AMISH GRACE

AMISH GRACE - 2010

RATED - PG for mature themes. Closer to G. The violence at the center of the film is only implied.  Nothing is shown.

RATINGS -  5 Amazon (5/5),  211 Netflix (4.2/5), 143 IMDB (7.1/10).

STARRING - Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Father of the Bride 1 & 2)

AWARDS - Highest rated original movie shown on Lifetime.

THEMES - Relationships, spirituality, justice.

STORY - Based on the true story of the murder of five innocent Amish school girls in 2006 in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. The main family in the story is fictional, however. Great acting and screenplay.  Emotional without being manipulative. Violent without showing any violence. Inspirational without being preachy. I have always been critical of faith-based films that are basically 'sermons disguised as films'. Faith-based films should be great stories where the message is an integral part of the story. This is one of those. At the heart of the story is a horrific crime. A lone gunman backs his pickup to a one room Amish school, walks in and proceeds to kill five young Amish girls and wound five others.  What happens after that is almost as unbelievable. Three Amish men, including the father of one of the victims, visit the home of the killer to offer forgiveness and help to the gunman's widow. But not everyone finds it easy to forgive.  Ida Graber (Paisley) isn't buying it. 'I will not betray my daughter by forgiving her killer'.  What follows is for the most part the struggle between two women, both mothers & wives, struggling with forgiveness and their husbands from two totally different perspectives. While we may all have a tendency to see the Amish as stoic and and almost mechanical or robotic in their faith, this is not at all what comes thru in the film. While raising (but not answering) some inconsistencies in their practices, we see them as real humans struggling to deal with this horrific crime against their community. One of the most powerful scenes is at the funeral for the gunman. This is a movie that will haunt you and stick with you as you consider (at least I did) how to live out a live of forgiving with even just the most mundane grievances. What could this mean for communities, our nation and our world if forgiveness were truly practiced.  I highly recommend this film. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 09/18.2010.

LINKS - IMDB, NETFLIX, AMAZON,  The Power of Forgiveness

THE PISTOL

THE PISTOL - 1991

RATED - G - Very family friendly. Should be very interesting for Junior High and Senior High athletes, both boys and girls. Great film for coaches to show their teams.

RATINGS - 10 Amazon (4.5/5), 11,067 Netflix (3.7/5), 357 IMDB (7.1/10).

THEMES - Relationships, perseverance, racial issues.

STORY - Pete Maravich is the greatest scorer in the history of NCAA basketball. Think about it. This is a record that has stood for 40 years AND he did it before the three point rule (he was a guard with many of his shots outside today's three point boundary) AND freshman were not eligible when he played so he did it in three years. He averaged 44 points (charts show it would have been an incredible 57 with the three point rule) per game for three seasons. He also went on to become one of the all time great NBA players and was the youngest ever selected for the Hall of Fame. He was also a pioneer of the free wheeling style of basketball that dominates today. Behind the back passes and between the legs dribbling were unheard of in the white dominated basketball culture. Much more common in the segregated black teams and leagues, it was considered show-boating and hot-dogging in the white culture at that time. But Pete had a Dad, Press Maravich (a great player & coach in his own right), who was also a visionary and saw this as the future of basketball. This film is the story of how a father passed on his dream and vision to his talented and determined son at an early age. The film primarily covers Pete's eighth grade basketball, a coming of age experience, for this young man, both socially and athletically. Too good for his age and not politically correct to beat out the coach's son, he sits on the bench for a good part of the season until an injury puts him in the starting lineup. Basketball would never be the same again. While not a big budget film, nevertheless, it is a very satisfying story of this incredible athlete in this particular stage of his career. Adam Guier, who plays the eighth grade Pete, is no slouch as a basketball talent and makes the basketball scenes very real. Get the family or your team together for a fun and inspiring experience. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 01/01/2010.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, WIKIPEDIA

BELIEVE IN ME

BELIEVE IN ME - 2006

RATED - PG for some language and thematic elements. Family friendly.

RATINGS - 2 Amazon (4.5/5), 61,013 Netflix (4/5), 263 IMDB (6.6/10).

AWARDS - 2006 Cowboy Award for Best Feature Film and Best Score.

THEMES - Relationships, justice, commitment, teamwork.

STORY - It's the fall of 1956 in Middleton, Oklahoma and Clay Driscoll, young and eager, reports for his new job and the start of what he believes is a career coaching boys basketball. It's basketball but he's been hired to coach the girls, not the boys. Based on the true story of Jim Owens, one of the greatest high school coaches in Oklahoma history, this was back when girls were truly considered second class by most in the sports world and the Middleton community barely gave them that much recognition. Clay Driscoll fights the school board, the parents and the man who runs the community with an iron fist to gain equality and respect for the girls' program. A terrific, family friendly film about the difference one person can make in a school, in a community, and in the lives of young people. It's the female version of HOOSIERS. It's well done and will grab your heart watching these young athletes fight back to gain the respect of their community and eventually, the entire state. An evening well spent. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 02/28/2009.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB