Plain Truth

COULD have been a fine film, but the slipshod script and corny manipulations made it annoying instead. Oh for intelligent dialogue and more plausible story clashes: Katie insists on telling the plain truth in court, and yet has had no compunction re lying to Ellie at every turn.

Easy on the eyes, this film is flakey on the brain and thus misses the heart. I am sure the author of the book felt sad to see what became of her sensitive story.

The cast did their admirable best, especially the main family as well as Hargitay and LaPaglia. Kate Trotter's subtle genius as the mother was the highlight of the film. These gifted actors surely deserved better than a director who seems to assume his viewers are plain stupid. Watchable, yes, but what a let-down!

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.

I'd recommend reading the book before seeing this movie. I was extremely disappointed by the way the movie was portrayed. Aside from having some of the names & events changed, there was a lot missing. I would have preferred that this movie be made into a mini-series that encompassed the entire nature of the story. Specifically Ellie & Katie's relationship & how that came to develop throughout the story. By not reading the book 1st, the movie allows for one to be completely lost. I love Marishka Hargitay in L & O: SVU & she did a great job in this movie. I would have on the other hand found someone else to play the role of Katie other than Alison Pill. I believe too that she didn't do Jodi Picoult's work any justice. If I had to grade the movie it would be a D. I think even that's a little too kind...

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.