An American Crime (2007)
1h 37m | PG-13
The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.
Director: Tommy O'Haver
Studio: First Look International
Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror
Video: 720p
Cast
Elliot Page
as Sylvia Likens
Catherine Keener
as Gertrude Baniszewski
Hayley McFarland
as Jennifer Faye 'Jennie' Likens
Nick Searcy
as Lester Likens
Romy Rosemont
as Betty Likens
Ari Graynor
as Paula Baniszewski
Reviews
Very good performances from Ellen Page and Catherine Keener for quite an empty movie. Could have been done much, much better with a proper direction and script.
Nice point of view of the torturers. It'd be easy to just show them as evil demons having fun doing bad things. I liked how the script portrays what they might had thought, sometimes very subtle. As the guy who had a crush on her and was rejected while she was still free, and later marked her. Paula who was pregnant and projected all her issues on Sylvia and wanted her to be seen as a prostitute. And Gertrudes herself who was old and ugly and probably was envy of Sylvia. Such possible motivations were shown without stimulating us to feel anger for them.