Devil's Playground (2002) Online

To a large extent, the inherent friction between America's central majority and diverse religious minority groups is controlled and channeled by a matrix of Constitutional Law principles. Court decisions insure that minority rights are protected against what often has been the mainstream's desire or perceived need to force assimilation or even attempt destruction through law or mob action. The latter has happened in American history with regard to the Shakers and Mormons. Both groups and Southern snake-handling churches have frequently encountered major legal restrictions. .

The Amish occupy a more protected place than some other Christian fundamentalists. Living in large communities side by side with the "english", as they call without distinction all others, their energy, excellent and desired produce and products and reputation for orderly, crime-free lives has insured respect. Temptation rather than persecution is the main foe of the Amish commitment to a simple lifestyle.

Director Lucy Walker's documentary, "Devil's Playground" is a rare but possibly too limited view of Amish life, largely in Indiana. The Amish covet their privacy and most members of the church do not allow themselves to be filmed or interviewed although strictures vary from community to community. Generally, the Amish eschew using much of the apparatus of American communal and political life. For instance, while they will not send children to public school past the eighth grade, relief from compulsory education laws through a Supreme Court decision only came about because several Amish parents passively permitted others to litigate on their behalf (Wisconsin v. Yoder).

"Devil's Playground" introduces the viewer to "rumspiga," the planned release off the parental and community leash of teenagers on their sixteenth birthday. According to the young men and women interviewed, virtually anything goes during an indefinite period of freedom that can end in a few months or go on to age 21. At some point each youth decides whether to embark on a life outside Amish society or take church vows that are considered inviolable once voluntarily assumed. Defectors are shunned by family and friends if they leave the church after taking the vows.

The film follows Amish youth to huge parties monitored by justifiably concerned Indiana police. Sex appears to be a route for some but dancing and excessive consumption of alcohol is a key activity for most, especially the males. Some fall into the world of drugs, including dealing. Faron, a clearly troubled young man, is followed by the camera crew from innocent flirtation and all-night partying to serious drug taking to felony selling. Subsequent threats to his life came after he cooperated with the police.

The females seem to be more hesitant about unshackling fetters than males. The boys all adopt everyday teen garb while the girls experiment with beer and cosmetics but largely remain clothed in traditional attire. Interestingly, many of the boys take on "english" girlfriends, a safety mechanism that actually lessens the likelihood of their permanently abandoning their community.

A number of Amish youths discuss their family relations and whether they will join the church or adopt a new lifestyle. Many comments have a rehearsed quality, not surprising when the speakers haven't been brought up to freely express themselves.

A postscript notes that some ninety percent of Amish youth resolve to join the church, giving up cars for buggies, t-shirts for bland work clothes and beer for juice. One clear clue as to why the retention rate is so high is the virtual total lack of intellectual curiosity or desire for education in the Amish youth population. What seems to be a period of genuine freedom is really a very clever release of people whose likelihood to question or rebel is suitably repressed rather than advanced by an episode of largely aimless partying.

What isn't clear from "Devil's Playground" is the extent to which Amish youth in general go as hog wild as the participants in the documentary. The young interviewees wanted the attention of the film-maker for reasons ranging from narcissism to a need to self-justify life-altering decisions. It would have been very useful to incorporate insights from non-Amish scholars, including psychologists, who could discuss the teens' experiences and responses in a measured objectivity.

But this is one fine documentary.

8/10.

Lucy Walker presents a view into a community that is rarely glimpsed by outsiders. The Amish community, tightly knit as it is, has little use for the "English" world outside. I was very intrigued by the premise of a film following young Amish people through the rite of passage of Rumspringa, wherein they discover what kind of people they want to be, and decide whether to join the Amish church.

The view given by Walker is largely unbiased; she presents the viewer with a portrait of several Amish youths and their decisions to join the church or to remain in the english world. The film focuses mainly on Faron, a youth who has gotten himself into trouble with drugs, and she does not judge him or criticize him. Rather, we see his actions and are told of his choices, and are left to draw our own conclusions and wonder what will become of him.

I found this film to be quite well done, and unlike some of the other reviewers, I don't think it felt staged or stilted. I found myself thinking about it long after I'd seen it, and wondering what had happened to the people whose lives it followed.

I recommend this film, and feel that as a debut, it is quite an achievement. Some of the moments actually reminded me of Harmony Korine's work; it has a subtle air of discontent and uncertainty. Well done. ****/*****.

Sex, drugs, heavy metal/rap music, Nintendo. These are not things one would normally associate with the Amish, but there you go, it's time to learn about DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND Most of us probably view the Amish as isolationists and backward thinkers. They don't use electricity or modern conveniences. They travel by horse and carriage. They dedicate themselves to their church and community for life or are banished if they give up the church and head out into the "English" world. This is mostly true, except for one period in an Amish person's life.

At age 16, all children of Amish parents are given the option of Rumspringa (Pennsylvania Dutch for "running around"). Rumspringa can last minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even years, depending on the individual. During this time they are allowed to do whatever they like, which includes drinking, sexual relations, smoking, driving (cars), and doing illicit drugs.

One such person is Faron, an 18-year-old son of an Amish minister. He's been out of his parents' house for almost two years and gets involved with crystal meth dealers in order to support his own drug habit. His life spirals out of control, but his parents are helpless to do anything about it because of the Rumspringa tradition. Faron has to choose his own path. But with peer pressures so high, the decision is not an easy one for kids who want to explore a world beyond the Amish communities they grew up in. You can't help but cringe with fear as Faron drops in and out of the drug culture, nearly gets himself killed in a car accident, and eventually finds love and a decent job many miles away from his parents.

Other kids have similar issues, but battle more with internal conflicts than external pleasures and material things. One is Velda, a pretty Amish girl who left her community and found depression nesting within her. Trying to discover who she was without the help of her family and her church leads her down some dark paths but she eventually succeeds in life by finding a job and going to college; quite a surprise considering the Amish don't educate their young beyond the 8th grade level.

This documentary certainly was an eye-opener. Who would've thought that the Amish deal with similar problems that non-Amish parents are forced to deal with? The information gathered by the film makers is impressive but limited, as the Amish become reclusive once they join the church. But the kids have no such qualms about being filmed since they have yet to take their oath.

I am disturbed mostly by the fact that the Amish don't educate their young beyond a certain grade level because they feel it causes too much "pride" (one of the seven deadly sins). But this also creates an interesting paradox. If you don't educate your kids, they are destined for menial jobs. The upside (I guess) is that this makes it difficult to support themselves if they decide to try and make a go at living in the outside world. Not surprisingly, the return rate from Rumspringa back to the church is 90 percent.

I thought for sure that a movie about Amish-teenagers-gone-bad would be a series of images of Amish kids dressed in traditional garb drinking, getting high, and sleeping around. I expected it to be a spectacle which would get old fast, and I went into the movie with this bias. It turned out to be one of the best documentaries I've seen in a while. For one thing, the director had the perfect balance of showing a broad social situation (rebellious Amish kids in general) and a more character centered story (the drug addicted Amish youth Faron). You're getting the factual information you need, as well as the emotional punch of what Faron is going through. The director is able to show very clearly the effect of Amish society on these kids without ever forcing a direct connection or being exploitative.

I just watched this through Netflix, based on a recommendation and can't believe I'd never heard of it before. Rather striking and amazing film. When has there ever been a film, (fiction or non) like this one before? I promise you that you had noooooooooo idea that the Amish could behave in this way and that it was acceptable -- A stunning doc! It opened my eyes in many ways. I had no idea that such a rigid, conservative culture could also possess such a wide-open and "liberal" component to their lifestyle. You want to applaud them and deride them almost simultaneously. And the fact that you are capable of holding two such contrarian feelings is a testament to the power of the director, Lucy Walker. She films everything with a steady, knowing hand. I was riveted. Why didn't I know about this movie? When is Ms. Walker making another film?!?

I don't see how it could have been made any better.. I have actually "met" one of the girls on this documentary.. took me awhile to realize it was her.. I go to an Amish flee market every year in Shipshewana Indiana (where pieces of this were filmed.. Legrange County) The only people I "met" were the waitresses at Das Essenhaus.. (great restaurant).. I am actually surprised that I didn't see more of what is shown in this going on.. It is a very hard community to film.. many of them would not allow it..

One of the most interesting parts to me was when one of the guys was describing why they don't use technology.. I was always under the impression that they thought it was ungodly or evil.. but it's more a matter of taking away from the closeness of family.. I think this one is a must see.. it is well done, the kids are straight up and honest about what they are doing during this time.. and nothing seemed forced..

*May be spoilers, read at your own risk*

This documentary was a very real look into what Amish teens go through trying to decide if they want to become "English," the Amish term for people who live in the modern way of life or joining their families in the Amish faith, which is very oppressive. The parents allow their children to smoke, take drugs, drink, listen to music, drive cars (just the boys) and wear "English" clothes, starting at age 16 until they decide if they want to be with their families or be in the outside world. They live in a half English/ Amish state during this time.

It is a right of passage that is used to show them how bad the outside world is. With an 8th grade education and lack of work experience (the boys at least work outside the home, most girls don't even have outside work experience,) it is hard for these teens not to get into trouble and that is the main reason they return. No wonder the Amish consider the outside world to be sinful, they haven't given their children the education to check out a college, library or museum, or even to understand what a city is, so no wonder they party. They seem to have no other choice but to sit and play video games all day.

I grew up in this area and have seen this ritual first hand. I had to laugh when a read a critique here that said the girl who was dating Farron, who is the main character of the piece, couldn't be Amish. Don't they realize that the first thing a girl is going to do who wants to wear English clothing (which is a rare case, since most girls don't wear English clothing, but most boys do) is to go to the tanning salon? Tanning is a big deal where I grew up in Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana. Believe me, being pale myself, I got a lot of teasing due to my light skin. If they want to conform to other teens, of course they are going to tan themselves to a golden glow.

Plus, Germans aren't all blonde and blue eyed. It isn't like the village in the Children of the Damned! There are brown eyed Dutch and Germans with non-fair coloring. Plus some people bring their non-Amish boyfriends and girlfriends into the flock. Statements like that can be very ignorant and take away from how informative this documentary is. I wasn't listening to the music at all, I was listening to information about the Amish, which is what this documentary gives you.

I also learned that there are some Amish people living in Flordia, so a tan would happen to anyone there who would be out in the sun working. I am amazed that they would even live there. Seems a contradiction in terms, but as you watch this film, you will see that the Amish have a lot of ideas like these.

The DVD is even better, because the commentary gives you many insights and stories not included in this documentary. The producers of this had about 300 hours of interviews, so I am sure editing was a chore! They did show a few girls and a boy who left and several who had stayed, or though undecided, would probably join the church in the future. There is one story of a girl who decided after she joined the church that she didn't want to get married so she was shunned by the community like a modern day Scarlet Letter story. The Amish practice shunning when someone breaks the pact of the church or leaves the community. I felt very bad for her. But overall, despite not being able to see her family or friends, she seems to have made the right choice for herself, because she wants to be free and go to college. It is heartbreaking to see though, especially when you have grown up in the area and see it firsthand.

It is a shame though that most of the Amish kids only see Wal-mart and drinking as the outside world. They seem to not understand it is a place where there is much beauty and pleasure and it is a place where you can educate yourself. I would think God would let them better themselves and still live a Christian life. I know think the world was meant to be a closed place where the outside world is known as the Devil's Playground.

The soundtrack was awesome, and if you like trance music, you will want to get the music in this film. This was real life, no staging here. I was shocked, and never knew that the Amish teens did such a thing. I think it was a cool film, and it was interesting to note that 90% of all the Amish kids, go into the faith in the end. Train up a child in the way they should go, and in the end, they will not depart from it. That is a scripture that is so true. I highly recommend this movie to anyone, to become more educated about the Amish. I really think that they are a mysterious people and we could all learn from them. I am amazed that I find really unique music in movies and not on the radio. Like I said, it is worth the viewing.

I saw this film by chance at a friends house and I was immediately sucked into it. It was interesting to learn about a group of people whom I knew existed but never heard much about. This documentary gave me a great appreciation for how these people live their lives,I personally could never live like that. Anyone interested in learning about Amish teenagers should watch this film. It is surprising how many similarities and differences there are between Amish teenagers, and the average American teenagers.

This is a fascinating look at the world of the Amish and the temptation of the outside world. This follows Amish teenagers as they go through a path of initiation by going out into the outside world. There, they decide whether or not to join the Amish church and be baptized. It's an interesting dilemna that they are facing. This documentary is better than most hollywood movies out there.

Contains Spoilers

... in fact, not just the best documentary i have ever seen, but one of the best movies i've ever seen. Maybe THE best movie I've ever seen. It cuts through all prejudice and cliche to the human heart of the story, and it's the most compelling narrative story you'll ever find - but this masterpiece is constructed out of the plain documentary truth about a bunch of teenagers. I'm haunted by these kids, and by the power of the images. Try to see it on a big screen because the shots are unbelievable. The beauty and simplicity - and austerity - of Amish life. Forget Witness, now you can see it for real for the first time - I don't think anybody filmed Amish people ever before, and this film is only Amish people. And then there are the scenes of crazy sex drugs and hiphop... with Amish kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you ever see Amish girls in traditional white bonnets and frilly dresses double-fisting Coors Lights and screaming for more more more at an Amish hoedown? You'll see why they say that "Amish kids got the best parties" - and don't tell me you knew that already. You couldn't make this stuff up. I wouldn't buy it in a fiction movie. I don't know how Amish people who have never before let themselves be filmed let this filmmaker film them doing things that they would most want to hide... it's some feat. It's not just the shocking revelation that Amish kids are kids too and have problems, it's that these kids have such an incredibly tough decision (to be or not to be Amish) at such a dramatic age, and they see the world through such unique bifocal lenses (Amish and "English") - and the film lets us FEEL that with them. I wanted to invite all of the featured characters over to my house - they each have such a heart-breaking story with so many ups and downs and twists and turns. It's wild that a film lets you be totally sympathetic with a drug dealer, not least a drug dealer who turns out to be a narcotics informer - the person you would LEAST expect to EVER sympathize with. A narc dealer should be hated by about everybody alive. But this kid is mesmerizing. I lost count of how many times a shiver went down my spine. There but for the grace of god go I. My only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer and that I can't wait for them to make a follow-up.

I never knew about 'Rumspringn', and i have always loved the Amish culture. After seeing this documentary, i often wonder if i'm running into Amish guys in the malls and other places. I no longer wish to be Amish. But the thing that does stand out to me is how receptive the Amish church is to the kids that come back. I mean you've got all these other 'Christian' religions that shun people when they've sined and want to come back. but the Amish tell the kids, as long as you stop doing what you've been doing, you're not only welcomed back, but loved and accepted. THAT is how its supposed to be.

I hope they maybe follow up to it and find out how everyone is doing.

Most people understanding of the Amish, might come from the movie 'Witness' or Weird Al 'Amish Paradise'. Then there are those who mistake the Amish for other groups such as Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or the Quakers. They are not the same as Amish. This movie directed by Lucy Walker is a great inside of the culture that drives the occasional buggy by the side of the road. It's rare and lucky of them to get access to the Amish community, and how they found their subjects and how they organized the stories and information they gathered. It makes me wonder how this film was even possible. Lucy Walker neither criticizes, romanticizes nor patronizes her subject which is good in a way, but I would have love to see harder questioning about what I can seeing here. I had no idea that such a rigid, conservative culture could also possess such a wide open and liberal component to their lifestyle. The cover of the DVD of an Amish woman lighting up a cigarette speaks so much about what rumspringa 'running around' is about without speaking a word. The title, Devil's playground refers in Amish vernacular as the 'English' or outside world. During rumspringa, several Amish youths have the right to enter the English World to experience whatever they want in life that even the vices such as drinking, illegal drugs, or pre-marital sex for a period of time until they must decide to become Amish by baptize or leave their community. If they are baptized, then leave the church, they will be shunned by family and friends. There has to be a strong religious connection if one is to be baptized. Amish adults must be able or willing to die for their faith if challenge and follow the Ordnung (Order). The film follows a few Amish teenagers in LaGrange County, Indiana who enter the English world and experience such debaucheries. The central figure in the movie is Faron, a preacher's son and a methamphetamine drug dealer whose life spirals out of control. Not all teens are like this. Others seek just to drive cars, wear modern clothes and cut and style their hair in more fashionable styles for a few days before they cannot do it anymore. There is yet another one who leaves behind her family so she can go to college. I would love to see more children. The teens interviews are all strong as they are in many ways like deeply religious small town kids anywhere: confused and self-obsessed, but basically decent, and given to projecting a theological dimension onto the normal pains of growing up. Beneath the strange clothing is a familiar conflict between piety and sin. I could only imagine the emotional strain and guilt that these kids go through throughout their lives, and especially during rumspringa. It takes a very strong mind to break through what you've already been conditioned to think up to the age of 16. The interviews with Amish adults are the most interesting about the film in my opinion. I learn that the Amish are not opposed to technology per se, just technology that they consider disruptive to their way of life such as television. The adult's attitude towards sex, is very surprisingly laid back as long as it leads to an Amish marriage and Amish children. The adults interviewed for this film come across as relaxed and candid rather than a crazy religious extremist. They act like they are sad about the outside world, rather than mad. By choosing never to engage the modern world, they have feel little need to either judge it or defend themselves. The movie also foreshadows a large different between the adults and the children. There is a huge inner change going on in the Amish community. More and more Amish are working in factories, getting money and starting to drive cars. The film states out that about 90% of Amish teens do eventually commit to their religion for life, but it doesn't tell how much they are changing the religion within. I think this is the reason why this documentary was able to gain access in the Amish community. There seems to be a great change within the Amish. Now to the faults of the film, it seems have skipped over some details about being Amish such as what happen if a teenager girl get pregnant during the rumspringa. Are they kick out or able to join the group? Nor does the documentary tells why they must choice to baptize so quickly. If you die before you choose the church, what happens to your soul? The movie is a good example of how natural teenage phase out of the identity crisis. I just hope that there is someone who will listen and help each child work out their own plan. Give it a watch if interested in Amish culture.

This movie overall was very interesting. Before watching it, I knew very little about the Amish customs and their beliefs. The movie starts out showing how the Amish live their lives, which are in very simple, small, close knit communities and they all are very strict on religion. The Amish faith believes that they should let their teenagers be able to choose if they want to follow the Amish faith by letting them go free into the "English" world and see what life is like there. Through that Rite-of-Passage, they would hope that the teenagers will then be able to go and choose if they want to live in that type of lifestyle with technology and innovations, or if they want to come back and live a very simple life with no power or any things that would separate you from the family life. What I personally thought was very interesting is the struggle the kids had to go through when they decided on which faith they wanted to follow. Many wanted to live the English lifestyle and have cars, television, and stuff to do, but the thing they struggled with the most is being shunned from their community if they decided to leave and many couldn't live with the thought that if they were to leave, they would lose all of their friends and family in which they grew up with. Overall very interesting theme and story behind the movie. I thought it was a very interesting documentary.

This is an interesting insight into part of the Amish way of life. Kudos to Lucy Walker for her frank and eye opening documentary. The Amish church began in about 1693 in Europe and most of that faith migrated to select areas of the U.S. in 1860. Amish children 16 to 21 years of age are released from their very strict world to experience all the pleasures and freedoms of the outside "English" world. This tumultuous time is called 'rumspringa', these young people during this time must decide to return to the ways of their parents and the Amish or stay on the outside. The focus of this documentary follows several teens as they experience "hoedowns' and "barnhops", delving into drugs, sex, malls and rock 'n' roll. Rumspringa may last from months to years.

Contains spoilers... This movie cannot really call itself a documentary on the Amish, as the Amish themselves largely decline to be interviewed. One wonders why the film- makers bothered to make this movie, given the lack of cooperation on the part of their alleged subjects. The first few minutes of the "Commentary" feature on DVD sheds some light on this question: the film-makers seem to have been desperate to get something, anything, on HBO, and not until they came up with the tabloid story about an Amish kid who is hooked on crystal meth would they be accepted by HBO. Too bad they had to advertise it as a "glimpse into the lives of the rarely filmed Amish" -- this movie is simply not about the Amish. It does not give any context for the radical transition called "Rumspringa". It does not attempt to discuss how an Amish teen is prepared via their community for Rumspringa or how they perceive the "rite" before, during, or after going through it. The Amish are shown us utterly unreflective, and I can only assume that this is an utterly unfair representation of them. They were not ready to be filmed, for their own reasons, but the film-makers were all too ready to make this film, for their own, rather different reasons.

this film is based around a fascinating subject; the amish custom of allowing every boy or girl who turns sixteen to do anything he or she pleases, no holds barred. apparently, the amish believe it is wrong to baptise infants, and that they're supposed to choose the amish way as free-thinking adults.

the opening titles explaining this raised my expectations, as did the movie poster: an image of a girl in an amish bonnet, sitting in the back seat of a car, lighting a cigarette. it felt like a stolen moment; like an exciting departure from everything she's been taught. what would teens like this do, give free rein for the first time in their lives? what would it feel like to taste the things that were always off limits?

well according to this movie, amish teenagers are just as debauched as anyone in western society; they have no qualms about doing anything at all; nothing seems exciting or new to them. they're just relieved that their nuisance parents are out of the way so that they can finally get on with their partying, driving and drugging.

and how do the parents feel about allowing their children to turn their backs on every value they ever taught them? that would be a challenging concept to any parent, let alone one in a supposedly closed, puritanical society. well, we'll never know, as the amish refuse to be filmed or photographed.

stripped of all the interesting questions, this remains a slick docu-soap in the mtv "real world" tradition, with no insights to offer; just a peek into the lives of a few amish teens, who may or may not be examples of anything larger than themselves.

What a godforsaken waste of a brilliant subject for a documentary! Commenting on the conflict between tradition and modern trends, Lucy Walker's The Devil's Playground is about Amish teenagers who get into drugs, drinking, and hardcore partying. And would you believe me if I told you that it is one of the most gutless and incompetent documentaries I have ever seen? All I can say is, the fear of seeing a movie this terrible ever again brings me one step closer to wanting to join a culture devoid of the presence of the media. This film is so muddled that it randomly examines a handful of characters while cutting to an old Amish man yapping about teenagers and peer pressure; when it gets bored with the old man, it goes back to one of the teenagers and when it gets bored with that teenager, it jumps to another one. There is no sense of emotional flow, pacing, or structure. Lucy Walker can't even engage us moment-by-moment, constantly adding corny music like a documentary-soap-opera. She is so technically incompetent that she goes for a moment of (cheap) emotional impact with a character while a gargantuan locomotive blasts by a hundred feet behind him.

Sometimes the material is engaging despite Walker but that is rare… Oh, and then there's Faron-I can't wait to talk about Faron. Faron is a moronic Amish teenager who is bewildered as to whether he should move back to the family farm and live the Amish or if he should continue living in a trailer and have constant parties. Faron is a drug addict whose life is a mess of small ups and big downs. However, Lucy Walker must be dumber than Faron if she doesn't realize what a mess his life is and treats every up and down like an exciting new story development: Faron is in deep trouble with drug dealers for ratting on his friend and his girlfriend leaves him! (Sad music.) Faron skips town, plans to become Amish again, gets a job working for his father, and gets a new girlfriend! (Happy music.) Faron's girlfriend dumps him, his father fires him, and he moves back into his old trailer and starts getting drunk regularly! (Sad music) Faron goes to find ex-girlfriend to get back together with her and gets a new job! (Happy music) Faron crashes his car on his way to work and loses his job! (Sad music) Faron gets a job as a parking lot attendant and has some vague plans of going back to farm someday! Every single one of these plot revelations is treated melodramatically. And then the film just ends on an up-note (the great parking lot gig) without even considering the possibility that things will go badly later on. What about the guy that Faron ratted on? When he gets out of prison, won't he be angry? All he'll have to do to find out where Faron-the-moron is hiding is to watch The Devil's Playground. But that will prove to be an unbearable task indeed. Footnote: In this mess of a film there is one compelling facet: it is able to explain why a teenager would want to be Amish-an incredibly impressive achievement in the middle of an incredibly horrendous disaster.

This was a decent documentary. It gets all the partying out of the way early and then digs deeper into what drives these Amish kids. I thought the best interviews and most insightful comments came from the adult Amish they talked to. I'd love to hear more about how they gave up the Rumspiga for the Church...but alas, those wacky Amish aren't really into talking to the english. Anyways, check it out, it's really the only peek you're gonna get into their world.

I've seen this documentary twice now, at least 9 months apart. I think it needs to be seen a couple of times to really take different views within the film. It does leave me worrying about the pre-programming of young minds before they are fully able to disseminate the whole; I say this because of my upbringing in South Africa when the Apartheid regime was in full swing, and the potential 'programming' this could imprint on young minds. A bit of a departure from the Amish nature of the film, I know, but I could'nt help getting the impression from these young folk of the sense of 'helplessness' of their life choices and futures. That apart, a great film to be viewed a couple of times, and equally a super sound track that would be great as a CD release... so how about it folks?

The Devil's Playground wasn't half as entertaining or informative as it should have been, given the great concept. Though it was interesting in parts,I often found it slow and repetitive. The music, a mixture of typical docu-muzak and technohouse, hypnotized me into boredom. But worst of all, several of the scenes were obviously staged, recreated, and/or written for the kids who were being filmed. And the girl the drug dealer ends up with in the end could NOT have been Amish. There are no exotic, dark-haired, olive-skinned Amish women. There just aren't--ARE NOT. PERIOD. And even if there were, they wouldn't be reading their lines off of cue cards like this girl obviously was. Could have been a lot better.

Man, those AMISH really know how to party. Their parents let them go out into the real world and it seemed like every amish kid got really drunk and stuff. It seemed to me like all of them had a ton of brain cells that disappeared as a result of the drugs they did and the drinking they did as well. I thought it was funny how the men had to grow beards instead of wearing a ring. The Amish have a good way of life and the cart and buggy routine works well. They have more time to think about stuff when they are using the cart and buggy. I am sure they will all go to Heaven when they die. I just wonder how much about the Amish we don't know. Perhaps there is more than meets the eye. I want to be amish.

I just watched this film in my college Adolescent Development class today, and it was fascinating. It gave me this whole new perspective on the Amish culture. I don't live in Amish Country, but Amish Country is right outside the city I live in, and you alwasy see Amish buggies at Wal Mart. Now its like, if I see some kids partying and stuff, it's makes ya wonder if they're the Amish during their transition. It is really sad though, that if they choose not to join or leave the community they're shunned and forgotten, even by family. And the boy Faron...I just wonder what he's doing now...if he's still in Florida, if he's moved back with his family and joined the Amish church. Anyway, good documentary...very interesting and captivating. I suggest seeing this film and learning more about the Amish youth...I think you'll be intriging!