Expecting Amish

While the acting, the actors, and story are interesting and could be very true, I'm disappointed in many simple details that were overlooked. The Amish would not wear clothing bought at a retail store but every shirt worn by Samuel is just that. All clothing is made by hand and the shirts worn by Samuel are very obviously machine stitched, with buttoned down collars, no less. The double stitching is another clue. Another thing that bothered me throughout was the haircuts on the men. Their hair is PERFECTLY groomed, obviously trimmed with electric clippers. The Amish cut their own hair, with scissors, and would not look so GQ. However, I still enjoyed the movie despite being very disappointed that these details were overlooked; I couldn't rate it higher because of these real goofs! I found them VERY distracting.

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.

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" ...

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..

It's like the research of the Amish subject was done exclusively from an inaccurate children's book.