Miracle at Sage Creek

Michael Landon's "Little House on the Prairie" is similar in concept, and "Miracle at Sage Creek" producers should have watched a few of those shows to learn how to make a viewer's heart feel a story. And too many production liberties were taken. For example, the only thing cold about the weather was the conversations about how cold it was.

I like a "feel-good" story, but it needed more showing and less telling. The characters simply were not developed very well, so it was difficult to share their troubles or feel great about the resolutions of those troubles. And time was wasted on meaningless "excusions". For example, we were given a rather lengthy introduction to the Judge's wife early, and then she never reappeared.

This is the kind of movie I like and pull for, but this one was B Rated at best.

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.

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.

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.