Sunday, March 05, 2006

Devil's Playground - Movie Review

Although the Amish live in traditionally conservative enclaves, shunning modern conveniences and electricity while favoring a strict code of conduct and dress, they do have a moment in their lives known as "rumspringa." When an Amish child turns 16, they are allowed to interact with and take part in life away from their upbringing. This film follows a handful of teenagers as they break from their past and experiment with drinking, drugs, and driving (possibly for the only time in their lives).

I was really interested in seeing this documentary because I figured it would be like "Amish Go Wild" :-) In other words, I thought it would show the Amish kids going crazy while they were away from the farm and then make the tough decision whether or not to go back to the Amish life. They showed a few crazy scenes, but it was mostly pretty dull. Also, they didn't show enough of a follow up to say what happened to the kids that were in the spotlight during the film. Maybe they should have waited a few more years to release the movie so they could tell whether the kids stayed on the farm or decided to leave for the "English" life.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: A bunch of Amish kids

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

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