Sometimes truth makes an incredible story, and sometimes true faith brings about incredible life lessons. I remember being mesmerized regarding the Amish tragedy in Pennsylvania a few years ago. Being Mennonite myself, and having studied some of the materials of the author of the book Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcends Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill, I was somewhat interested to see how the Lifetime Television Network did with their made-for-TV movie now released on DVD.

Amish Grace is the story of a milkman Charlie Roberts, played by John Churchill, who lives near an Amish community in Pennsylvania. He is distraught after the death of his daughter at birth. He blames God and figures the way to get even with God is to go to an Amish school and kill the children. Based on true events, the story explores the forgiveness offered to the wife of Charlie who is left with three children. In the process of forgiveness within the Amish community, one of the mothers, Ida Graeber, played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, struggles with forgiveness, especially when her faith community has shunned (a term used within the religious community for ostracizing) her own daughter for leaving the community and marrying outside her faith.

Amish Grace is unfortunately an obvious made-for-television movie. Missing are the typical top actors, and certain film techniques. The good news is that, while many recent made for-TV-movies and series have been quite exceptional, and this isn't quite up to par with many of those shows, it is nonetheless quite a good, well acted, mesmerizing story, and one that is actually quite good for a Cable Network like Lifetime. One of the surprising and appreciated aspects is the respect given to the Amish Community in the filming of the movie, while not compromising some of the appropriate questions about their faith concepts.

The direction provided by Greg Champion is quite good as is the editing by Anita Brandt-Burgoyne. In their work the story evolves quite well, and the truth is, the DVD feature is likely superior to the television story, if for no other reason thanthe ability for the story to move along without commercial interruption. While there are some questions and some holes in the plotline, they are eventually answered and clarification is given.

The primary journey involves two women who were impacted by the events: Amy, the mother whose husband killed the children at the Amish School, and later killed himself, and Ida, an Amish mother whose daughter was killed in the shooting. Bothare women whose faith is important to them. One doesn't know how one could forgive, and the other doesn't know why she should forgive when she has been hurt so much by her own faith community. Their journey to discover their own answers to their faith ultimately brings them together, to a place that isn't easy to arrive at, and a place where most viewers will appreciate. One of the enjoyable things about watching this movie is the progression of the characters and the honesty of how the story is presented. While we see conflicts of faith, and conflicts of belief, we see them in a way where the good and the bad are presented.

Continue: 1 2