An Amish Sin (2022 Lifetime)
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Cast: Kellie Martin, Rukiya Bernard, Dylan Ratzlaff
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
The Amish world has always fascinated outsiders with its insular community and 18th century lifestyle that shuns the temptations of modernity. But all is not as wholesome as it seems. Inspired by true stories, Amish Sin follows Rachel, an Amish teen who refuses to obey her parent’s command that she marry the man who abused her as a child. When she attempts to run away, she is caught and sent to a “rehab” for Amish girls who don’t follow the rules. Managing to escape from the facility, she makes her way to a neighboring city where she has to learn to live–and find her place–in our world. Stars Dylan Ratzlaff Kellie Martin, and Rukiya Bernard (2022).
Recap/Wine Thoughts
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assult of a minor
If you are in crisis or need someone to talk to for help, please visit https://www.rainn.org/ or call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
The movie begins with a disturbing scene. It shows a dark room and the voices of a man (Uncle Iddo) and a little girl named Rachel as a sexual assault occurs. While the name Rachel is repeated over and over, we cut to a teenage Rachel’s baptism at the conservative Mennonite church.
Rachel is now viewed as an adult in her community and free to marry. Kellie Martin plays Rachel’s mother, who tries to suppress Rachel’s personality and remind her that she has a higher power.
Uncle Iddo is gregarious, and the family loves him, everyone except Rachel. (and for a good reason.) His return triggers harmful memories for Rachel, which are mad even worse when he gives her a single red rose.
Back at church, the adult parishioners speak their sins to the group. A man admits to raping a young woman named Anna, who is pressured by the pastor to forgive him. The men think that Anna provoked the married adult man. It is a thought process that is prevalent in the community.
Rachel overhears her parents discussing who she will be married off to and prays for help. They intend to marry her off to Iddo. Iddo visits and blames her for “tempting” him. He tells Rachel he can save her through marriage and calls her a “filthy, dirty, evil child.” Iddo and other men in the community expect obedience from their women. He rapes her in the barn, and she bursts into her home sobbing and bloody. Rachel tries to ask her dad for help, but he thinks that Rachel tempted Iddo. Instead of protecting his daughter, he disciplines her in the name of God.
It is time for Rachel to try to escape, as many women before her have tried. Another woman tells on Rachel, and the Bishop sends Rachel to an Amish school for bad girls. (It’s like the Bad Girls club, but not at all!)
The school is for girls who have tried to run away or spoken out against their abusers. They are indoctrinated to believe they deserved what happened to them and are even responsible for tempting the men. Even thinking that they are pretty momentarily in the mirror is a sin.
When Rachel’s mother comes to visit, she is cold, and Rachel is disgraced. Rachel’s mother just wants things to go back to the way they were before and can’t understand why Rachel can’t just “accept her fate.”
Rachel won’t accept her fate and runs away again. This time she successfully gets away. The modern world is a lot for Rachel to take in, and she trepidly makes her way to Grace, who helps Amish people leave. Grace welcomes Rachel into her home and has Alexa play cool music. (Which actually set off my Alexa to play Taylor Swift, haha. ) The sounds are overwhelming, and Rachel doesn’t even understand most of Grace’s references.
Rachel is surprised to learn that Grace’s boyfriend Cleve not only sleeps over but, more importantly, cooks! Rachel never had a man cook in her life.
Grace tries to undo the brainwashing Rachel has endured. Even though Rachel admits to being sexually assaulted when she was eight, she still wants to go home. Grace calls her connection to the Amish, Nate, and he visits to talk with Rachel. He tells her that God will look after her no matter what she decides to do and admits that he admires Rachel for her bravery and ability to speak out. Rachel shares that she wants to go to the beach.
Rachel starts working as Grace’s assistant for a big photo project depicting marginalized groups. Rachel is thankful to be contributing and even decides to wear jeans (she calls them trousers) and a button-up. Rachel even lets her hair down. She worries that she looks stupid or ugly. Grace and Clive assure her that she looks beautiful. The moment is commemorated with a photo.
Nick decides to not be baptized in the Mennonite church. He gets a job parking car as a valet. He wants to start a life with Rachel and tells her that he loves her as he tries to have sex with her. Rachel repeatedly asks him to stop, and he says no. Rachel pushes him off of her and sternly tells him that she said no.
Then, Iddo comes to tell Rachel that her mother is in the hospital. Rachel goes to see her mother and is shunned by her family, including her mother. Rachel tells her mother that she will take care of her. Kellie Martin does an excellent job here as the mother telling Rachel that it was never her fault and confirming she sees the real Rachel.
At her mother’s funeral, Rachel leaves a single flower on her mother’s body before the casket is taken away. Her family rides off in a horse and buggy, and Rachel rides with them for the burial service. She is an outsider now, and their song at the service confirms it. With lyrics like “I can’t feel a home in this world anymore.” The bishop tells Rachel that he weeps for her and tells her it is her they buried her because she is dead to them.
After dinner, Rachel’s father asks her to sit with him. He tells her that she doesn’t have to be with Liddo, but he needs her to help take care of the younger siblings.
While going through her mother’s things, Rachel finds a journal with drawings and dreams inside. There is a poem called “The Sea Knows.” It confirms what Rachel needs to do. She speaks to the congregation and confesses a sin. Rachel will be leaving the church and her family and speaking out against her father and the men who did not protect her. Rachel promises to have the police raid the community if she hears of any mistreatment of her little sister or any other Amish women who are there.
Nick takes her out in his car and drops her off at the police station, where Rachel reports the abuse she has suffered at the hands of Liddo.
Rachel journals at the beach and walks in the water because the sea knows where it belongs. Rachel vows to learn from it in honor of her mother and plans to look after her little sister.
Side Note
Read about the true story here.
Minority Report: Grace, Clive,
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Overall rating
Number of Kills:
N/A (Not that kind of Lifetime Movie)
Should you watch it?
Pour it up! (Give it a shot)
Put a Cork in It (Skip It)
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*Photo Credit: © 2022 Lifetime® | A+E Networks®
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