Saving Sarah Cain 2007

Sarah Cain, [Lisa Pepper], a thirty-something columnist at the fictional Portland Times in Portland, Oregon, has hit a rough patch in her career. Her editor and boss, Bill Alexander, [Elliott Gould], challenges her to recapture the sharp, life-filled voice she once had, warning that if she can’t deliver, she’ll be reassigned to the newsroom desk she left behind.

During dinner with her boyfriend Bryan Ford, [Tom Tate], who is about to propose, Sarah’s phone rings with news from her sixteen-year-old niece Lyddie Cottrell, [Abigail Mason], telling her Ivy has died of heart failure. The shock pulls Sarah away from the table and sends her rushing to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania for the funeral and to meet Ivy’s children.

Ivy had once chosen to join an Amish community, a decision that created a long-standing rift between the sisters. Ivy’s husband had been killed in a car accident before her death, and under the law, Sarah is named the legal guardian of Ivy’s five children. Lyddie, [Abigail Mason], and Miriam Esh, [Tess Harper], an elder and Ivy’s friend, urge Sarah to stay overnight to think things through and decide how to proceed.

With a looming deadline for her column, Sarah writes about the day and emails that piece to Bill as a last-resort update. The next day, a reply from readers arrives: they loved the piece, and a surprising opportunity seems to be opening up. Encouraged by the response, Sarah decides to bring the children back to Portland, while Lyddie stays in her apartment and helps with the housework.

Back at the school, the four younger children—Caleb Cottrell, [Soren Fulton], Josiah Cottrell, [Tanner Maguire], Anna Mae Cottrell, [Danielle C. Ryan]—and Hannah Cottrell, [Bailee Madison], begin adjusting to life outside the Amish settlement. Caleb quickly becomes a standout on the wrestling team; Anna Mae attracts the attention of boys after borrowing Sarah’s clothes; Josiah resents the change; and Hannah is smoothly welcomed into kindergarten. The family’s growing visibility catches the eye of Madison Miller, [Jennifer O’Dell], Sarah’s rival at the paper, who tracks down where the children attend school and sends a TV news crew to Caleb’s wrestling match.

The sudden media attention strains trust: the children feel betrayed, and Sarah concedes that the situation has spiraled beyond her original intent. Bryan also expresses disappointment in the direction things have taken. Faced with mounting consequences, Sarah makes a difficult choice to return the children to the Amish elders, seeking guidance and stability within the community she once left.

As they prepare to part, Lyddie hands Sarah Ivy’s letter, revealing Ivy’s last wish that Sarah would have the kids as an apology for breaking her heart, and that the children would be blessings to her as they had been to Ivy. This revelation shifts Sarah’s perspective, and she decides to stay with her nieces and nephews within the Amish community. The film closes on a hopeful note, with Sarah starting a new project—a book titled My Redemption—and Bryan visiting on a business trip, bringing a piece of Sara’s favorite cheesecake as a gesture of reconciliation.