In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saige Copeland is 9 years old and loves to paint. Her father (Kerr Smith) is flying a balloon at the local festival. Her best friend Tessa has a new friend Dylan from music camp. Tessa seems to have more in common with Dylan now. New kid Gabi Peña tries to befriend Saige. Budget cuts have forced art class to alternate with music class and this year, the art class is cut. Her grandma Mimi (Jane Seymour) suggests a protest against the cut. Sidney Fullmer is a charming lead without too much overacting. Saige is no saint as she struggles to find her way. Her difficulties with her best friend are well done. It is a little light weight but it's a good movie for young girls.

I've just watched this a few moments ago with my 7 year old. The theme throughout is about change, overcoming fear of change, and restoring things lost. It also promotes the value of art and music, has some nice examples throughout. It promotes the importance of friendship and cooperation. It is a very good, safe film for young children to watch. Its plainness of presentation makes the life messages clear for them. For the adult watching, it might seem cheesy at first (there's rather a lot of "cool"s and "awesome"s), but as you continue watching it with your child, the film continues getting better and better to the end and you enjoy and are really affected positively by it. Definitely a film to recommend! David

I watched "Saige Paints the Sky" with my 14 year old son. (My little girl is 22...alas, so no young girl perspective!)WE enjoyed the movie (and it is quite suitable for any child to see) but...we also had fun marveling at the little girl geniuses who indeed "painted the sky" enough to raise...$5000 (in one stunning musical show) to SAVE Saige's school's visual arts program!My "theory" is that in the 1940s, Saige's GREAT grandma was one of the OVERachieving TEENS who sang and danced behind MGM superteen stars Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney. Somehow she transmitted SuperGenes to her great GrandDaughter Saige! Garland/Rooney starred in a series of early 1940s "Backyard Musicals". Super talented teens raised money to help someone...by QUICKLY throwing together a Broadway quality singing/dancing program--on a stage in someone's back yard. And surely 10 year old "Super" Saige (who paints horses at an adult skill level...who is able to quickly learn special horseriding techniques in order to lead the festival parade, Saige...who can give a quality press conference AND who can make a successful fundraising speech) is a marvel. Saige's school must be the unofficial FAME style magnet school for the Southwest! One of her 10 year old friends writes the songs for a Musical these 10 year old girls will quickly throw together. A couple other friends can sing great American Idol quality harmony...and only await the call to go on StarSearch. These game 10 year olds will dance great dances in the great musical scene number--with fabulously lit artsy sets worthy of any Broadway show. Unseen elementary school 10 year old geniuses include...the kids who were able to move and arrange about 15' high painted art panels onto the school state, and the other people (again 10 year olds???) who did the marvelous backlighting. Yes, the movie and its precocious kids are too much for some of us (Particularly my 14 year old son who made snide comments throughout the movie). But the movie, tho unbelievable, is quite enjoyable! And it's nice to see stylishly (tho modestly) dressed girls...OVERachieve...

I have never seen an "American Girl" film, and in fact have been quite cynical of the obvious marketing goals. Well, this film belies my prior views, as it is worth every second of watching. The writing is for young girls, of course, but I am an adult male who likes "Batman" films, and the writing, quickly-paced direction, and acting (what an extraordinary bunch of little girl actresses!) all combined to bring tears to all our eyes.I don't give it a "10" for one reason: I dislike the constant warm back- lighting; it is reminiscent of those cheesy "wholesome breakfast" ads where people eat surrounded by wheat fields early in the morning. If you get a chance to see this re-run, please do yourself a favor and don't miss it!