ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 20, 1996 TAG: 9604230151
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder Newspapers
It's a day of joy and celebration in the small Amish community: A wedding is joining two families. Then tragedy strikes.
Suddenly, the barn owned by the bride's family bursts into flame, threatening the livelihood of the Beiler family, now run by Annie (Patty Duke), the widowed mother of the bride.
But as the celebrants rush to rescue the animals and form futile bucket brigades, they're felled by another blow: On the horizon, they see the barn of the groom's family also burning fiercely.
``Harvest of Fire,'' a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation (airing Sunday at 9 p.m. on WDBJ-Channel 7), comes with a message of tolerance for lifestyles that may not follow the American mainstream.
The two fires were deliberately set, and the authorities suspect they may be hate crimes. The Amish own the most fertile land in the valley, but take part in none of the secular community's activities, keeping to their religion and 19th-century lifestyle.
FBI agent Sally Russell (Lolita Davidovich) is sent to investigate the fires and prevent any more acts of terrorism against the Amish. For this urban and independent woman, it turns into a journey of understanding. She can't learn anything from the Amish until she learns more about them.
Though they're polite enough, the Amish hold Russell at arm's length. Hers is man's work, they feel. And her head is uncovered (Amish women wear bonnets, permitting only their husbands to see their hair), not to mention her legs. They recoil when Russell produces a tape recorder; the Amish use no modern appliances or conveniences, not even cars or electric lights.
Even the Beilers, victims of the first fire, show little interest when Russell promises to find the arsonist. ``Don't find him for us,'' says Annie Beiler. ``He'll answer to God. We've already forgiven him.''
But as Russell continues to look and listen, she grows closer to the warm-hearted Annie, discovering, through her, the core of the Amish faith. The more Russell learns about the Amish, the more she respects them - their simple, decent, uncomplicated lives rooted in obedience to rules, elders and church. Russell has to concede that it seems to work for them.
Or does it? Annie's son, for instance, has taken advantage of a church policy that permits Amish children at 16 to visit the mainstream community, associate with people there and learn its ways. He's met a girl he likes, but has run into harassment from community boys.
At the same time, another of Annie's daughters has fallen in love with an Amish boy whose father is being ``shunned'' by the district. Russell is stunned when she learns how the man has sinned: He built a barn without the peaked roof mandated by the elders.
For Russell to reach beyond her prejudices against such seemingly ridiculous rules, she has to focus on the secure feeling Annie gets from obeying them. She also begins to understand some rules may exist because they require sacrifice of personal pride for the common good.
Russell knows she finally has reached common ground with the Amish when she starts working side by side with Annie during the harvest. They share not only their work, but also a sense of humor.
``I thought field work was done by your men,'' a weary Russell tells Annie during the harvest.
``I thought FBI work was done by your men,'' Annie replies with a knowing smile.
``Harvest of Fire'' probably goes further than any film, including ``Witness,'' toward explaining the faith of the Amish. And it does it by portraying them as normal human beings whose ways are different - and not just objects of curiosity.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Lolita Davidovich plays FBI agent Sally Russell. color.by CNB