Birch Interval (1976) User Reviews

A different kind of rural drama.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 28 January 2022]

This is a rare look into the lifestyles of the Amish, a rare group represented on film outside of scattered appearances as supporting characters in other rural films and the thriller "Witness". Set in the 1940's, t focuses on a young city girl Susan McClung whose mother sends her from the big city to live with her family in Pennsylvania, which includes grandfather Eddie Albert and aunt and uncle Ann Wedgeworth and Rip Torn. She tells a woman on the bus on her way out there that she prefers living in the country, and has a special bond with uncle Torn who seems to have mental issues who for some reason is identified to not follow the Amish lifestyle but lives with the family anyway. His wife Wedgeworth is pregnant (possibly with another man's child), and is the voice of reason in the family, while low-key grandfather Albert is often the source of comfort. To say that this family is in your by the books on this family is an understatement.

Becoming close to her cousin, McClung gets to meet the eccentric people of the area including recluse Anne Revere who may or may not be a witch. It's also not easy for her to make new friends, most of the kids put off by her dour nature. That makes the film a bit dark and sometimes depressing and slow moving. But first and foremost, It's a drama about family, one not always happy, but trying to live simply and with love.

It's interesting to note that Torn and Wedgeworth had been married to each other years before in real life and reconciled briefly to make this movie.

It's hard to get a real grasp on McClung's character who keeps a lot in and only shows any strong emotion when Torn's character becomes ill. Basically, it's a slice of life film that lacks a strong plot but as seen through the eyes of its young protagonist is a growing up story that shows the power of love and loss in a vulnerable mind. Interesting to note that one of her cousins has Laura Ingalls pigtails because she gets to read a bit of "Little House on the Prairie", then popular on TV, in her classroom. Torn gets the showiest material and Albert and Wedgeworth are very good as well. Revere, a much revered veteran character actress from stage and screen, might scare little children, but in her brief time on screen is wonderful to watch. It's easy to see why this film has fallen into the category of obscure, but it's a wonderful find at a different view of a different world even if some of its details are questionable.

Interesting story, but flawed depiction of the Amish

[steiner-sam · 6/10 · 19 May 2021]

This is a "coming-of-age" story of a girl from New York City who goes in the summer of 1947 to her grandfather's farm in Birch Interval, Amish Country, Pennsylvania. It's something like an Anne of Green Gables saga, but with a darker edge.

Jesse is an 11-year-old girl whose widowed mother is off to Paris. So she goes to her grandfather's farm, initially for the summer, but it turns into a year. Her grandfather, Pa Strawacher, is widowed but lives with his son, Thomas, Thomas's pregnant wife, Marie, and their two children, Samuel and Esther.

Their neighbors are an Amish family--Aaron Byler, his wife, and a son Josh, who is also Jesse's friend. Another significant character is the local policeman, Charlie, who went to school with Thomas and Marie and may have had an illicit relationship with Marie.

We learn early in the film that something is wrong with Thomas--he seems emotionally unstable (he's offended by a clock at the train station and tries to remove advertising from it). There is clearly tension between Thomas and Marie. Jesse hangs out more with Samuel than she does with Esther, and there are many scenes of them literally running from one adventure to another. We meet a neighborhood "witch," Mrs. Tanner, and a "Crazy Girl." Thomas, who works with watches, gives one to Jesse. Samuel shows Jesse a special "hiding place," which appears to be an abandoned mill near his home.

Suddenly Thomas does not come home one night. The next day Jesse goes to see Josh to ask him if the Bylers have seen Thomas. Josh has not seen Thomas but invites Jesse to come to the Amish worship service that Sunday at their farm because he's reading scripture. On the way home, four boys who have been harassing "Crazy Girl" tie Jesse to a tree and sexually assault her by touching her. She screams, scaring them away, and is finally rescued by Crazy Girl. On Sunday, she sees Thomas listening to the Amish service and gets him to stay for the noon meal but promises she won't tell anyone that she's seen him.

During the harvesting of apples in early fall, which involves Amish and non-Amish, the authorities come to the cider mill to tell Aaron he needs to have his children in school. Aaron says they don't need public school; they can read and write and will get a farm when older. He doesn't want officials to tell him what to do. Pa Strawacher stands up for the Amish.

Samuel finally discloses to Jesse that his father, Thomas, is staying at the abandoned mill, and Samuel is taking him food. Thomas has developed a bad cough and is clearly unwell. Meanwhile, local citizens have gotten up a petition to have Thomas committed to the state mental hospital, as he is suspected of all kinds of bizarre mischief in the neighborhood. Finally, Pa agrees to sign the commitment papers, and Thomas is taken forcibly from the home.

Everyone visits Thomas in the state hospital once, but Thomas finally dies of viral pneumonia. Jesse tries to confront Charlie but is not really able to do so. Jesse does reconcile with Pa, who she blamed for Thomas being taken away.

The Amish looked more realistic in their dress in this movie than in many Amish movies. However, they had no accent in their speech. The worship service was quite flawed, though the singing was a better representation than most movies manage. There is no way a young teenager would read scripture in a worship service. The closing prayer was way too short, but the film did have them kneeling for prayer.

Aaron Byler stated no real reasons for keeping his children out of school. He did not mention school amalgamation, problems with the curriculum, or other issues that formed the basis of the Amish complaint. It is not clear whether this Amish community was trying to start its own school, but that was the usual desire.

In many ways, the Amish are peripheral to the storyline. They were one of many subplots that didn't really go anywhere. Mrs. Tanner disappeared after her house burned down. The "Crazy Girl" emerged and disappeared without a trace of context. One school scene was inserted to set up the Amish education conflict, but it was all left hanging. The real dynamic was within the family and should have been the consistent focus.

Thought-provoking small town drama

[DFC-2 · 17 November 1999]

This film asks, and, to its credit, does not answer questions about madness, community responsibility, and the moral judgment of children as opposed to adults. It begins with a young girl packed up for a visit with her small-town grandparents by her urban Mother. Her grandfather's household includes his mentally ill son, his son's wife, and their son with whom the girl has a close relationship. Her uncle, is a quiet gentle man who can't handle the absurdities of life. He fixes watches for a living and embarrasses the family by his unorthodox/childish reactions to things that bother him. His son and niece idolize the purity of his world, his sensitivity, and his kindness. The resent his treatment by his wife, and the niece suspects his wife is having an affair with a neighbor.

Among the issues addressed are forcing a local Amish population to send their children to public school, the life of an embittered old woman who provides witch spells to the girl's young cousin, and the betrayal of confidence that destroys two relationships over the course of the film. No relief is given to adults or children in the way of clear answers other than the fragility of friendship and trust, and the imprecise definition of right and wrong in human affairs. This film was probably intended for a young adult audience, but it takes a deeper look into moral questions than most adult dramas I can remember and is one of the most thought-provoking community and family studies I have ever seen.