Plain Truth

Wow. The movie ended about 20 minutes ago, and I have to say that it took me some time after to regain the ability to blink. While it was in some ways your typical made-for-TV film, it had twists and turns that one definitely does not expect, and just when you think you are headed in the right direction, your mind is spun out of control in the opposite way.

The fact that it is based about an 18 year old Amish girl is a key factor in this murder mystery. It seems in this family, everyone has a secret to tell, but no one is talking.

I've not read the book...but I think I know what I'm going to do the next time I'm at the library! This movie tale definitely made me want to delve deeper and see what from what was played out on screen to what that author actually wrote on paper.

Defense attorney Ellie Harrison (Mariska Hargitay) just got a big win but she's conflicted about getting a white collar criminal off the hook. On an Amish farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a dead baby is found and unmarried Katie Fitch (Alison Pill) is arrested for killing the baby. Katie refuses to acknowledge her pregnancy no matter what. Ellie is pushed to defend by Katie's mother's cousin Leda who's been shunned. The judge orders that Katie could go home as long as Ellie is there as her guardian. Katie talks to her dead sister. Her father is exceedingly tough.

I really like Mariska Hargitay and Alison Pill. They are doing perfectly good work here. It's a Lifetime movie filmed in Nova Scotia. That's probably its main drawback. The production lacks a cinematic style. Paul Shapiro is a TV director and this looks like a slightly below average TV show. I think the movie could have done a lot more with the style.

As for the story, Ellie should be concerned with trying to get Katie off rather than worrying about the truth so much. Also the trial drags on for too long. It doesn't have enough drama. There is a shocking twist which would be so much more useful as part of the trial. It's not the most compelling TV movie.

This movie was wonderful. It had you guessing the whole time and changing your mind about what happened. I felt so sorry for Katie she wanted to tell the truth so that her family would still accept her and she could stay in the community but then Ellie wanted her to stand up for herself so that she wouldn't go to prison. When you thought you knew what happened the story changed just enough to make you change your mind. Mariska Hargitay and Alison Pill are great actresses. I have always loved Hargitay's work and can't wait to view more of Pill's work. I hope everyone else takes the time to watch this movie. Hope to see more movies like this soon.

Most lifetime films are lower budget, and some can be hard to sit and watch, but this one was entertaining. The mystery of what really happened keeps the audience captivated as the film slowly unravels. Its always nice to see a peek into the amish world, its something that's kept hidden and I think most people don't quite understand it because of how hidden it is. The biggest downfall to the film is the low budget filming , but the story and acting make up for it.

I liked the overall look of this film and also the work of the actors. Escpecially the main characters, Amish girl and her lawyer do a good job, I like the closeup shots of their eyes and faces, those are wonderful, to portray emotions and expressions in their eyes in such a way is really good. The problem of this movie is that it is trying to be a thriller and an psychological movie at the same time. It could have chosen one or the other, that would have made it more intense. I think a murder mystery thriller in the Amish environment would have been a mighty good idea. Or then full-time psychological drama, the clash of Amish world and regular Western world through personal drama of one person. At the moment this hoovering on the border of both genres makes the movie weaker. In spite of this, overall it was an interesting movie, and the actors did a really good job.