Pearl Diver

By Mayna Bergmann -- Video Business, 5/5/2008

MONTEREY
Available now
> Deliberately paced drama about secularity, faith and family secrets.

A family film that focuses on the Mennonite community in Indiana brings together two very different sisters who share a secret: the more religious Marian (Amy Jean Johnson), who has stayed in the farming community where she grew up, and her sister Hannah (Joey Honsa), who has moved to a bigger city to pursue a writing career. With her secular lifestyle in tow, Hannah returns home when Marian’s young daughter is injured in a farming accident. The memory of their mother’s death years earlier threatens to tear the siblings apart, but eventually it brings them together as they relive the events.

Shelf Talk: Promoted as a family film and rated PG-13, Pearl Diver certainly doesn’t contain the language, sexuality or gore that parents want to avoid. However, the story lines found here—particularly the injury of a young girl and the untimely death of a mother—are still too much for a young child. Screened at film festivals nationwide, Pearl Diver might attract an audience seeking faith-based films, but it will most likely perform best when it makes its cable TV debut.

Family, color, PG-13 (mature themes), 97 min., DVD $24.95
Extras: deleted scenes, thoughts from director
Director: Sidney King
First Run: DVD premiere