A gripping and thought provoking film about a woman raised in a polygamous sect, who flees when she learns that her daughter is to be married off to her stepfather.
All in all, it isn't bad, but I can't resist the temptation to nitpick. As other reviewers have noted, her integration into outside society seems to be altogether too smooth, in particular getting benefits and a new home with improbable ease. And the public school scene was very unconvincing. Some irrelevant advice from the Principal to teach her son (who, he conveniently forgets, was the victim of the bullying, not the bully) that "violence isn't the answer" seems to solve the whole problem, or at least we never hear any more about it. That sounds overoptimistic to the point of naiveté.
Also, I thought they made the cult leader a bit of a straw man. Is it really credible that, when the teenage girl has quite voluntarily returned to his sect, he would immediately throw away this victory by trying to force her into marrying the stepfather, while also beating up and expelling the young (and perfectly loyal) follower on whom her heart is set - an action which gives the authorities a perfect excuse to butt in. I know that some of these polygamous patriarchs are unpleasant types, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're stupid. Indeed, I get the impression that they are often well endowed with low cunning. I would expect him to be as nice as pie, presiding at the girl's wedding to her chosen boy, and letting her write to her siblings urging them, as soon as old enough, to "Come back; the water's fine". After all, he wants all the children back, not just one.
All carping aside, though, it's still a pretty good view. Watch it and draw your own conclusions.
All in all, it isn't bad, but I can't resist the temptation to nitpick. As other reviewers have noted, her integration into outside society seems to be altogether too smooth, in particular getting benefits and a new home with improbable ease. And the public school scene was very unconvincing. Some irrelevant advice from the Principal to teach her son (who, he conveniently forgets, was the victim of the bullying, not the bully) that "violence isn't the answer" seems to solve the whole problem, or at least we never hear any more about it. That sounds overoptimistic to the point of naiveté.
Also, I thought they made the cult leader a bit of a straw man. Is it really credible that, when the teenage girl has quite voluntarily returned to his sect, he would immediately throw away this victory by trying to force her into marrying the stepfather, while also beating up and expelling the young (and perfectly loyal) follower on whom her heart is set - an action which gives the authorities a perfect excuse to butt in. I know that some of these polygamous patriarchs are unpleasant types, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're stupid. Indeed, I get the impression that they are often well endowed with low cunning. I would expect him to be as nice as pie, presiding at the girl's wedding to her chosen boy, and letting her write to her siblings urging them, as soon as old enough, to "Come back; the water's fine". After all, he wants all the children back, not just one.
All carping aside, though, it's still a pretty good view. Watch it and draw your own conclusions.