A Story Worth Watching
Having invited you to consider watching this movie I want to prepare you for it. This is not the best movie ever made. The whole Amish world is too clean, the choreography is too staged, and the main characters are completely fictional. This isn't a movie for learning about Amish life or even the history of the 2006 events are the center of the book this movie is loosly based upon. (A book, by the way, whose authors intentionally avoided being involved with the film.)
However, it is a story worth watching. In fact, its oversimplification of the events and various reactions may be part of the reason I recomend it to you. So often we get caught up in the details and struggles around tragedy that we fail to see the larger picture: good versus evil, spiritual versus material, and right versus wrong. We refuse to commit to self-sacrifice. We think of ourselves as the only victoms, rather than seeing our 'enemies' as *atan's victims also. We forgive by half-measures (or not at all) and then make excuses for ourselves. As a result, we hurt ourselves and others.
So, while Amish Grace is probably not going to win any awards, I'd still suggest watching it. Don't look for history or fabulous movie-making. Set all that aside and look for yourself. This is a simple story, well-enough made, which asks us to consider our own ability to forgive, and to reconsider the things for which we have already been forgiven.
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