Amish Grace
Encyclopedia
Amish Grace is a television film that premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network
on Palm Sunday
, March 28, 2010. The movie is based on the 2006 Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
, Amish school shooting
and the spirit of forgiveness the Amish
community demonstrated in its aftermath. The movie stars Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tammy Blanchard
, and Matt Letscher
and is based on the book Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, Jossey-Bass, 2007, ISBN 0-7879-9761-7, by Donald Kraybill
, Steven Nolt
, and David L. Weaver-Zercher.
Amish Grace was executive-produced by Larry A. Thompson
; written by Sylvie White and Teena Booth; and directed by Gregg Champion.
schoolgirls are taken hostage and killed in their classroom, their parents and the Amish
community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
, stun the outside world by immediately forgiving the killer. Ida Graber (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), mother of one of the murdered children, has a tougher time than the others accepting the tragedy, but in her anguish and pain, she begins a personal journey of renewed faith, ultimately accepting the heart-wrenching tragedy of losing a child; reconnecting with her husband (Matt Letscher
), family, and community; offering forgiveness to the killer; and even showing kindness and compassion to the killer’s widow (Tammy Blanchard
) and children – all in the form of Amish Grace.
, with more than 4 million viewers, becoming the highest-rated and most-watched original movie in Lifetime Movie Network
’s history in Households (3.8/2,916,449 viewers), Total Viewers (2.0/4,020,496), Women 18+ (3.5/2,729,834), Women 25-54 (2.7/1,156,363), Adults 18+ (2.4/3,649,266) and Adults 25-54 (1.9/1,585,667).
community. Others criticized the movie for blending facts with fiction.
Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Movie Network is a cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A&E Television Networks, LLC. A&E Television Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst Corporation and NBCUniversal. LMN offers women-oriented movies...
on Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
, March 28, 2010. The movie is based on the 2006 Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania is a hamlet in Bart Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA.The nickel mines that give the town its name were worked in a deposit of sulfide ore, principally millerite. The mines were originally opened in the early 18th century for copper, but were given up as...
, Amish school shooting
Amish school shooting
The Amish school shooting was a shooting at the West Nickel Mines School, an Amish one-room schoolhouse in the Old Order Amish community of Nickel Mines, a village in Bart Township of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on October 2, 2006...
and the spirit of forgiveness the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community demonstrated in its aftermath. The movie stars Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, making her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light...
, and Matt Letscher
Matt Letscher
Matthew Letscher is an American actor.-Biography:Letscher was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He attended college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity....
and is based on the book Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, Jossey-Bass, 2007, ISBN 0-7879-9761-7, by Donald Kraybill
Donald Kraybill
Donald B. Kraybill is a prolific author, lecturer, and educator on Anabaptist faiths and living. Kraybill is widely recognized for his studies on Anabaptist groups, and is the foremost living expert on the Old Order Amish....
, Steven Nolt
Steven Nolt
Steven M. Nolt is professor of history at Goshen College and author of ten books, most of which focus on Amish and Mennonite history and culture. He is a frequent source for journalists and other researching Anabaptist groups. He was often quoted in the aftermath of the 2006 Amish school shooting...
, and David L. Weaver-Zercher.
Amish Grace was executive-produced by Larry A. Thompson
Larry A. Thompson
Larry A. Thompson is a Hollywood film producer, personal manager, book packager, author, and motivational speaker. He is founder and President of the Larry Thompson Organization, a Los Angeles based Talent Management, Motion Picture, Television, and New Media Production Studio.Having managed the...
; written by Sylvie White and Teena Booth; and directed by Gregg Champion.
Plot summary
When a group of AmishAmish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
schoolgirls are taken hostage and killed in their classroom, their parents and the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania is a hamlet in Bart Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA.The nickel mines that give the town its name were worked in a deposit of sulfide ore, principally millerite. The mines were originally opened in the early 18th century for copper, but were given up as...
, stun the outside world by immediately forgiving the killer. Ida Graber (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), mother of one of the murdered children, has a tougher time than the others accepting the tragedy, but in her anguish and pain, she begins a personal journey of renewed faith, ultimately accepting the heart-wrenching tragedy of losing a child; reconnecting with her husband (Matt Letscher
Matt Letscher
Matthew Letscher is an American actor.-Biography:Letscher was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He attended college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity....
), family, and community; offering forgiveness to the killer; and even showing kindness and compassion to the killer’s widow (Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, making her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light...
) and children – all in the form of Amish Grace.
Cast
- Kimberly Williams-Paisley - Ida Graber
- Tammy BlanchardTammy BlanchardTammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, making her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light...
- Amy Roberts - Matt LetscherMatt LetscherMatthew Letscher is an American actor.-Biography:Letscher was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He attended college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity....
- Gideon Graber - Fay MastersonFay MastersonFay Masterson is an English film, television and video-game actress. She is also a voice actor.-Career:Masterson's performance career began as a dancer which she gave up at age 11 to attend the Brite Lites Academy in Eltham, Southeast London...
- Jill Green - Madison Mason - Levi Brennaman
- Gary GrahamGary GrahamGary Graham is an American actor. He is probably best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series Alien Nation , which was followed by the TV movies Alien Nation: Dark Horizon , Alien Nation: Body and Soul , Alien Nation: Millennium , Alien Nation: The...
- Henry Taskey - Darcy Rose ByrnesDarcy Rose ByrnesDarcy Rose Byrnes is an American child actress and singer. She is most famous for her role in the soap opera The Young and the Restless where she portrayed Abby Carlton from 2003 to 2008, she also appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful...
- Rebecca Knepp - Karley Scott Collins - Katie Graber
- Eugene ByrdEugene ByrdEugene Byrd is an American actor.-Career:He has been in movies including Dead Man, Sleepers, 8 Mile, Lift and Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, and has the leading role in Confess, for which he won the Break-Out Performance Award at the 2006 Method Fest Independent Film Festival...
- Danny - Devan Mashak - Leonard
- Amy SloanAmy SloanAmy Kathleen Sloan is a Canadian actress. She was born in Gladstone, Manitoba and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. Her mother is actress Mary Sloan....
- Rachel Knepp - John Churchill - Charlie Roberts
- Madison DavenportMadison DavenportMadison Danielle Davenport is an American teen actress and singer, best known for her role as Quillo in Over the Hedge. Davenport has also starred in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl as Kit's best friend Ruthie Smithens....
- Mary Beth Graber - Taylor Ann Thompson - Hannah
- Bryan Rudi- Jacob
- Eric NenningerEric NenningerEric John Nenninger is an American actor, best known for playing Scott Braddock in the 2003 horror film, Jeepers Creepers II and for his recurring role as Cadet Eric Hanson on Malcolm in the Middle.-Biography:...
- State Trooper - Willow Geer - Judith
- Kyle Bruggen- Minister
- Kate Fuglei - Shelly
- Jim MetzlerJim MetzlerJim Metzler is an American television and film actor, best known for guest-appearances on popular TV series. In 1983, he received a Golden Globe nomination for his supporting role in the 1982 film Tex....
- County Sheriff - Bob Rumnock - Reporter
- Emilee Wallace - Teacher Ruth
- Kesha Janzen - Melinda
- Chloe Madison - Sarah Knepp
- David Mazouz - Andy Roberts
- Dale Wade Davis - Isaac Knepp
- Joel Schmidt - Melinda's Husband
- David Curtis - Amish Elder
- Sammy Jack - Knepp Boy #1
- Gabriel Welch - Knepp Boy #2
- Elijah Tadros - Ryan Roberts
Ratings
Amish Grace broke network records in multiple demographicsDemographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
, with more than 4 million viewers, becoming the highest-rated and most-watched original movie in Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Movie Network is a cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A&E Television Networks, LLC. A&E Television Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst Corporation and NBCUniversal. LMN offers women-oriented movies...
’s history in Households (3.8/2,916,449 viewers), Total Viewers (2.0/4,020,496), Women 18+ (3.5/2,729,834), Women 25-54 (2.7/1,156,363), Adults 18+ (2.4/3,649,266) and Adults 25-54 (1.9/1,585,667).
Reviews
The movie received many positive reviews ; however, it also received criticism because the authors of Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, Jossey-Bass, 2007, ISBN 0-7879-9761-7, distanced themselves from the production out of respect to the AmishAmish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community. Others criticized the movie for blending facts with fiction.
Awards
- Nominated for the Humanitas PrizeHumanitas PrizeThe Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
- Winner of 2 Accolade Awards: Award of Excellence and Award of Merit for use of film for social change
- Winner of the MOVIEGUIDE Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring TV Program of 2010
- Winner of 2011 Wilbur Award