Expecting Amish (2014)

Truly Dreadful Film

That was an excellent one.

One of my all time favorites.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Although it might seem this is yet another TV movie about the Amish, for some reason they are endlessly fascinating a subject matter for TV. A group of young Amish people take a trip to LA to see the big city and decide it this is the life they want. No wonder you sometimes see Amish walking around Times Square. Anyway a sort of betrothed girl falls in love there. At first it seems like a light hearted comedy about their experiences with electronics and modern appliances and the big city but things turn more serious when she gets pregnant by her new LA boyfriend hence the title Expecting Amish. AJ Michalka isn't too beautiful so she looks quite okay and believable in the part. Her girlfriends seem a little skanky too fast when they don their city outfits. Her new boyfriend is played by Jesse McCartney who still looks a bit young to knock someone up. The Amish boyfriend is played by Jean Luc Bilodeau of Baby Daddy and he acts serious enough but why he would be such a doormat seems a bit strange. The shunning seems a bit over the top since they were given a chance to go to see the big city anyway. Brian Krause as the father looks a bit silly with the pasted on beard.Overall worth a watch for fans of Amish culture clash movies.

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" ...

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 story opens with the river baptism of short-haired Amish teens wearing white pajamas and goes downhill from there.It seems as though the writers grabbed bits and pieces from various religions - or bad movies about various religions - and smushed them together. There's a church with fixed pews, men and women sitting together and singing "Onward Christian Soldiers".And shunning ... this may be imposed by the church against those who violate the promises made when they are baptized. No baptism, no shunning.I'd love to know where the money came for this trip from Pennsyvania to LA - air fare, very nice accommodations with pool, apparently unlimited spending money.All in all, a really bad film. To be avoided except as a giggle.