At first I thought it was the acting that was spoiling this well written film, then I actually realised that it was the shockingly bad direction. The camera angles and shots are actually worse than a bad Australian soap opera and make the interaction between the characters much poorer than it actually is. Again, this is a decently written plot with an important message behind it. However, the director and whoever actually gave this film to her should be completely ashamed of themselves. She has made this into a B movie due to her lack of understanding of basic shot, lighting and angle. In fact all elements of mise-en-scene. I have never seen a plot and actors destroyed so completely by a director. Completely disgraceful. A frustrating and unbelievable watch.

In Minnesota, modernized Native American couple Georgina Lightning (as Rain) and Adam Beach (as John "Johnny" Goodfeather) are troubled by her nightmarish visions. With help from visiting geologist Bradley Cooper (as Luke Patterson), they uncover some mysterious events. "Older Than America" is an issue-oriented film, it explores / exposes the United States government's policy of taking Native American children away from families and reservations in order to assimilate.The emphasis is on making these children Christian (using abominable force). Writer/director Lightning's topic is commendable, but the use of the supernatural does not work; that even Mr. Cooper, in town to investigate an earthquake, has visions perpetuates myths of different color. This can work well in drama, just not this time. The song played over the end credits, "Someone Call an Angel Down" written and performed by Derek Miller, provides a haunting coda.***** Older Than America (3/8/08) Georgina Lightning ~ Georgina Lightning, Adam Beach, Bradley Cooper, Tantoo Cardinal

I can hardly express my disappointment in this film. A premise with lots of potential was utterly wasted by a plot line that was both underdeveloped and meandering, soapy dialog and acting that was....just awful.Worse yet, though, was the inescapable feeling that the director was trying to grind an ax. I won't go into details because I don't wish to enter spoiler territory, but it was pretty obvious that this film was less about a story than it was an agenda. The cheap, unbalanced potshots at all-too-easy targets were tiresome and trite over a decade ago; in a contemporary film, they were just plain sad. In the end, I felt angry, but not at the film's intended targets.This film would have been a waste of money had I not seen it on Netflix, but it was still a waste of time. Nothing much to recommend it.

I saw this movie because it was rated 9.5 at this site on April 9, 2010. Minutes into the film, I could tell that this was rating was due only to the subject matter and not the quality of the film itself. The script and acting are mediocre to poor, and the story is predictable from start to finish. If you don't know Native American history, this film should be an eye-opener. If you do, as I did before watching the movie, you will be pleased to see that this important aspect of Native American history was made into a movie. If only it had been made into a movie worth seeing. I could see that everyone involved with the making of the film tried their best, but it didn't work. Very disappointed. 9.5? No, it's just a 5.