''Harvest of Fire'' is an American mystery drama television film that premiered on CBS on April 21, 1996, as part of the ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...

'' anthology series. The film is directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, from a teleplay by Richard Alfieri and Susan Nanus, and story by Nanus. It stars Lolita Davidovich as an FBI agent sent to investigate an

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

in a peaceful Amish township, alongside

J. A. Preston James Allen Preston (born November 13, 1932) is a former American actor. Preston is best known for portraying Colonel Randolph in the movie ''A Few Good Men'' and for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC prime-time television series ''Hill St ...

, Jean Louisa Kelly, Tom Aldredge, James Read, Craig Wasson, and Patty Duke. The film won a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

for its sound mixing.

Overview

The film was to some extent inspired by the arson of eight Amish barns that occurred in summer 1992 in Pennsylvania and that was investigated by the FBI as a hate crime. There are also similarities between ''Harvest of Fire'' and the 1985 film '' Witness''.

Plot

FBI agent Sally Russwell (Lolita Davidovich) is sent to investigate a presumed hate crime in a small Amish community in Iowa after three barns are burnt down. Given a rather cool welcome by the locals when she arrives at the crime scene Sally is able to gain the confidence of Amish widow Annie Beiler (Patty Duke). A shaky but solid bond is formed between the two women which enables Sally to go on with her investigation. Slowly, Sally starts to learn more about Amish customs. She suspects an Amishman is behind the arson and asks to stay with Annie's family to get a deeper insight into the community. This results in Sally's discovering that Annie's daughter is seeing a young man whose father is being shunned for having built a barn not according to Amish rules.

Cast

* Lolita Davidovich as Sally Russell *

as Sheriff Garrison * Jean Louisa Kelly as Rachel * Tom Aldredge as Jacob Hostetler * James Read as Scott * Craig Wasson as Philip Dixon * Patty Duke as Annie Beiler * Jeff Kizer as Lester * Wesley Addy as Bishop Levi Lapp * Gary Bisig as Amos Zook * Justin Chambers as George * Jennifer Garner as Sarah Troyer *

Bette Henritze Bette Joan Henritze (May 23, 1924 – February 22, 2018) was an American actress of stage, film, and television. She played supporting roles in films like ''The World According to Garp'', ''The Hospital'', '' Far From Heaven'', and ''Judy Berlin ...

as Mary Lapp * Catherine Kellner as Nancy * Marta Kristen as Martha Troyer * Gabriel Mann as John Beiler * Eric Mabius as Sam Hostetler * Sam Huntington as Nathan Hostetler * Peter McRobbie as Reuben Troyer

Reception

Critical response

Todd Everett of '' Variety'' concluded his review by writing: "Scenery, filmed around Iowa City, is lovely and well-used, and performances are solid, if not spectacular. Amish, of course, are supposed to be restrained." Lynne Heffley of the '' Los Angeles Times'' called the film "uninspired" and stated: "The tale, directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, unfolds without much suspense, but writers Richard Alfieri and Susan Nanus' respectful glimpse into Amish life is fascinating, and Duke does an admirable job as a quiet, dignified voice for Amish faith and community life. Davidovich fares less well, finding little to do with her cliched, sophisticated career-woman role except strike poses." Tom Jicha of the ''

Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...

'' described it as "a solid character-driven drama suitable for the entire family without being smarmy" and praised the performances of Duke and Davidovich, saying that they "bring out top performances."

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{Arthur Allan Seidelman 1996 films 1996 crime drama films 1996 television films 1990s American films 1990s English-language films 1990s mystery drama films American drama television films American crime drama films American mystery drama films Amish in films CBS network films Crime television films Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes Films about arson Films about the Federal Bureau of Investigation Films directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman Films scored by Lee Holdridge Films set on farms Films set in Iowa Films shot in Iowa Sonar Entertainment films