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Lions gate Films, Rigas Entertainment, Channel Productions, ErgoArgs. A film by Maggie Greenwald. If you have any interest in the music of Appalachia, you won’t be able to resist this movie. Just like Amadeus uses plot devices to help the viewer appreciate the music of Mozart, this film helps us appreciate the music of the “mountain people” and the important part that their music plays in each of their lives. And the music here comes from such performers as Emmylou Harris as well as many artists from the contemporary scene. The film opens by introducing us to Dr. Lily Penleric (Janet McTeer), an associate professor of music with a chip on her shoulder as large as the piano that she can play so well. Because she is a woman, she is once again passed over for promotion to full professor--despite her agreeing to a loveless affair with a well-placed colleague that she had hoped would help win the promotion in the male-dominated academia of the early 20th century. In a fit of pique, she resolves to leave the school for the summer and visit her sister Elna (Jane Adams), who lives in the mountains, in order to "scientifically" document the music there. Her plan is to publish that music and thus gain the respect that has eluded her as a teacher. As she begins this adventure, we see her as highly motivated and determined as well as completely "establishment" in her attitudes and demeanor. Elna, it turns out, is a Christian missionary who, along with another missionary (E. Katherine Kerr), are running a local school for mountain children. Lily uses the school as her headquarters as she travels and meets a fascinating array of characters, each of which demonstrates distinctive musical talents. Exploitation, both of individuals and of the whole region by corporate greed, is behind many subplots as the tale progresses. And we become aware that a romantic interest has started between Lily and one of the mountain men, Tom Bledsoe (Aidan Quinn), who begin their relationship as adversaries. All this has its effect on Lily, who is gradually transformed by the experience. The anti-Christian polemic of this film is rather brutal. First, we see the awful missiology practiced by those who finance the mission project from the lowlands. They seem more interested in teaching their culture than the gospel, and appear to have received most of their financing and direction not from believers, but from corporate tycoons. We also get glimpses of the Christianity of the mountains, which is no better under the rule of a fiery and manipulative local pastor. But the real anti-Christian polemic is centered in a Romans 1:26 intimacy between the missionaries. This movie dwells on this at length, trying to show it as harmless, if not beautiful and beneficial. Lily learns of it early on, expresses appropriate disgust, and lets it go. But when news of this gets out, the full wrath of this movie against Christians is unleashed. As unpleasant (and, frankly, unnecessary) as the anti-Christian thread of the film might be, it does not destroy the redemptive payoff of the film. The transformation of Lily’s character and her love interest is well scripted and acted. And even the Romans 1:26 affair can be a useful point of embarkation for discussion. But it is perhaps the music that is the real star in this film. Frankly, I eagerly await the DVD edition so I can witch this film again—this time with my finger on the fast-forward button so the anti-Christian hatred of this film's creators need not dim the experience. | ||