Contains Spoilers
... in fact, not just the best documentary i have ever seen, but one of the best movies i've ever seen. Maybe THE best movie I've ever seen. It cuts through all prejudice and cliche to the human heart of the story, and it's the most compelling narrative story you'll ever find - but this masterpiece is constructed out of the plain documentary truth about a bunch of teenagers. I'm haunted by these kids, and by the power of the images. Try to see it on a big screen because the shots are unbelievable. The beauty and simplicity - and austerity - of Amish life. Forget Witness, now you can see it for real for the first time - I don't think anybody filmed Amish people ever before, and this film is only Amish people. And then there are the scenes of crazy sex drugs and hiphop... with Amish kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you ever see Amish girls in traditional white bonnets and frilly dresses double-fisting Coors Lights and screaming for more more more at an Amish hoedown? You'll see why they say that "Amish kids got the best parties" - and don't tell me you knew that already. You couldn't make this stuff up. I wouldn't buy it in a fiction movie. I don't know how Amish people who have never before let themselves be filmed let this filmmaker film them doing things that they would most want to hide... it's some feat. It's not just the shocking revelation that Amish kids are kids too and have problems, it's that these kids have such an incredibly tough decision (to be or not to be Amish) at such a dramatic age, and they see the world through such unique bifocal lenses (Amish and "English") - and the film lets us FEEL that with them. I wanted to invite all of the featured characters over to my house - they each have such a heart-breaking story with so many ups and downs and twists and turns. It's wild that a film lets you be totally sympathetic with a drug dealer, not least a drug dealer who turns out to be a narcotics informer - the person you would LEAST expect to EVER sympathize with. A narc dealer should be hated by about everybody alive. But this kid is mesmerizing. I lost count of how many times a shiver went down my spine. There but for the grace of god go I. My only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer and that I can't wait for them to make a follow-up.
... in fact, not just the best documentary i have ever seen, but one of the best movies i've ever seen. Maybe THE best movie I've ever seen. It cuts through all prejudice and cliche to the human heart of the story, and it's the most compelling narrative story you'll ever find - but this masterpiece is constructed out of the plain documentary truth about a bunch of teenagers. I'm haunted by these kids, and by the power of the images. Try to see it on a big screen because the shots are unbelievable. The beauty and simplicity - and austerity - of Amish life. Forget Witness, now you can see it for real for the first time - I don't think anybody filmed Amish people ever before, and this film is only Amish people. And then there are the scenes of crazy sex drugs and hiphop... with Amish kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you ever see Amish girls in traditional white bonnets and frilly dresses double-fisting Coors Lights and screaming for more more more at an Amish hoedown? You'll see why they say that "Amish kids got the best parties" - and don't tell me you knew that already. You couldn't make this stuff up. I wouldn't buy it in a fiction movie. I don't know how Amish people who have never before let themselves be filmed let this filmmaker film them doing things that they would most want to hide... it's some feat. It's not just the shocking revelation that Amish kids are kids too and have problems, it's that these kids have such an incredibly tough decision (to be or not to be Amish) at such a dramatic age, and they see the world through such unique bifocal lenses (Amish and "English") - and the film lets us FEEL that with them. I wanted to invite all of the featured characters over to my house - they each have such a heart-breaking story with so many ups and downs and twists and turns. It's wild that a film lets you be totally sympathetic with a drug dealer, not least a drug dealer who turns out to be a narcotics informer - the person you would LEAST expect to EVER sympathize with. A narc dealer should be hated by about everybody alive. But this kid is mesmerizing. I lost count of how many times a shiver went down my spine. There but for the grace of god go I. My only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer and that I can't wait for them to make a follow-up.