I love this movie so much

People are voting emotionally.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

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.

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. ****/*****.

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.

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.