring out the special effects Hallmark is known for, including a giant snake, a bearlike mountain and a buffalo in love, Dreamkeeper is fairly restrained in its use of effects and isn't afraid to spend some time in the nonmagical world of a modern-day reservation.
The first two hours of this mini are slow going, with the captivating little stories actually giving the beginning a disjointed feeling. Before we have a chance to really get to know Pete and Shane we're off on a variety of stories. And since we know where Pete and Shane's story is headed—hotheaded young grandson learning the wisdom of the ages from his grandfather—the various stories become more intriguing than the main story.
That problem is taken care of by the final two hours, as we become more involved in Pete and Shane's story, and the screenplay confidently weaves Pete's storytelling through the remainder of the mini. While it's true that both men are characters we've seen before, Spears and Schellenberg are fine actors and bring their characters to life. Set against a backdrop of modern Native American issues and ancient legends, we become as invested in the story Dreamkeeper is trying to tell as Shane does.
Written with a lot of humor and depth, this road-trip story packs a punch at the end. For viewers, it's well worth the trip if they stay with the mini through the first night.
