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Just so...so bad

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

There are women in the film, but none has anything you could call a personality.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I have to check the spoiler box because I suppose I have to discuss aspects of this film that didn't make much sense to me.While the movie was good for what it was (Hallmark), I felt many of the scenes were short and cut off abruptly, moving quickly on to something else. Like....several mini scenes all strung together to try and tell a story.We then have Daniel...Katie's boyfriend from three years prior.This part of the story didn't feel like it belonged or wasn't really necessary.Who was Daniel and what was going on with that whole thing? He's some mystery boy who liked her music, but somehow disappeared and hasn't returned. It's like she talked to his ghost and a few scenes spent time showing memories of them. Why? They never said how he disappeared or why he never came back. He tells her to never give up her music in case something happens to him. Huh? Can this be more ominous?Daniels part in this was lost on me....completely.I LIKE the idea of this, but it wasn't executed correctly.The movie ends leaving you feeling unsatisfied with it all.Was it worth the watch? Yes, but could have been done so much better.

If group psychological intimidation of members into submission is an actual practice, it paints a harsh, and strict portrait of cultural life in these communities. But it's movie-land so who really knows. Acting is very decent.. Danielle Panabaker.. binged.it/1te82U4 .. is wonderful in her part, all the cast is solid. Daniel departs to find his 'other' world, then Katie gets her chance as well.. eventually to somewhat cross paths in the next part of the series 'The Confession'.. bit.ly/17ovEHV (track it down online). Panabaker does not make the transition to part 2 (the only important one missing)... Sherry Stringfield does, with a much larger role. Part 2 has a much different feel, Katie LeClerc.. bit.ly/17qj4YI .. truly does a fine job, but those missing Panabaker are entirely correct. It was a blunder not making sure she'd return, and a real cop-out for producers to say an actor's 'not available.' Long running series with same cast members are created all the time... it's just bs, and exceptionally poor decision making preventing it from happening. Hope the final installment in the series comes out soon, to reveal if Daniel's prophecy gets fulfilled.

The film opens with someone riding through the countryside in a limo, past the amish farms and farmers. The lady in the limo hands an envelope to one of the amish women, and requests that she only give it to the intended recipient, and amish girl. When the recipient's parents open the letter instead, things start to go wrong. The young amish girl has been promised to the local amish bigshot, but we eavesdrop on her flashback of her first love, so we can see that she is not happy with the wedding plan.This is pretty much a chick flick, and it has some mistakes. When she buries her guitar, there is a giant hole in the ground for her guitar case, but just a small bit of dirt beside it... and the leaves at the edge of the hole are not even disturbed. In addition, there are many small details that are not correct in a story about the amish. Apparently this is just the first part of a trilogy, so we should not expect all issues to be resolved....It's a very heavy, sad, serious story. One hopes that if the rest of the trilogy is made into movies, things turn out a tad more happy and upbeat for "Katie", the central character in the story. In this one, things go downhill for her throughout the movie. Directed by Michael Landon Jr, who seems to direct a lot of films for Hallmark Channel.

Today is the first opportunity I have had to watch this movie, and so far I am in the middle of it and enjoying it a great deal. HOWEVER, there is one glaring error made in costuming the actors who are playing the parts of the Amish people.All sects of Amish and most sects of Mennonites do not wear any kind of jewelry whatsoever, including and especially wedding bands. I have so far seen four actors playing Amish parts wearing gold wedding bands. The actor playing Katie's father is wearing a very wide gold band, and the mother has on a narrower band. The older Amish lady Katie goes to talk to early on after she has found out about her parentage is also wearing a gold wedding band, and another hand was seen wearing one, but I'm not sure who it belonged to because of the way the scene was shot and edited.This should be something that is very basic to know about the Amish people, if one does even the most basic research on how these people live and worship. Strongly recommend that much closer attention be paid to such details if future productions are being planned.