FYI

Just went to a screening (in Minnesota, by the way) with a q&a with the director afterward, and I thought perhaps I could resolve a couple questions. First, in regard to the language used, Inge was meant to have left Germany when she was maybe 12/14 years old and then live in Norway until moving to Minnesota. In Norway, she probably would have been a bit shy about learning the language and so what she ended up with was a garbled version of both languages. Further, they definitely could have hired European actors, but the ones that they talked to just weren't connecting to the story as much as the Americans were. From my own experiences while studying abroad in England, it's absolutely true that Europeans just don't get the immigrant experience/sense of past that many, many Americans have. And it's a bit much to ask an American to speak fluently, especially considering all filming was done within 24 days. More important in my mind is Elizabeth Reaser's ability to convey her emotions through words foreign both to her and her audience (in the case of English-speakers), allowing for the absence of distracting subtitles and a more authentic feel to the film.
And as for whoever it was that felt the need to post their thoughts on the HALF of the film they saw: you have no right to judge the merits of a plot or character when you have only seen half the story. For what it's worth, after almost three years spent in Minnesota and a lifetime spent in the Midwest, I've never had a reason to disagree with the common perception of "Minnesota nice." After coming back from a long time away, I realized I'd forgotten how much total strangers smile when they see you.
In case anyone else is wondering, the score is all original music composed by Mark Orton of the band Tin Hat Trio, but apparantly it is considerably more mellow than their usual stuff. Apparantly Orton described the sound as what it would be like if Edith Piaf's back up band was born in Missoula, Montana. The string instrument that is audible throughout the score is actually a Norwegian instrument a nickelharpe (no idea if I'm spelling that even near correctly...I'm just going off what he said).

Hope this makes sense!