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Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, James Franco, Bradley Whitford, Ari Graynor ... see more see more... , Nick Searcy , Michael O'Keefe , Romy Rosemont , Jeremy Sumpter , Evan Peters , Hayley McFarland

The true story of a young girl held captive by her insane caretaker comes to life in this disturbing film from Ella Enchanted director Tommy O'Haver. Hard Candy's Ellen Page stars as Sylvia Likens a t... read more read more...eenager who, along with her sister, is left to live temporarily with seemigly-mild-mannered housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, played by Catherine Keener. Unfortunately for Sylvia, Gertrude soon snaps and holds her hostage in harsh conditions until the former's eventual death. Bradley Whitford costars as the prosecutor tasked with trying the case against Baniszewski. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

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13 critics

R, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Tommy O'Haver

Release Date: August 17, 2007

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DVD Release Date: August 19, 2008

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Flixster Reviews (1,660)

  • ironclad1609
    December 25, 2011
    ironclad1609
    Based on a true story from the 1960s this film tells the tragic tale of a young girl being tortured and held captive by a family for a months. Setting the court hearings as the frame for the reconstruction of the terrible events the film does never show the cruel details of young... read more Sylvia's misery, which doesn't lessen the more and more disturbing and gloomy impact on the viewer. The main perpetrator, Catherine Keener as a mother who's in over her head with six kids and no money, does not start out as a bad person, just someone who is slowly losing control over her life and her kid's future. How things could go so dire so quickly remains somewhat unexplained, which only increases the horror. Much scarier than the mum's horrible actions are all the people looking the other way or joining in because they are told to. The acting is accordingly intense. Only the dream sequence towards the end aims for cheap horror thrills and doesn't do justice to the film and the case. No fun film my any means, but a gloomy yet somewhat superficial look at the unexpected horrors behind family doors. For evil to succeed all it takes is good to look the other way.
  • imrealgod
    July 9, 2011
    imrealgod
    Being always curious to watch movies based on true story, it was but obvious that I was compelled to watch this movie. I read a part of the plot and then decided to go for it to know what happened to that girl (Sylvia Likens), why she suffered, how much and how long. Of course, t... read morehis wasn't a documentary, so I didn't expect the exact depiction of the real life story. Yet it provided a generous amount of info, including a part of court transcriptions, about this tragic event.


    R.I.P. Sylvia Likens & R.I.H. all those who tortured her.

    [R.I.H. = Rot In Hell (just made it out; ain't sure whether such abbreviation exists currently.)]
  • hunterjt13
    November 18, 2010
    hunterjt13
    I think the most interesting thing about this film is the title. I think about the juxtaposition of two disparate ideas: first, America is a country that prides itself on its celebration of rugged individualism, and many of the stories (true and apocryphal) about its foundation ... read moredebate the relationship between the individual and the state (yes: Glenn Beck has no original ideas; everything he says has been said since the time of America's founding). Second, the "American" crime depicted in this film is the direct result of groupthink and mob mentality, essentially the surrender of individual morality and thought to that of a group. So by calling the abuse of Sylvia Likens a typically American event, is the film denying one of America's definitive stories? I would find this remarkably interesting, and combined with the remarkable performance by Catherine Keener, a consistent thesis along those lines would make an intelligent, engaging film. But there is a key scene toward the end - a narrative trick that's supposed to be clever and effective (it isn't) - that denies the thesis: a key character, who demonstrates pathetic gullibility and performs one of the most despicable acts of abuse, undergoes a dramatic reversal and thinks for himself. But this moment of self-determination is only part of a trick, and we later discover it didn't even happen. The film thus sacrifices consistency of message at the altar of thinking itself cool.
    Also, I was disappointed in Page's performance. She was remarkably convincing and heart-rending during the torture sequences, but her pre-tortured Sylvia is a bland, ever-smiling mask. As I said earlier, Keener is amazing. She finds humanity in Gertrude's moments of abuse that a lesser actor would've played in a sadistic impersonation of Hannibal Lecter.
    Overall, An American Crime is a disappointment because it fails to understand its own content.
  • creepfreak
    August 10, 2010
    creepfreak
    I heard about this crime years ago and it pulled me in. When I first read about it I couldn't stop thinking how horrible it was. Back then it was the worst case of child abuse I've ever read about. It wasn't until recently that I read something even more horrifying, and that was ... read moreonly because it was over a span of 15 years, where as the Sylvia Likens case lasted 3 months. The 15 year case had this father keep his daughter hostage in a closet where he constantly impregnated her. Even though the Sylvia Likens was still a tough read.

    About the case:

    "Baniszewski, described by the Indianapolis Star as a "haggard, underweight asthmatic" suffering from depression and the stress of several failed marriages, began taking her anger out on the Likens girls, beating them with paddles after payments from their parents failed to arrive on time.

    Soon, Baniszewski focused her abuse on Sylvia; accusing her of stealing candy that she had bought from a grocery store, and humiliating her when she admitted that she had once had a boyfriend. She kicked Likens in the genitals and accused her of being pregnant. Paula Baniszewski, who actually was pregnant at the time, became enraged and knocked Likens onto the floor. Likens became convinced that she was pregnant, although medical examination proved that she was not and could not have been.

    Likens was then falsely accused of spreading rumors through Arsenal Technical High School that Stephanie and Paula were prostitutes. That supposedly provoked Stephanie's boyfriend, Coy Hubbard, to physically attack Likens. Mrs. Baniszewski encouraged Hubbard and other neighborhood children to torment Likens, including, among other things, putting cigarettes out on her skin and forcing her to remove her clothes and insert a glass Coca-Cola bottle into her vagina on at least two occasions.

    After beating Sylvia to get her to admit to stealing from school a gym suit which Baniszewski would not buy for her, and without which she was unable to attend gym class, Baniszewski kept her out of school and did not allow her to leave the house. When Likens urinated in her bed, a situation likely caused by damage done to her kidneys by the severe beatings administered by Baniszewski and her children, she was locked in the cellar and forbidden to use the toilet. Later, she was forced to consume faeces and urine. Shortly before Sylvia died, Baniszewski began to carve the words "I'm a prostitute and proud of it!" into Sylvia's stomach with a heated needle, although Richard Hobbs finished the carving when Baniszewski was unable to do so. Hobbs, with the help of 10-year old Shirley Baniszewski, also used a heated eye bolt to burn the number "3" into Sylvia's chest.

    Likens attempted to escape a few days before her death after overhearing Baniszewski's plan to have her dumped in a wooded area nearby, but was caught by Baniszewski as she reached the front door. As punishment, she was tied in the basement and given only crackers to eat. On October 26, 1965, after multiple beatings, burnings, and scalding baths, she died of a brain hemorrhage, shock, and malnutrition.

    When Stephanie Baniszewski and Richard Hobbs realized that Sylvia was not breathing, Stephanie attempted to give Sylvia mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before realizing that it was hopeless and that Sylvia was dead."

    American Crime is a TV movie, and it sure as hell feels like one. It's not as disturbing as the actual case, and it doesn't capture all the horrors that went on in that house, but it's still a detailed movie (for a full account you should read about the case on trutv.com). Ellen Page (star of Juno) plays Sylvia, and does a great job, but the best performance here is by Catherine Keener (The 40 Year Old Virgin) who plays Gertrude Baniszewski, the highly disturbed and emotionally unstable mother behind the horrific crimes. Keener was even nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance. I'm surprised the movie itself wasn't nominated because it was that good. It's a great film. For those who are easily weak stomached, not to worry. The film doesn't go into graphic detail - everything is suggested and left to the mind. But then again, those with vivid imaginations may recreate the crime scene in all it's gory depravities. For a film that's not so graphic it sure sticks with you long after you've seen it. You won't be able to shake this one off so quickly. It's a film that everyone should see. I highly recommend it.

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  • bottcorecords1
    March 14, 2010
    bottcorecords1
    An American Crime paints a portrait of real-life events involving the sadistic torture of a 16-year old high school girl at the hands of Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener) and her children. The Likens family travel from town to town, working for the carnival. Their childre... read moren, Sylvia (Ellen Page) and Jennie (Hayley McFarland) want to stay put for once and make friend with kids and basically live like normal children. The father also feels (for whatever reason) that the girls are putting a strain on the marriage, so when Gertie offers to keep the kids for $20 a week room and board, the Likens take her up on her offer. It seems like an amiable plan, as Gertie has six children of her own, and the experience of a big family could be fun for the girls. Gertie however, is involved in an abusive relationship with a much younger man (James Franco), and seems to be slowly cracking under the mental stress of trying to raise six children with very little income. The impetus for her breakdown comes when one of her older daughters becomes pregnant by a married man. Sylvia tells the man of the girl's condition and one of her classmates overheard. The daughter gets revenge for this by telling her mother Sylvia has been spreading lies about her. The abuse starts off simply but quickly escalates to dramatic levels. What's truly horrifying about this film isn't the abuse by the mentally unbalanced mother, but by her children. Much like a demented Charles Manson, she's able to convince those around her to carry out the most sadistic acts. But unlike Manson, the ones she manipulates are just children (and here's where takes an interesting twist). We in the audience feel anger towards these children and through our sense of justice desire their punishment, and yet where do we draw the line? And it would be one thing if it were only her children who were the sadistic ones, but the fact that the other neighborhood children also participate shifts the blame to our society as a whole (hence, the title "An American Crime"). If children brought up in good wholesome homes can be convinced to do cruel things to innocent people, if children are unable to tell the difference between proper "punishment" and vile torture, then where do we draw the line? Even more cleverly, the film-maker places the audience in the same position as the guilty children, we're the observers unable or unwilling to stop the crime we're witnessing. In a world of tabloid sleeze here we get our cheap, voyeuristic thrills as the seedy details of sexually perverse crimes get made public, it's only just that we get some of the blame. What really gets driven home by this movie is the notion that victim or torturer, either one could be your child. All it takes is the word of a trusted adult, and the blind eye of society's turned head.
  • LWOODS04
    September 1, 2009
    LWOODS04
    This is the most disturbing performance I have seen from Catherine Keener. Fans of hers are not going to like her very much in this movie. It is very different from any role I have ever seen her in.
    Ellen Page, wow. What a performance this girl gives in this movie. She was amaz... read moreing to say the lease. She is really showing her fans and the viewer's just what she is capable of with her acting skills. She is going to go far.
    Whats more disturbing then this movie even being thought of to be made, is the fact that it is based on a true story. How horrific. I remember reading about all the controversy coming from the critics about the daring performances Catherine and Ellen gave. Now after seeing it I know why.
    Two sisters (Sylvia Likens and Jennie Likens) find themselves on the road living between their parents. Their parents are carnival workers. Both of their parents are going on tour with the carnival, so they decide to leave their daughters in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski. Gertrude's daughters are friends with the Likens sisters from church. Gertrude has a house full of kids as it is when she takes on the Likens sisters.
    Gertrude has a lot of financial problems and that is why she decides to let the girls stay with her, so she can collect a weekly check from their parents for keeping them. Things turn for the worse when Gertrude becomes angry when she doesn't receive her weekly check from the girl's father. She then goes on to punish the girls by whipping them with a belt. She does end up receiving a check not long after, with an apology note for it being late. She never tells the girls though.
    Gertrude takes out a lot of her frustration and anger on Sylvia Likens. She even has her children join in on the beatings, which is really upsetting. Just knowing that this is based on a true story and that there is someone out there like this, and that these events happened to these two young girls just sickens me. It's not an easy movie to watch, but is well worth it to see Catherine and Ellen's performances which are amazing. This a movie you definitely will remember whether you want to or not. The performances are that strong.
  • djdemersseman
    October 28, 2008
    djdemersseman
    Very memorable roles for Ellen page and Catherine Keener that will be difficult to shake in the midst of any future movie roles. The other actors also did well. Overall, a very powerful and disturbing movie.

    As another reviewer pointed out though, the music didn't make much sens... read moree; the movie didn't really need it, and it was indeed distracting. And the same can be said for the editing effects. The narrative storytelling, meanwhile, was interesting; but, like the music, it didn't quite work out in the end. And while the movie stayed pretty true to reality, the facts that were changed didn't really add to the story ; the subtracted facts of the torture were probably wise though. It was disturbing enough as it was in film form.
  • fernandorafael
    October 26, 2008
    fernandorafael
    AN AMERICAN CRIME had all the elements to be a powerful drama. Its torture scenes are still very hard to watch, but you stop caring about them as soon as they're over. The movie does not possess the "haunting"quality a film of this kind should have. It's absolutely forgettable, a... read morend besides, in this kind of film, you're supposed to identify with a character (preferably the "good" one), but it's so difficult with AN AMERICAN CRIME since everyone is so damn stupid (or a crazy bitch). The direction doesn't work very well; the story is told in a very superficial way. The performances were irrelevant, especially those by the kids/teens, and Ellen Page didn't impress me much, which supports my belief that she's one of the most overrated actresses working today. Catherine Keener was good, but I expected more from her. Nice cinematography.
  • LitelBluHli
    September 19, 2008
    LitelBluHli
    Powerful! This movie made me sooo mad!!! But, so good! I hate that bitch!!
  • briandeguelle
    May 5, 2008
    briandeguelle
    This a moving and well made film which tell the story about the torture of a young 16 year old in 1966. This a actully based on a true story which make it more unbelieveable. The story as been turned into another film recently called "the girl next door" which some of the story ... read morehad been changed. I would recommand watching both as they are both excellant films,hard to watch in some places but moving or the some.

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Critic Reviews

Kirk Honeycutt
January 19, 2007
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

Tragic tale of child abuse fails to make any sense of the crime.

Todd McCarthy
January 18, 2007
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Not even the considerable talents of lead thesps Catherine Keener and Ellen Page can alleviate the artistic nullity that is An American Crime. Full Review

Christopher Lloyd
September 2, 2010
Christopher Lloyd, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

By instead focusing more on the character of Gertrude Baniszewski, the film relegates Sylvia Likens to a cypher with no real identity - she's simply a vessel for abuse. Full Review

Pablo Villaca
August 22, 2008
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

Um projeto que encara a desgraça alheia como mero trampolim para o entretenimento. Full Review

Matt Noller
August 18, 2008
Matt Noller, Slant Magazine

If Eli Roth were to direct a Lifetime movie, it might look something like An American Crime. Full Review

Joseph Proimakis
May 16, 2008
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses

i katalytika akadimaiki eksistorisi toy, poy problimatizei me tin idiazoysa sadistiki tis hroia stin parathesi sokaristikon skinon bias dihos peraitero diereynisi toys, afinei to myalo soy na kyklofor... Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.
April 24, 2008
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

Gut wrenching performances, a well structured narrative, and a great cast makes "An American Crime" one of the finer movies to depict one of the most gruesome travesties of the twentieth century... Full Review

Emanuel Levy
March 22, 2007
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

A misfire and the most problematic film at Sundance, this fact-based tale of child abuse is disturbing, appalling, and voyeuristic due to poor conception and execution by writer-director O'Haver who i... Full Review

Eric D. Snider
February 18, 2007
Eric D. Snider, eFilmCritic.com

What purpose does this film serve? I have watched it, and I have contemplated it, and I can come up with no good reason for it to exist. Full Review

Kim Voynar
February 9, 2007
Kim Voynar, Cinematical

(Catherine) Keener, always a versatile actress, takes on the challenge of portraying perhaps one of the most unlikable villains in the history of true crime, and tries to find the humanity buried some... Full Review

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