“Did you see the movie on Lifetime about that woman?” – Zach Galifinakis

“Amish Grace” is a by the numbers made for TV movie based on the true story of a small Amish town that goes through an incomprehensibly painful experience.  The film centers on one couple within the Amish community who lose a family member and how they process their loss.  They spend the majority of the film asking themselves questions about God, forgiveness, and love through a conservative faith lens.

The film does not concern itself with the psychology of the killer or the actual act of violence he commits (nothing is actually shown, just talked about after it happens).  Instead, it is interested in how the people respond to the tragedy.  There are several methods of grieving that come into play – grief within the community, family, and the individual.  In each case, the film mainly focuses on an Amish wife (played well by Kimberly Williams Paisley – aka Steve Martin’s daughter in “Father of the Bride”) who loses her daughter, while also giving attention to the killer’s grieving wife.

This being a Lifetime film, there are some expectations going on – there will be heavy handed melodrama, syrupy acting (though much of it was quite affecting), and the film will try and make you cry…often.  The editing is sometimes a disjointed, there are several cringe inducing dialogue moments (“Mommy, does she look pretty in her dress?”), and the music is par for the course.  However, in keeping my expectations realistic, I walked away from this film at the very least appreciating its aim. It’s not attempting to find its way into the history of film next to “Bicycle Thieves” or “Casablanca.”

There are valid questions “Amish Grace” asks that feel like they come from a real place. The film takes the question of “Why do bad things happen to good people” further by asking “Why do bad things happen to children?”  Why do we forgive?  How do we grieve when our grief takes a different shape than our family or the community around us?  Can we forgive others when all we want to do is to be entitled to our anger or hate?  Where is God in my suffering, and doesn’t He deserve the blame for the pain I am feeling?  

While these difficult questions hold weight in any season, they are most potent during times of loss.  I liked the way “Amish Grace” asked and dealt with some of them.

Amish Grace premieres on the Lifetime Channel this Sunday, March 28 at 8pm EST, 5pm PST.