This is a "coming-of-age" story of a girl from New York City who goes in the summer of 1947 to her grandfather's farm in Birch Interval, Amish Country, Pennsylvania. It's something like an Anne of Green Gables saga, but with a darker edge.
Jesse is an 11-year-old girl whose widowed mother is off to Paris. So she goes to her grandfather's farm, initially for the summer, but it turns into a year. Her grandfather, Pa Strawacher, is widowed but lives with his son, Thomas, Thomas's pregnant wife, Marie, and their two children, Samuel and Esther.
Their neighbors are an Amish family--Aaron Byler, his wife, and a son Josh, who is also Jesse's friend. Another significant character is the local policeman, Charlie, who went to school with Thomas and Marie and may have had an illicit relationship with Marie.
We learn early in the film that something is wrong with Thomas--he seems emotionally unstable (he's offended by a clock at the train station and tries to remove advertising from it). There is clearly tension between Thomas and Marie. Jesse hangs out more with Samuel than she does with Esther, and there are many scenes of them literally running from one adventure to another. We meet a neighborhood "witch," Mrs. Tanner, and a "Crazy Girl." Thomas, who works with watches, gives one to Jesse. Samuel shows Jesse a special "hiding place," which appears to be an abandoned mill near his home.
Suddenly Thomas does not come home one night. The next day Jesse goes to see Josh to ask him if the Bylers have seen Thomas. Josh has not seen Thomas but invites Jesse to come to the Amish worship service that Sunday at their farm because he's reading scripture. On the way home, four boys who have been harassing "Crazy Girl" tie Jesse to a tree and sexually assault her by touching her. She screams, scaring them away, and is finally rescued by Crazy Girl. On Sunday, she sees Thomas listening to the Amish service and gets him to stay for the noon meal but promises she won't tell anyone that she's seen him.
During the harvesting of apples in early fall, which involves Amish and non-Amish, the authorities come to the cider mill to tell Aaron he needs to have his children in school. Aaron says they don't need public school; they can read and write and will get a farm when older. He doesn't want officials to tell him what to do. Pa Strawacher stands up for the Amish.
Samuel finally discloses to Jesse that his father, Thomas, is staying at the abandoned mill, and Samuel is taking him food. Thomas has developed a bad cough and is clearly unwell. Meanwhile, local citizens have gotten up a petition to have Thomas committed to the state mental hospital, as he is suspected of all kinds of bizarre mischief in the neighborhood. Finally, Pa agrees to sign the commitment papers, and Thomas is taken forcibly from the home.
Everyone visits Thomas in the state hospital once, but Thomas finally dies of viral pneumonia. Jesse tries to confront Charlie but is not really able to do so. Jesse does reconcile with Pa, who she blamed for Thomas being taken away.
The Amish looked more realistic in their dress in this movie than in many Amish movies. However, they had no accent in their speech. The worship service was quite flawed, though the singing was a better representation than most movies manage. There is no way a young teenager would read scripture in a worship service. The closing prayer was way too short, but the film did have them kneeling for prayer.
Aaron Byler stated no real reasons for keeping his children out of school. He did not mention school amalgamation, problems with the curriculum, or other issues that formed the basis of the Amish complaint. It is not clear whether this Amish community was trying to start its own school, but that was the usual desire.
In many ways, the Amish are peripheral to the storyline. They were one of many subplots that didn't really go anywhere. Mrs. Tanner disappeared after her house burned down. The "Crazy Girl" emerged and disappeared without a trace of context. One school scene was inserted to set up the Amish education conflict, but it was all left hanging. The real dynamic was within the family and should have been the consistent focus.
Jesse is an 11-year-old girl whose widowed mother is off to Paris. So she goes to her grandfather's farm, initially for the summer, but it turns into a year. Her grandfather, Pa Strawacher, is widowed but lives with his son, Thomas, Thomas's pregnant wife, Marie, and their two children, Samuel and Esther.
Their neighbors are an Amish family--Aaron Byler, his wife, and a son Josh, who is also Jesse's friend. Another significant character is the local policeman, Charlie, who went to school with Thomas and Marie and may have had an illicit relationship with Marie.
We learn early in the film that something is wrong with Thomas--he seems emotionally unstable (he's offended by a clock at the train station and tries to remove advertising from it). There is clearly tension between Thomas and Marie. Jesse hangs out more with Samuel than she does with Esther, and there are many scenes of them literally running from one adventure to another. We meet a neighborhood "witch," Mrs. Tanner, and a "Crazy Girl." Thomas, who works with watches, gives one to Jesse. Samuel shows Jesse a special "hiding place," which appears to be an abandoned mill near his home.
Suddenly Thomas does not come home one night. The next day Jesse goes to see Josh to ask him if the Bylers have seen Thomas. Josh has not seen Thomas but invites Jesse to come to the Amish worship service that Sunday at their farm because he's reading scripture. On the way home, four boys who have been harassing "Crazy Girl" tie Jesse to a tree and sexually assault her by touching her. She screams, scaring them away, and is finally rescued by Crazy Girl. On Sunday, she sees Thomas listening to the Amish service and gets him to stay for the noon meal but promises she won't tell anyone that she's seen him.
During the harvesting of apples in early fall, which involves Amish and non-Amish, the authorities come to the cider mill to tell Aaron he needs to have his children in school. Aaron says they don't need public school; they can read and write and will get a farm when older. He doesn't want officials to tell him what to do. Pa Strawacher stands up for the Amish.
Samuel finally discloses to Jesse that his father, Thomas, is staying at the abandoned mill, and Samuel is taking him food. Thomas has developed a bad cough and is clearly unwell. Meanwhile, local citizens have gotten up a petition to have Thomas committed to the state mental hospital, as he is suspected of all kinds of bizarre mischief in the neighborhood. Finally, Pa agrees to sign the commitment papers, and Thomas is taken forcibly from the home.
Everyone visits Thomas in the state hospital once, but Thomas finally dies of viral pneumonia. Jesse tries to confront Charlie but is not really able to do so. Jesse does reconcile with Pa, who she blamed for Thomas being taken away.
The Amish looked more realistic in their dress in this movie than in many Amish movies. However, they had no accent in their speech. The worship service was quite flawed, though the singing was a better representation than most movies manage. There is no way a young teenager would read scripture in a worship service. The closing prayer was way too short, but the film did have them kneeling for prayer.
Aaron Byler stated no real reasons for keeping his children out of school. He did not mention school amalgamation, problems with the curriculum, or other issues that formed the basis of the Amish complaint. It is not clear whether this Amish community was trying to start its own school, but that was the usual desire.
In many ways, the Amish are peripheral to the storyline. They were one of many subplots that didn't really go anywhere. Mrs. Tanner disappeared after her house burned down. The "Crazy Girl" emerged and disappeared without a trace of context. One school scene was inserted to set up the Amish education conflict, but it was all left hanging. The real dynamic was within the family and should have been the consistent focus.