From KIDS FIRST!:Perhaps this film should have been called “God’s Grace.” Either way, the story is powerful and inspirational. It’s based on the true account of a gunman who entered an Amish schoolhouse and killed some of the girls. The man’s wife struggles to come to terms with the enormity of what her husband had done, and because of their belief in God’s forgiveness of them, the Amish community offers a hand of forgiveness to the wife. Except for one mother. Ida, a fictional character, struggled to come to terms with that her own community preached. Viewers who watch this film should settle in to watch the entire movie, which isn’t hard to do since the pacing keeps the viewer glued to the screen. The first half of the film seems almost black and white with the Amish as good guys and the “Others” as evil influences. As the film moves on, however, both sides begin to grey so everyone just becomes human, with good and bad qualities. This in no way detracts from the strong message of forgiveness. The idea of forgiveness is shown to be very difficult and very real, but a viewer understands the messages behind forgiveness. When you don’t forgive, you are disobeying God’s command and authority. Even if you don’t believe in God, the hatred that comes from a lack of forgiveness will eat at you, making you feel even worse.  The acting is very real, and those who live in Amish communities will recognize the lifestyle, aside from the fact that all the Amish women in the film are young and beautiful, and there are no scenes with little babies, even though  the Amish tend to have many children. Child Juror Comments: The message of forgiveness in this movie was really good. I’m not sure that my friends would like it because it’s so religious. My Christian friends would like it. They aren’t like the Amish people in my area. The ones here don’t talk. The acting and crying seemed real. If my brother got shot, I don’t think I would act like the Amish. Ages 14-18