An American Crime (2007)

I watched this film yesterday, and I am still processing everything I saw.

I highly recommend giving it a watch; it truly stays with you.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0802948/

George Hill3 said:So, I watched this movie last night, and honestly, I'm still kind of reeling from it.

I’d say you all definitely need to check it out.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0802948/

It was just incredible, seriously perfect. 😁>

I just finished watching the film, and while I’d call it a pretty solid drama, it doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel. It feels like one of those heavy pieces you put on late in the evening when you have nothing else to do. The plot centers on two sisters who are left in the care of a neighbor—a woman with a massive household of her own—who is tasked with looking after them. At the heart of this tragedy is a sweet little girl named Sylvia, who becomes the target of the other children's cruelty. They refuse to accept her, picking on her relentlessly, and instead of stepping in to stop it, the mother turns a blind eye, actually participating in the unfair abuse of an innocent child. The caregiver herself is negligent, harsh, and clearly unstable, and her reckless, unjust punishments eventually spiral out of control, leading to the girl's death.

The movie kicks off right in the middle of a murder trial, making the entire narrative essentially a series of flashbacks or reflections on what went wrong. We've seen this structural device used in plenty of films before—though, honestly, none specifically spring to mind at this moment.
Regardless, it is a very powerful drama. Even if it lacks a certain level of originality, it is absolutely drenched in tension and raw emotion. My heart truly broke for little Sylvia; she was such a sweet, good kid, and seeing her subjected to such unprovoked, cruel punishment was genuinely shocking to witness. To make matters even more unsettling, the whole thing is based on a true American Crime. The performance by Ellen Page was exceptional; frankly, someone playing the young girl deserves an Oscar for it.

Ronald Barnes47 said:Either way, it’s a solid drama, even if the premise isn't exactly groundbreaking

Plus, the movie is based on a true story.

Man, I am not reading all that nonsense... If it's based on a true story, how can you claim it's not "original"? What were they supposed to make up? Like, maybe if she actually survived, you'd be happy? Give me a break.

I was reading up on the Gertrude Baniszewski case a while back. There was even a TV special about her on "Deadliest Women." I also watched the movie "The Girl Next Door," which was inspired by the whole ordeal. To be honest, I just finished the film and felt pretty let down. The casting was solid, but the actual plot felt thin and underdeveloped.

The movie only captured maybe 10%—if that—of what Sylvia Likens actually endured in that house. I really liked the actress playing Sylvia, though. You find yourself rooting for her so easily that watching the rest of the film becomes much harder to stomach. If they had included more scenes showing the reality of what was happening to her, I think the impact would have been far greater.

Another issue for me was how they portrayed Gertrude as a woman with a soul—like that scene at the end where she says "Forgive me" and breaks down crying in front of her. I’m convinced that isn't true. She was an absolute, sick monster who shouldn't be granted any kind of mercy, regardless of the excuse. It’s the same situation with her daughter, Paul. In the film, she's just a silent bystander to Sylvia's torture, but if you look at any report online, she was just as responsible for the tragedy as her mother. That's why she ended up being convicted too.

The story itself is incredibly heavy, especially once you dig into the details. That’s exactly why this version didn't work for me. "The Girl Next Door" left a much stronger impression.