Miracle at Sage Creek

OK a hundred things wrong with this movie; and a hundred things right. But, in the end everything works out the way everyone wants. The high point of the film is David Carradine, an exceptionally under-rated actor. His character transformation is too sudden, but hey John Ford didn't direct this. There is nice cinematography and good acting all around, backed by a story that is fairly believable and satisfying. Wouldn't watch it again, but didn't feel cheated watching it this time.

I loved the fact that this was a gritty western wrapped in a family friendly blanket that all ages can enjoy. The cowboys and the Indians blending nicely into a melting pot that was more accurate to the old west then some showings. The script was well crafted and the cast brought it all to life. I loved Wes Studi's calm turn as a kind grandfather in sharp contrast to his powerful roles as violent aggressive characters in "Dancing With Wolves" or "Last of the Mohicans." I'm excited for the two upcoming western's "The Hard Ride" and "Wild Michigan" and I think Thadd Turner deserves all the attention for making these westerns come to the screen. Tim Abell is also worth noting as a gentle yet strong "bridge" between the two worlds of the white man and the Native Americans. Carradine is on target as Ike the "Scrooge" of this Christmas Western. I think this will be a classic when looked back upon many years from now.

This was, to put it lightly, unwatchable garbage.

My crap detector first went to orange alert when the two boys look for fire wood by sitting down and picking up the sticks in there immediate area and pile them together. This was then followed by a gun fight where people take cover behind barren shrubbery and don't get shot. Not only do they not get shot, they add in rickashay sound effects meaning that they aren't just retardedly bad shots, but the twigs are actually blocking to bullets.

Who ever directed this film should be black listed and maybe checked for Alzheimer's or blindness.

I'm watching the movie right now, so I don't know how it ends.

Um, Christmas-time in Wyoming, and there's green leaves, green grass, flowing water, shirt-sleeve attire, no breath fog.. meaning, it's not very cold in Lusk, Wyoming in December?? WHAT? The Indian woman was washing clothes outside, sleeves rolled up, in December, in Wyoming. Wyoming has long, wicked-cold, windy winters. That immediately took a lot of the reality away. It was filmed in Arizona, they should have just set the story there, as "Wyoming Territory" didn't have much to do with the story. There were homesteaders and Indians in Arizona, too. It's just too unbelievable. Maybe later it snows in the movie, but I've been to Wyoming, and seen it snow in JUNE, and I've been there in February and it was very cold and windy. Nobody went out in just light jackets.

They filmmakers must take us as people who all live in LA or NY, people who know nothing about geography and what places look like, and people who don't ever travel. I've seen some movies supposed to be Wyoming, but filmed in Canada, and you can't tell. The terrain in THIS movie didn't look at ALL like Wyoming.

Bad acting, especially the Grandfather Indian character. Unneeded choppy "Indian Accent". Words used I don't think someone new to the language would use.

Here's another: A mother and her son are sitting right by a fireplace that has a good crackling fire in it. She feels his head and determines he has a fever. How could she tell? Being a mother, I know better than to forehead-feel a kid for a fever when they're a few feet from a fire.

Snore.

You want a good western? See Lonesome Dove. See Tombstone. See Open Range. See anything else.

Can a western be too nice? Yup, as much as I hate to say it here, because this a goodhearted, good-messaged film with good people and - yes, a touch of good Christianity, the fact remains it's a dull movie for the most part.

You need some kind of edge in a western and it's not here, at least in the first half of the film. If you're boring in the first 30-60 minutes, you're going to lose them.....even in a very nice movie like this one.

In a faith-based film, as this is, I don't expect nor want profanity or gory stuff, but you have to have some action and some villains that are more than just one old man carrying a grudge and acting a bit sour, as Keith Carradine does here. That isn't enough.

However, kudos for the effort and for bringing God into a positive light in a western movie. I was glad to at least support like that with my rental money. I also appreciated seeing nice kids, a nice mom and dad, and I always enjoy seeing Wes Studi. I wish he had a bigger role in here. The acting in here was fine, too.

There are a lot of good elements to this film, but it got off to such a slow start it lost me.