Review

Miracle at Sage Creek

  • Review Date: August 12, 2011
  • PG
  • Genre: Western
  • 2005

Common Sense Media says

Spiritual Western is trite, but full of feel-good lessons.
Age
8
Quality
 
  • Educational value1
    Intended to entertain, not educate, but similarities and differences between Native American and pioneer cultures -- in terms of spirituality and day-to-day life -- are presented.
  • Positive messages3
    Strong positive messages about friendship, family, cultural acceptance, and the bond between grandfathers and their sons. The way prayer was used by pioneers and Native Americans is also compared and contrasted.
  • Positive role models3
    The two boys in the film stick with each other through thick and thin. The mothers face their hardships -- impending eviction, missing family members, a son who is gravely ill -- with courage and integrity. The Native American grandfather teaches a lesson of patience to his grandson. The pioneer family rescues an injured stray dog and nurses him back to health.
  • Violence & scariness2
    Since this is a Western, there are scenes of rifleplay, but compared to most Westerns, the violence is relatively tame, although one minor character is shot to death. Early in the film, the pioneer boy Zach gets his hand caught in an animal trap, and later, he is nearly attacked by a coyote.
  • Sexy stuff1
    A husband and wife are in bed together, fully-clothed, and they hug and briefly kiss.
  • Language2
    Occasional use of "damned," plus some racially oriented insults: "half-breed."
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking1
    In a brief scene, two of the older characters soberly talk while drinking whiskey.
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this spiritually-oriented drama set at Christmastime includes some standard Western-style violence. There are rifle battles on horseback, one of the boys gets his hand caught in an animal trap, and later, this same boy narrowly avoids being attacked by a snarling coyote. The movie's antagonist, bitter and mourning the murder of his wife by Native Americans, is prejudiced against Native Americans -- even calling the friend of his grandson a "half-breed" -- but through the miracle mentioned in the title, he learns to overcome his hatred and move on from her death. Overall, the film teaches positive lessons about respect for all cultures, the value of friendship, and the importance of family.

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