Miracle at Sage Creek

Miracle at Sage Creek

Miracle at Sage Creek

My Dad and I just watched this movie, he's a pretty big fan of westerns like Lonesome Dove. We were confused at the beginning about the relationships of all the people. We finally figured out the main details (two families at odds with each other for various reasons). David Carradine was good and some of the other actors were OK. The main problem we had was about John (Tim Abell). He gets injured but when they cannot find him they just assume he's dead. What's up with that? I would at least want to find the body for a proper burial. Then the families all just decide to hang out for Christmas time dinner. John's wife doesn't even seem too upset - come on she thinks her husband just died! Starting at about 2/3 of the way into the movie my dad and I kept saying to each other "Where's John?". At the very end we got our answer but by then we didn't really even care. It seems like lots of you really liked the movie and I did like the spiritual messages. It is also a nice family movie. I just was a little annoyed with the John issue. Thanks.

"Miracle at Sage Creek" is a quality feature film that will appeal to a family audience. The screenplay for this eloquent period piece is laced with relevance and substance and will emerge as a timeless Christmas Classic. It's all there: the screenplay has heart; the actors deliver with sterling performances, the direction is superb, and the evocative Arizona landscape is a visual delight. Kudos to cast and crew for a memorable motion picture that speaks to family values and respectfully honors Native Americans for their invaluable contributions. Lee Levinson Producers Guild of America New York City

I understand the need for family movies, traditional values and though I share that need I have to say that the critics on this website too eager to be pleased.I can see what the filmmakers were trying to achieve,the story of two families separated by culture and yet brought together by tragedy, finding out their need for each other in their darkest hour. But this was not a great movie,it was barely watchable. I liked the cast, the performances were great, but the script just did not make any sense. The lines were often just too corny and rang completely untrue and unrealistic. So here is the characters: There are two families, family number 1 includes dad, used to be involved in unspecified ministry, now in charge of a stagecoach rental business, mom and two boys. Grandfaher of family number 1, angry guy, blames Indians for the death of his wife for unspecified reasons and wishes his daughter had gotten married to dad number two. Family number two, includes dad who is white, mom who is Indian, son, daughter, who has no lines at all, and wise old Indian chief grandfather. Dad number 2 seems to still have a crush on mom number 1. ****warning- following content might contain spoilers**** Dad #2 steals a horse right under the nose of the two guys hired to kill him and they do not even bother going after him, they just shoot at his direction once. Mom #2 is all choked up and grateful that grandfather #1 will not take her land back completely ignoring the fact that he is the reason her husband, dad # 2 is presumably dead. Let me see, taking the land, bad, murder mucn much worse... if my husband was murdered the land would be the least of my worries. Boy #1 and 2 are missing and mother #2 waits the whole day at her house for the dad #1 to show up and look for them, even though her dad, grandfather #2 seems perfectly able to at least try.

Thadd Turner is a true western writer. The realism in the film reminds me of Unforgiven. The story reminds me of Shane. The whole feeling of the film from the photography to the music and the acting has that resonance of how it really was back then. Westerns are my favorite type of film and this one is excellent. If you like a good exciting story and if you like westerns, then this one is for you. The casting is great too. You have David Carridine, Michael Parks, Wes Studi, Rance Howard, who turns in a great performance as the Doctor, and believe it or not Buck Taylor from Gunsmoke, and Thadd Turner too! The whole cast turns in excellent performances all around. James Intveld directed and did the music, both an excellent achievement. His directing gave it that real hometown feel. You don't get the feeling the actors are acting like in some movies. The music brought you into the old west. You really get the sense how tough you had to be back then and how hard it was to make ends meet. We take a lot for granted these days, but that's how we started the west always hoping for a miracle.

They should make more Westerns like this! Wonderful cinematography and great talent, helps make this a real family treat! The story is rich with believable characters, and David Carradine puts together a terrific performance as Ike, the disgruntled and angry grandfather-rancher, who eventually looses his hatred of the past and finds self-redemption with his family and Native American neighbors. Great spiritual messages through out, good horse chase scene, and solid performances from an outstanding ensemble cast. The period wardrobe, tack, saddles, and firearms are dead on, and some of the camera shots are reminiscent of the old classic Westerns.

As more westerns hit the screens, it is refreshing to find a family western that stresses loyalty and portrays the importance of bonds between family and friends, and even more amazing when that film blends this between cowboys and Indians. "Miracle at Sage Creek" hits this mark; it is a story about two families, era 1880's Wyoming settlement- one lead by a bitter patriarch rancher and the other a mixed white-Indian household. David Carradine plays the father/grandfather who, blinded by the loss of his wife at the hand of Indians, ultimately finds forgiveness and acceptance of his Indian neighbors- his eyes are opened to see that it is the community and love for each other that matters most. Also refreshing is to see the strong friendships the children of these mixed families have for each other, and how they are both taught by their parents to seek guidance- one through prayer to God, and the other to the "Great Spirit"- albeit to lien not on their own strengths. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your paths." PROVERBS 3:5-6 The acting is clean, the sets superb. Amazing work with the horses, dog, and children! Young upcoming actor Wyatt Turner does an excellent job portraying the sick grandson, along with the outstanding acting talents of these young actors: Masam Holden, Darian Weiss, and Marissa Baca. WHAT a cast- West Studi and Irene Bedard play their Indian parts without flaw, Tim Abell, Michael Parks, Francine York, Buck Taylor, Sarah Aldrich, David Quinn round out the all-star cast. NO profanity, horse chase scenes, and shooting make this an all-around western that any western genre lover should see, and that every family should share with each-other! ;o)ct

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.