An American Crime (2007)
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The film depicts the harrowing true story of the torture and murder of a teenager by a local woman.
The story
In 1965, carnival workers Lester and Betty Likens hire Gertrude Baniszewski to care for their daughters, Sylvia and Jenny, while they go on tour. Although Gertrude is impoverished, she accepts the arrangement for a weekly fee. However, when the payments begin to fail, Gertrude's behavior toward the girls becomes increasingly volatile and abusive. The film explores the escalating tension and the dark reality of the girls' situation under Gertrude's care as the situation spirals out of control. The narrative follows the escalating circumstances surrounding the girls' confinement and the growing danger they face in the household.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1965, carnival workers Lester and Betty Likens leave their daughters, Sylvia and Jenny, in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski. When payments fail, Gertrude becomes abusive, eventually imprisoning Sylvia in a basement and subjecting her to physical and psychological torture, including branding. The situation escalates as Gertrude's children become complicit in the abuse. After a local pastor visits and Gertrude lies about Sylvia's whereabouts, the abuse intensifies. Eventually, Paula, one of Gertrude's daughters, helps Sylvia escape. Sylvia is taken to a fair where her parents find her, but she dies from her injuries. The film concludes with a trial where Gertrude is sentenced to life in prison for murder and child abuse, while the narrative ends with a vision of Sylvia finding peace.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tommy O'Haver
- Cast and characters
- Elliot Page · Sylvia Likens; Catherine Keener · Gertrude Baniszewski; James Franco · Andy Gordon; Bradley Whitford · Prosecutor Leroy K. New; Ari Graynor · Paula Baniszewski; Nick Searcy · Lester Likens; Michael O'Keefe · Reverend Bill Collier; Romy Rosemont · Betty Likens
- Genres
- crime drama; horror
- Themes
- child abuse; torture; betrayal
- Tone and mood
- dark; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- true story; based on actual events; courtroom drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- court transcripts
- Content notes
- torture
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with a 43% score on Rotten Tomatoes, though some critics praised Catherine Keener's performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 43% · scale: percentage · review count: 14; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 4.8 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Emmy Award · Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie · nominated; Writers Guild of America Award · Long Form — Original · nominated; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Film · nominated
- Production trivia
- The cast was largely unaware of the real case until after reading the script.; Catherine Keener initially turned down the role but changed her mind.; Elliot Page was the only choice for the role of Sylvia Likens.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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