Expecting Amish

Oh dear. Who researched the Amish for this movie? No credibility. This scriptwriter was operating on a stereotyped version of religious people that rings false at every turn. Let me count the ways: (1) Amish do NOT wear buttons at all. Ever. (2) They-do NOT have church buildings but worship every other Sunday in one another's homes. (3) Amish do not believe in religious symbols; the crosses on the "church" and the interior wall would never be seen in Amish country (4) rumspringa-the teen-age period of living away from home in the "world" can last a year or more unless they are unhappy out there and come back home sooner. That giddy 2-week vacation in an upscale house with cute wardrobes was just unrealistic. (4) where did the money come from? Amish are not poor but they are frugal (5) Amish female attire allows for only dark colors (6) Amish conduct worship services in their Germanic language only (7) They all speak this language at home. (8) They do not use hymnals (8) Theirs is a pacifist religion. They would Never sing "Onward Christian Soldiers". (8) they learn English as a second language in school; their English has a distinct German accent (9) they are hardly that clueless as they work for and with "the English" all the time in our homes, our shops, our industries and are familiar with modern conveniences -like toasters. They are just not allowed-or choose not- to own such items or have them in their homes or farms.(10) They are not allowed to have or play musical instruments (11) Brandenburg Concerto"? They don't attend concerts, or know classical music. This false depiction of a hard-working people shows utter disrespect for them, and the soap opera plot was hackneyed and predictable..

For a movie with such a low budget, that was obvious at some points in the film, they did an amazing job! They had an excellent cast as well! The only thing I would have to say, is that the connection between josh and Hannah was very circumstantial. I didn't see much of a bond between the two, and their conversations were average at best. For a couple to have such a strong connection as the movie attempted to portray, they needed to talk more to each other then every 30 seconds.

I loved this drama because it was so thought provoking and it appeals to the heart to lend compassion. Young adults in a modern world have great difficulties to face in a world where technology dominates, and so for a group of Amish young adults it must be even tougher. This movie was thought provoking, and anyone who has an ounce of compassion for the awkward difficulties of extremely different cultures will find themselves having genuine care and concern for those who are different. The pressures of being extremely different in a modern society where acceptance is so difficult are brought out in this story. It is a family movie, but possibly better suited for youth and young adults over the age of 12. I loved this story because although these young people face tough decisions this story holds a beautiful innocence that comes with finding love and maturing into real adults through making life decisions. The title might somewhat give away the plot, but then again not necessarily. In many ways the title makes the plot obvious. I loved this movie because to me it was realistic about the challenges of young adulthood and the future decisions that must be made by all young adults. Its about honesty, integrity, right, and wrong, and the meaning of real love and commitment.

This movie is cute but some things about the Amish in the movie are incorrect. First of all the Amish in the movie spoke with no Dutch accent . Also the Amish do ride in cars , they are just not allowed to own or drive them. The Amish do not have a church building they worship at one another's homes. The amsh do not marry in the summer , they marry in the fall. Amish are not shunned unless they have already been baptized and then leave, if they have not been baptized and leave they are not shunned with the hopes of them coming back to be baptized. The story was cute though. Just not accurate. Why wouldn't the actors have a Dutch accent? It was kind of silly listening to them speak English in Amish clothing.

The inaccuracies in this movie alone made me want to turn it off after the first 15 minutes. From Amish holding church in a dedicated building (they worship in their homes) to the girls having bangs cut in their hair, wearing white aprons (only on Sunday and special occasions), down to the wrong buggies and colors (they are gray in Lancaster County)and their perfect American speech (minus the "dutch" accent) ... the whole thing made me feel silly just watching it. Also a stretch that Amish kids would spend their Rumspringa time in Los Angeles ... really? I have been exposed to the Amish my entire life ... this movie is nothing but a "fairy tale" ...