An American Crime Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
This has been the most terrible crime ever committed in the state of Indiana
The true story of a shocking crime and a secret that wouldn't keep.
Based on a true story that shocked the nation in 1965, the film recounts one of the most shocking crimes ever committed against a single victim. Sylvia and Jennie Fae Likens, the two daughters of traveling carnival workers are left for an extended stay at the Indianapolis (3850 E. New York St. is hardly suburban, nor was it in 1965, by any stretch of the imagination.) home of single mother Gertrude Baniszewski and her seven children. Times are tough, and Gertrude's financial needs cause her to make this arrangement before realizing how the burden will push her unstable nature to a breaking point. What transpires in the next three months is both riveting and horrific, leaving one child dead and the rest scarred for life.
| Ellen Page | Sylvia Likens |
| Catherine Keener | Gertrude Baniszewski |
| Hayley McFarland | Jennie Fae Likens |
| Ari Graynor | Paula Baniszewski |
| Evan Peters | Ricky Hobbs |
| Bradley Whitford | Leroy K. New |
| Hannah Leigh Dworkin | Shirley Baniszewski |
| Scout Taylor-Compton | Stephanie Baniszewski |
| Carlie Westerman | Marie Baniszewski |
| Nick Searcy | Lester Likens |
| James Franco | Dennis |
| Tristan Jarred | Johnny Baniszewski |
| Channing Nichols | Patty Ryan |
| Romy Rosemont | Betty Likens |
| Michael Welch | Teddy Lewis |
| Tommy O'Haver |
7.50 out of 10 (3361 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A tragic story that needed to be told
posted on 23 Jul 2009When I first read about the death of 16-year-old Sylvia Likens, I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. The acts committed against her just seem too awful to contemplate; too horrifying to be real. I also couldn't understand why I had never heard of her before- a young girl that had endured so much suffering should have been the poster-child for child abuse all over the world, and yet sadly to this day many people are unfamiliar with her name and story. Hopefully this film will change that. I will not pretend that this film is a completely accurate re-telling of Sylvia's story, and there are one or two moments in the film where I thought the director took his poetic license a little too far. However, it is a brilliantly acted interpretation of the events that took place that is likely to haunt you for a long time after viewing. Sylvia (an effortlessly convincing Ellen Page) and her younger sister, Jenny, are sent to live with single mother of seven, Gertrude Benizewski (a fantastically chilling Catherine Keener)while their parents work the carnival circuit. For $20 a week, Gertrude promises to take care of the girls- But sadly rather than sticking to this promise, she does the unthinkable when her unstable mind finally snaps and she confines Sylvia to the basement for reasons best known to herself. If you are familiar with the story, 'An American Crime'could be seen as offering a watered-down version of the events that took place in the Benizewski household. If you are unfamiliar with the story, then this film will no doubt urge you to find out more about this astonishing case.This film will stay with you for a long time- and so will Sylvia.
An important story, but not a great film.
posted on 05 Jul 2009Based on actual events that took place in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1965, An American Crime is the story of the abuse, torture, and eventual murder, of Sylvia Likens (Ellen Page) by the hand of Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener), Gertrude's children, and several other children from the neighborhood. The screenplay was written from the actual court transcripts, in order to give the film a higher level of accuracy. The film switches back and forth from the trial in the court room in 1966 to the events that took place in 1965.The story of Sylvia Likens begins in the summer of 1965, when her parents, who worked for a traveling carnival, decide that they need to leave Sylvia and her younger sister, Jennie (Hayley McFarland), behind for a few weeks while they travel the carnival circuit. In their desperation, they agree to leave Sylvia and Jennie with Gertrude, whom they have just met, and to send her $20 every two weeks for taking care of the girls. Everything seems fine until the first check does not show up on time, which causes Gertrude to take the girls downstairs and whip them with a belt. Things get much worse when Gertrude's oldest daughter, Paula (Ari Graynor), finds out she is pregnant by a married man who no longer wants to see her. Paula tells Sylvia about her situation, but asks her not to tell anyone. Sylvia keeps the secret until she witnesses Paula's boyfriend beating on her, at which time, in an effort save Paula and her unborn child, Sylvia tells him that Paula is pregnant. Paula then turns on Sylvia and tells Gertrude that Sylvia is spreading lies about her. From this point on, any accusation that seems plausible in Gertrude's drug clouded mind, gets blamed on Sylvia.Eventually Gertrude has the children leave Sylvia in the basement, where they all take turns abusing and torturing her in various ways. She is burnt with cigarettes, kicked, punched, hosed down with water, starved, and even carved into with a hot wire. If you do some research on the case, you will find that the film only touches the surface of the abuse and torture Sylvia sustained, most of which is too graphic to describe in this review.Ellen Page has proved herself to be an actress with a wide range of performances. In An American Crime, we feel for her, and although she is at the center of the film, we barely notice her. Even when she is being abused, we notice the individuals inflicting the abuse more than we notice Sylvia.Throughout the months this abuse took place, no one ever contacted the police. It reminded me of Alpha Dog (also based on actual events), where there were dozens of witnesses, and no one spoke up. This is a big problem in our society. We feel that we should ignore what is happening, we feel that it is not our place to get involved, because of this attitude, not only did Sylvia Liken die a horrible death at the hand of Gertrude Baniszewski, and her children, but she was tortured for months in the process.Another strong point that was made with this film, is that parents need to teach their children to respect others. There were dozens of children from around the neighborhood that took part in the abuse of Sylvia. What kind of sick person do you have to be to take part in such things? Parents also need to teach their children what is considered abuse and to not be afraid to report it when they see it, and to know the difference between right and wrong, and that even if an adult tells them to do something that they know is wrong, that they are not to listen to the adult and that they need to tell someone what is happening. While we are on the subject of parenting, Sylvia's parents should have known better than to leave their daughters with someone they did not know. This is a classic case of the parents thinking about themselves over the safety of their children.Although I believe this is an important story and it needs to be told and witnessed so that we realize how important it is to not turn our backs when we witness horrible things. The film does not go into a lot of the detail that would have made this an exceptionally powerful film, like Alpha Dog. It is not made clear that part of the problem with Gertrude, beyond being a sick and twisted individual, was that she was taking opiates, and she was loosing her mind. That is part of the reason she was able to get these strange ideas in her head about Sylvia. Also, there were many more torturous things done to Sylvia than was covered in the film. Granted, I do not want to see these things happen any more than anyone else, however, when someone is telling a story like this, I feel that it is important to hit the audience as hard as you can with the reality of how horrible the situation really was for Sylvia. Although I did not give An American Crime a high rating, it is a film that should be seen in order to give us a better understanding of how important it is to report abuse.
A Crying Shame
posted on 05 Jun 2009*Spoilers ahead* The inarguable suffering that teenager Sylvia Likens endured at the hands of psychotic matron Gertrude Baniszewski remains one of the most unsettling tales in the American true-crime vault, and the snide-sounding title of this review is in no way intended to trivialize the events or loss of life that transpired; rather, it's a summary of the missed opportunities and aesthetic miscalculations that ultimately wind up downplaying the wounding pain at the heart of the story in "An American Crime." Unlike last year's filmed adaptation of "The Girl Next Door" (adapted from Jack Ketchum's fictionalized account of the Likens case), "Crime" embellishes its tough subject with touches that are either too melodramatic, manipulative, or catch-all.It's a shame, since the performances of rising star Ellen Page (as Sylvia) and Catherine Keener (gamely playing against type as "Gertie") are wrought with such painful nuance that it made me wish the film had chosen a blunt, sincere approach to the facts (it immediately lets us know testimonial details have been incorporated). As "Crime" opens with voice-over narration from Sylvia (with the strong implication of being in the present), it is a cheap shot on the filmmakers' part to lead on those who know nothing of the case with the hope of a happy resolution (though, in an even more stretched bit of manipulation, the ending attempts to justify this choice). Furthermore, the decision to incorporate a dream sequence that has Sylvia evading her tormentors and reuniting with her family comes across as crass and cynical, resulting in a scene that is tragic for all the wrong reasons.Yet, in an odd way, I can see what director Tommy O'Haver is going for with these choices, as misguided as they are. While "The Girl Next Door" employed a straightforward, reality-based narrative, the end result was as horrifying as it was heart-wrenching: its unflinching approach and sincere performances made it a horror film of dark-hearted humanity, where the viewer who endured it certainly earned his or her tear-stained cheeks. With "Crime," O'Haver's attempts to dramatize the events come across as inappropriate (not to mention excessive, given the source material's inherent drama): while the courtroom-testimonial framing device smacks of unoriginality, its employ in cutting away from key scenes not only defuses the intended impact, but takes us out of the movie altogether. Similarly, the stylized scenes of abuse taken from Sylvia's POV (particularly a slow-motion montage midway through) come across as flinching at the horrors of violence (and the ghastliness of its potential in the young and impressionable), rather than underlining them."An American Crime" inspired no polarizing feelings of love or hate to stir in me–only frustration at its dishonest tactics in attempting to mine uplift from such a bleak, terrifying moment in American history. Too bad–if nothing else, the performances of Page and Keener are the stuff of impassioned commitment, and belong under the banner of a more honest production.
A very important film that shouldn't be ignored
posted on 18 May 2009Not many films make me feel sick to my stomach and not many make me feel such a profound sadness that I'm helpless to do anything but cry. An American Crime chronicles the startling and horrific events that led to the death of sixteen year old Sylvia Likens. The story we're told comes directly from the court transcripts in the case of Baniszewski vs. The State of Indiana. As the story unfolds we slowly spiral from a normal, small town world populated with youthful innocence to one of absolute and inexplicable horror.The story of the events that led up to Likens' death is short and tragic, with many people to fault, including her own parents and sister. Her parents negligently entrusted her and her little sister's care to a woman they had only met once. This woman, Gertrude Baniszewski, was mother to a brood of children and accepted Sylvia and her sister into her home for the simple fact that she needed the money the Likens were offering. But Baniszewski wan't fit to care for the Likens' daughters and within a few months, Sylvia had become the victim of Gertrude's escalating abuse. Sylvia eventually became a prisoner in Baniszewski's basement for an excruciating 27 days, where she was abused and tortured by Baniszewski, her children and also a number of other neighborhood children. How could this have happened? How could so many people be involved in such a horrible crime? How could her own sister not have gone to the police before it was too late? After Sylvia died as a result of her beatings, Baniszewski's was found guilty of her crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Her children and the others involved were also found guilty and sentenced, each one eventually serving two years in prison. While Baniszewski's crimes are unforgivable, the thing I personally found most disturbing was how her example led to her children's and the other children's acts of cold, cruel, brutality.The world we are introduced to in AAC is not sensational, on the contrary, it is simple, ordinary, common and comfortable. The production design and cinematography work in harmony, lulling the viewer into believing they are witness to a more innocent time and place and as the story builds the Norman Rockwell veneer slowly begins to chip away until it is displaced by a world of suffocating doom. The resulting effect is that AAC gets under our skin and disturbs us in a profound way since these crimes could have been committed in our neighborhood, by our neighbors and possibly by people we knew and trusted. Most disturbing of all is the realization these crimes could have involved us.It would be easy to demonize Baniszewski and all the others involved in Likens death, but writer/director Tommy O'Haver chooses to humanize them instead. In doing so their horrible acts of abuse and torture linger and beg the recurring question: how could they have done this? When we see the faces of the children in court, we don't see the faces of psychopaths, we see innocent children with no explanation for their actions. Only Baniszewski herself comes across as a detached, delusional and remorseless criminal and Catherine Keener has to be applauded for somehow managing to add complexity and insight to someone guilty of such crimes. Keener's subtle performance aside, the standout in this movie is Ellen Page who breaks our heart when we watch her stripped of her innocence.Before AAC, Page drew raves for her performances in Hard Candy and Juno. In both those films she played a precocious, smart assed hipster who had the world on the tip of her little finger. Here Page plays Likens as a sensitive, kind and considerate sixteen year old and when the world comes crashing down upon her, the suffering she endures is heartbreaking and convincingly rendered by Page. I'm sure few will agree with me, but Page's breakthrough performance isn't in Juno, it's in An American Crime.
A movie that plays over and over in your mind.
posted on 02 May 2009Granted this movie is a hard one to watch. But also it is a movie that should not be turned away from. Evil resonates and damn near triumphs. Tommy O'Haver directs and shares writing with Irene Turner. Based on a true story that shows child abuse is a crime that should not be ignored. Ellen Page is masterful in her heartbreaking portrayal of Sylvia Likens, an attractive teenager, who with her sister Jennie(Hayley McFarland)are left in the charge of a suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski(Catherine Keener). Gertrude already overly stressed with trying to raise her own brood on little of nothing, agrees to care for the Likens; but uses Sylvia as the target of her wrath. Instead of punishing her own children there was Sylvia to endure the punishment. She was imprisoned in the dank basement of that two story house and was burnt by cigarettes, kicked, branded with hot wire and humiliated not only by Baniszewski and her children, but also neighborhood children who had free will to help in the torture.This movie is very hard to get out of your mind. Page and Keener are stellar. Also in the cast: Ari Graynor, Scout Taylor-Compton, Bradley Whitford, Michael Welch and Michael O'Keefe. The soundtrack is not as harsh and downbeat as the story. Tunes from the likes of Petula Clark, Leslie Gore, Barbara Lewis and Chard & Jeremy.
A potent and disturbing sleeper
posted on 16 Apr 2009Indiana, 1965. Perky teenager Sylvia Likens (marvelously played by Ellen Page of "Juno" fame) and her sweet, fragile younger sister Betty (an appealing turn by Romy Rosemont) are placed in the care of the sickly and impoverished Gertrude Baniszewski (a superbly chilling and understated performance by Catherine Keener) by their carnival worker parents. Things work out okay for a while, but eventually turn sour when Gertrude hears that Sylvia has been saying nasty things about her sassy oldest daughter Paula (the excellent Ari Graynor) and puts the poor girl in the basement so she can be subjected to all kinds of torture and mistreatment as punishment for her "sins." Director/co-writer Tommy O'Haver and co-writer Irene Turner handle the grim and upsetting subject matter in an admirably straightforward and nonexploitative manner; they thankfully eschew explicitness in favor of suggesting more than showing the various atrocities committed in the story. It's this welcome and refreshing element of taste and restraint which gives this film an extra unnerving edge. The fact that the plot is based on true events only makes the whole affair that much more shocking and unsettling. Kudos are also in order for the uniformly first-rate acting from a tip-top cast: Page is absolutely heartbreaking as a sympathetic innocent who was brutalized for no real valid reason, Keener does an expert job of conveying the seething cruelty bubbling just underneath the surface of Gertrude's deceptively calm and ordinary veneer, plus there are fine contributions by Bradley Whitford as shrewd Prosecutor Lery K. New, Tristan Jarred as Gertrude's trouble-making son Johnny, and Michael O'Keefe as the stern Reverend Bill Collier. The vivid evocation of both the period and the region look and feel right, Alan Lazar supplies an effectively spare and harmonic score, and Byron Shah's polished cinematography gives the movie a lovely sparkling look. A strong and startling powerhouse about the darkness and savagery that exists in suburbia's twisted underbelly.
Dumb reality, should be called "An American Incapability"
posted on 21 Mar 2009This movie proves that people everywhere and especially in U.S.A. are incapable of treating the crime the way it should be treated, and maybe back then this could be reality, but now if things like this happen it is bizarre. I mean considering that this is a movie based on real events that really did take place 40-50 years ago, it still didn't quite get me into it. Yea sure the parallel court scenes with torturing scenes have been done somehow decently, but this is still in my opinion just another movie about white trash and their crimes inside or outside the family, and to be honest these kind of movies never looked good.If you wanna waste your time seeing some reality torturing plus court scenes and in the end that nice sum we always get from these movies, like who died when what did they do after the jail and so on..., then go ahead and watch 'An American Crime', otherwise get absolutely anything else to watch !
Treatment of case too cursory
posted on 17 Mar 2009I read of the Likens case before I heard of the film. I waited a year for the DVD release; it wasn't in any cinema in my region. I just watched AAC tonight and I am disappointed. The actors did a fine job and the cinematography was engaging; the problem is, as several comments above point out, this is not a lurid enough film for such a lurid case as Sylvia's. Perhaps the director was trying to dodge an NC-17 rating, but that's what it would require to develop a story approaching the horrors of these events. O'Haver's interpretation is on the level of a Lifetime original. The film feels like it's in a big hurry to tell the story as if it is scared of its own subject. The scenes seem disjointed as though too much was left on the cutting room floor. I wish the film had spent more time focused on the torture of Ms. Likens and the squalor of the home. That way the viewer might better understand domestic violence still chilling 43 years later. The dream sequence with Ricky Hobbs and Sylvia's parents should have been dumped. Nonetheless, I still recommend AAC. Before watching the film, read the Wikipedia article on the Likens case. You will know how the story ends; however, the background information will supplement what the film lacks.
LORD OF THE FLIES in a Baptist basement
posted on 30 Jan 2009This Hollywood attack against Christianity, Christians, and most specifically, Baptists is glaringly obvious, yet no one else here is willing to be "politically incorrect" and point this out. The events depicted in the movie are MORE HORRIFIC than anything that happens to a girl in any of the TEX.AS CHAINSAW MASSACRE flicks. Yet, the perpetrators of the outrage are not depicted as nondenominational inbred cretins, but rather as Hoosier Baptists on the south side of Indianapolis in 1965 who never miss a Sunday at church. When the only adult in the house burns one of the eight children living there with lit cigarettes and sexually disfigures her--all this being done shamelessly in front of the other seven kids--the untouched septet immediately assume it's their mandate from God that they do likewise (apparently Adolph Hitler has been teaching their Sunday school class). Not only that, but they bring over all their little friends from the church school bus (a specific Baptist church is maligned here, but I'm not going to risk their building by naming it) to their basement torture chamber, and EVERY kid joins in on the torture with no arm-twisting. To make matters worse, the local pastor stands in the living room six feet over the torture victim, questioning why she's been missing church, and the whacked out adult bamboozles him with lame responses that would have even a normal three-year-old calling in the cops. Despite a cross appearing somewhere in at least half the scenes, and a Bible turning up in many, the ONLY person behaving as if she's ever come within a block of a church is the torture victim herself. Furthermore, her closing line of voice-over dialog implies she's totally lost her faith in God. I actually spent one night a week of the mid-sixties in a Baptist church basement, and over the years the most eyebrow-raising incident I was exposed to was a bit of PG graffiti in the men's room. But the Baptists of this same era shown in the movie either behave like psycho-killers or like thoughtless pod people out of THE INVASION OF THE BODY-SNATCHERS. By saying that their movie is "based on a true story and court transcripts," the filmmakers have taken license to go a-hunting after Baptists and Christianity. Even if this family from hell had gone to church a few times, depicting them as devoutly "punishing" a church sister they'd taken a random dislike to in such a sadistic manner promotes the tolerance of the recent U.S. government raids and fire-bombings of those religious communities which have tried to wall Hollywood out of their lives (largely because of this exact type of faith-attacking film). Worse yet, probably 99% of IMDb users will dismiss the 20% of Americans who fear an impending government ban on religious freedom as "nut jobs," since they already have been brainwashed by gratuitously anti-Christian movies like AN AMER!CAN CRIME (that is, being a Baptist is a crime against America!).
You have to see this at least once !
posted on 16 Jan 2009Firstly,This film is of the "drama" genre.. So i request all of you to stop calling this a horror film.. People tend to get the wrong opinion and would refrain from watching this movie."This film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski."The movie is very well made ! Great acting & direction I must add. One wouldn't want to go around proclaiming that the movie is great purely because of it's sickening nature.Child Abuse has always been a matter of grave discussion through all kinds of media.But I'd go all the way to say that this movie has vividly portrayed this issue which frankly , still happens to many children all around the world due to many disturbing reasons,this being one of them.Catherine Keener's performance was really good but second to Ellen Page who deserves the utmost credits for her acting. To be tortured,even if it's just acting,is a terrible thing.. I was literally begging for some mercy while watching it!This is after all a tragic tale of child abuse involving sickening acts of torture & murder which makes it rather difficult to watch.Not sure even if some adults would sit through this movie.A definite no-no for kids ! Good thing it's got a R rating..So all I have to say is that ,this is just one of those controversial movies that come along every now and then,and leave you disturbed.. But one you definitely shouldn't miss watching !I give it a 9/10 because of its sheer originality and the great acting involved..- Nishant
So sad
posted on 10 Jan 2009I watched this movie 3 times already and read articles about them on the internet. I cant stand how people were back them mind their own business cause u know it wasn't happening if u didn't admit to it. I think it was disgusting and sad how that women treated that girl and her kids and their friends and personally i think they all should have spent the rest of their life in prison,Every single last one of those kids should have got prison time or juvie time including the sister Stephanie she knew what was going on and also in the papers she wasn't the nice one she also helped in killing Sylvia.. Look up the story its sad and the really sad thing is its still happening in Indiana now. Except its not the families that ignore the problem its the Social Workers.
I thought we were just teaching her.
posted on 02 Jan 2009While everyone was watching Juno, Ellen Page was making a much more important film. Those who do not have a background in child abuse, will find this very disturbing. It is a horror film that displays what goes on all over America, and is not always noticed, or, if noticed, is not always reported.The film stars Catherine Keener as a mother that is overwhelmed by the fact that she has a half dozen kids to feed and little money coming in. He husband is not providing support, and neither is the father of her last child. Have to supervise her brood with a drug problem (albiet a legal one), is overwhelming.When she is unable to handle the fact that her eldest is getting out of control and following in her footsteps, she selects one of the girls she is caring for to scapegoat. In other words, this girl (Ellen Page) will bear the scars and marks that she can't place on her own children. She shifts the blame from her and her children to Sylvia. Sylvia soon becomes the target of all the neighborhood children, believing that they are "teaching her" to be good. The adults in the neighborhood hear the screams coming from the house as she is burned with cigarettes and branded with a hot wire, and turn the other way.It is a hard film to watch, even for those of us who have seen the results many times. For those not exposed to this stain on America, it can be very traumatic. Be forewarned.
Messed Up
posted on 17 Nov 2008I've used IMDb to review movie commentaries for several years now, but this is the 1st time I've posted. This might be the darkest movie I have ever seen and I'm only 1/2 way through it. I need to watch anchor man and naked gun back to back before I can go back to this twisted mess. I almost cried myself when Gurdy told Jenny her parents had picked up the Florida carnival tour and would not be back until the end of November. Also, if I ever see little Johnny walking the streets (real johnny or the actor) while I'm driving, I'm not breaking. I would be shocked if that kid did not grow up to be a full time inmate in a Federal Prison.
it was very upsetting
posted on 03 Nov 2008This movie was good, acting was excellent, filming was excellent and you are quickly drawn into the story so that all around you is no longer there. Yet when you see the things that happen to this poor girl your eyes don't want to stop watching but in the back of your mind you're thinking why? Then you remember during portions of this movie that it was based on actual events and when the credits roll you're hit with this overwhelming since of sadness and grief that makes you want to tell your parent or parents that you love them and that you're thankful for them. While your mind processes what you've just seen it's hard because it's so shocking and real and you want to shout at the top of your lungs SAVE THIS GIRL! I guess it could just be me but it had powerful emotional effect on me. I've seen other movies about true stories but other than Schindler's List nothing had such an impact until now. There was a Lifetime movie that made me angry and sickened me that turned out was fictional that I wished they would have said before the movie began its not based on actual events. My advice is if you think you can handle the emotions you'll feel after this movie then watch it. If you don't think you can, then watch it with another person. The overall sad and disturbing fact was this movie was based on a true story. I guess that makes it all the more scary.
This entire movie is a crime! (Guilty of boring you to death)
posted on 08 Oct 2008I was actually really excited to watch this movie and was hoping for a good crime-based drama to recommend to a few of my regulars customers (I work in a video store). Unfortunately this film failed to engage me almost right from the start. Firstly the film tries way too hard to force us to accept an innocent storybook 1960's feel. That combined with very obvious foreshadowing left me annoyed and wondering why the director felt it necessary to treat his audience like idiots. Secondly this film decided to have all of the violent content implied instead of shown on-screen. So what? A movie doesn't have to show the violence on-screen to be effective right? Wrong! This made the film almost laughable in parts where it was supposed to be shocking, oh yeah and not to mention boring! Also the background music was dull and the epilogue was completely unnecessary.Definitely avoid renting this one, very disappointing.
Harrowing re-telling of a 60's tragedy that feels painfully present-day…
posted on 22 Sep 2008This is the reportedly accurate re-telling of true events as they occurred in the state of Indiana during autumn of the year 1965. Sylvia Likens, a 16-year-old girl, is found dead in the house of mentally unstable Gertrude Baniszewski and her seven children. During the trial it becomes transparent that Gertrude locked the up in the basement following a banal incident, abused and humiliated her and – most shockingly of all – encouraged her own children and the neighborhood kids to physically torment her as well.The review starts off with a sad and semi off-topic note. Despite the title and the timing of the real events, the crime isn't a typically American one and it certainly isn't aligned to a certain time era. How incredible and incomprehensible it may sound, a similar type of inhumanly cruel crime became exposed earlier this year 2008 in Austria. In this horrifying case, a father kept his own daughter imprisoned in a basement for no less than 24 years and sexually abused her the entire long time.They say that facts often surpass fiction and that some of the real-life crimes we hear about on the news every day are far more horrific and grueling than anything that could ever spawn from the over-imaginative minds of scriptwriters. This theory is most certainly applicable when talking about these sorts of crime-cases. As a viewer, you can't but feel immediately involved with the characters and you continue to hope for their rescue, even though you know it won't come. Writer/director Tommy O'Haver masterfully illustrates the events in his film. He uses a sober, atmospheric and chilling narrative where testimonies in the trial are altered with extended flashbacks taking place in the Baniszewski household. At first you automatically feel sympathy for Gertrude. She's heavily ill, abandoned by several men already and barely makes enough money to feed all her children. However, she gradually turns into a manic-depressive and completely unreasonable monster and by the end of the film – when she denies everything on trial whilst keeping a straight face – she will have become one of the most hated individuals in your life. This particular transformation is brilliantly portrayed in the film, of course primarily thanks to the amazing and unbelievably versatile actress Catherine Keener who delivers one of the most astounding performances ever. The nature of Baniszewski's crimes is already impossible to understand, but the utmost incomprehensible aspect about the case remains the naivety of her "unaware" accomplices. Numerous young people from various age categories joined Gertrude in slowly murdering the poor and defenseless Sylvia. Ellen Page also delivers a mesmerizing performance as Sylvia. After "Juno" and especially "Hard Candy" this is already the third time she literally perplexes me with her acting talents and, considering her young age, I'm pretty sure she will do again many times after this. O'Haver also masterfully recreates the grim and almost depressing ambiance of the struggling mid-60's era in Indiana, with exact period details (like vehicles, costumes, carnivals…) and dazzling contemporary music. The brilliant soundtrack contains classics like Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me", Van McCoy's "Baby I'm Yours" and "Downtown" by Petula Clark. It's a nearly perfect motion picture about a sadly depressing real life tragedy.
How terrible....
posted on 02 Sep 2008Oh my god what a harrowing and disturbing film but is a must see. I agree with everyone's else's comments about this and at times I had to have my eyes shut because of the awful screams that came from the poor child (Sylvia). It is like a book that you really get into, unputdownable, you just simply have to carry on watching it to see what happens. The actors/actresses were superb and as much as it was difficult to play these characters, they all did a superb job.Films like these although upsetting and disturbing, are also intriguing too. The fact that it was based on a true story says it all. It is a sad tale yet at the end I truly believe that 20 years is not a long time for someone to go to prison for due to murdering and abusing a poor innocent girl.
A good movie, but...
posted on 29 Aug 2008An American Crime is based on the true story of the murder of Sylvia Likens. The acting in the movie was superb, in particular Ellen Page and Catherine Keener. Had this been a fiction story, then the plot and characterization would be nothing short of fantastic. However, this was NOT a fiction story and what is glaringly obvious about this film is how the writers have downplayed how evil and demented Gertrude Baniszweski truly was. The story does not cover most of the brutal torture Sylvia endured on a random basis (before she was trapped in the basement). For example, in reality Gertrude had a fondness for kicking Sylvia in the crotch to the point where Sylvia's autopsy showed a shattered pubic bone.This movie, instead, tries to portray a troubled, yet at times sympathetic, Gertrude. I don't agree with how the viewer is made to sympathize with Gertrude and to not view her not as a monster, but as a semi-normal person who was, for reasons of poverty, frustration and fear of society's judgment of her children, driven to commit this heinous crime. I know the director was trying to avoid over the top sensationalism with this story, but if you read the accounts of what ACTUALLY happened in this case, you will find this movie to be quite a dulled down version. All in all, it's worth viewing.
sad film, good directing, worth watching.
posted on 27 Aug 2008This film was very sad, and the outcome; slightly unpredicted. It makes you look at the screen, confused and slightly horrified. The direction of the film is very good, somehow it makes you feel like you're involved, but like you cant be of any help, which I think reflects the feelings of the majority of the characters.The influence of the Catherine Keener's character on her children obviously has a different effect by the end of the film. It is a very touching film, as it forces you to see the strength it takes to protect your family, from evils that are affecting you, and evidently you, yourself.Ellen Page's Acting is on top-form in this film. She's very convincing. In fact, all the acting in this film is extremely good. And the amount of violence, isn't heavy at all, although some people find some scenes hard to watch. However, everything in the film, is crucial to the story. And ultimately, this is a story of a girl, who was stricken by misfortune. I believe her story was told well. But I'm sure there's more to it. Although, if hit by such grief, I wouldn't mind warning the world of such ill adventures.Overall: this film should be given a metaphorical, standing ovation. As there are so many things about this piece, good; however intense, bitter and sorrowful, it is definitely one worth watching.
child abuse as entertainment...a great film
posted on 10 Aug 2009Why was this film made? Why would anyone want to sit back in a comfortable chair with a snack and watch a little girl be tortured? What does it say about me that I loved this film, that I was the one with the snack in the comfortable chair? What did I get out of this? The knowledge that this kind of thing exists and should not be tolerated? A history lesson on the dark side of America? An hour and a half of riveting, intelligent entertainment that made me feel and think? One the best uses of a ghost of any movie I've ever seen, and a solid movie all around. Who could argue with that? I just wonder, you know, about deeper issues about me, about society, when brutality and suffering become popular choices for entertainment. This is one step above NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, because the brutality is not a sick fairy tale, but real life. This film should have an impact on you, as it did me, and if it doesn't, explore THAT deeper issue about yourself.