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Family-friendly westerns are hard to find, especially good ones; "Miracle at Sage Creek" is certainly one of the few. "Miracle" could be described as a "Silverado" meets "Romeo and Juliet" with a touch of Ebeneezer Scrooge (appropriate considering the film takes place at Christmastime). The story of an angry family patriarch (played excellently by David Carradine) taking out his own legal vengeance on the half-Indian, half-white family living on "his land" mirrors many of society's current ills including prejudice and greed. The friendship that develops between the two families is heartwarming; their personal pleas to Carradine's cold character and desperate search for a fallen father will tug at the heart strings. The entire cast portray their roles with feeling. Wes Studi is amazingly powerful as the Indian grandfather whose wisdom is the backbone and a hopeful salvation for his family. The children (Darian Weiss, Masam Holden and Wyatt Turner) deserve their own kudos for natural performance and believability while not trying to act cute. Even the dog deserves a nod and an extra bone in his Christmas stocking. A few gun shots (standard for any western) may require hand-holding for the youngest viewers; however, overall this remains a wonderful film for the entire family.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fairly adequate piece of film making with some thrilling special effects; however, it lacks the storytelling ability of the novel. In fact, this film is proof that the depth of a novel disappears when one attempts to copy the story word-for-word, scene-for-scene. Most films adapted from novels utilize techniques geared toward "motion picture story-telling" which is quite different. I did thoroughly enjoy the special witchcraft effects. I especially liked the fast and furious Quiddich game with its heart-stopping scenes that could make the Kentucky Derby look more like a tiny tots merry-go-round.

The acting of the young, newcomer leads is adequate. The adults are wonderful in their roles. Maggie Smith deserves extra kudos for her exceptionally enchanting portrayal of Professor McGonagall. Bottom line: the film should amuse Harry's legion of readers, though be prepared to ask the question, "Why did I enjoy the book so much more?" Non-readers may have trouble at times with the storyline, but will probably feel satisfied that they know a little more about the wonder of Harry Potter.

This is not "Gone With the Wind", "Citizen Kane" nor "Birth of a Nation"; however, what "Jurassic Park III" lacks in story, it more than survives with fun, frightening special effects. By the second sequel, most series of films have lost either their inventive nature or their ability to remain interesting. "J-III" falls victim to the former following a simple overused plot: kid gets lost, separated parents join together to find son, they all encounter dangerous situation and bond in a newfound family in their attempt to survive. Of course, in this film, the dinosaurs provide the catalyst for the danger. These creatures are fun to watch and give us a delightful fright every few minutes. They are certainly worth the price of admission. Sam Neill, William H. Macy and Tea Leoni give adequate performances as the scientist and parental duo; although, all three have been much stronger in previous films. Only Trevor Morgan as the young, lost son excels in an emotional portrayal equal to his role in "The Patriot". Bottom line: if you want a creative and innovative science fiction trilogy, stick with "Back to the Future". However, if you want all the fun and don't care about intellectual storylines to work the brain, "Jurassic Park III" will certainly suffice. Watch it with your pet lizard; he'll like it too.