An American Crime

An American Crime

  • Director: Tommy O'Haver
  • Writer: Tommy O'Haver,Irene Turner
  • Countries of origin: United States
  • Language: English
  • Release date: December 7, 2007
  • Sound mix: Dolby Digital
  • Aspect ratio: 2.35 : 1
  • Also known as: The Basement
  • "An American Crime" is a film based on true crime records, directed by Tommy O'Have , written by Ellen Turner and Tommy O'Have, Elliot Page , Hayley McFarland , Nick Searcy and other starring. It was released in the United States on January 19, 2007. 
    The film describes a real child abuse incident that happened in 1965 in the peaceful idyllic scenery of Indiana--IN , the United States . 

    Details

    • Release date December 7, 2007
    • Filming locations Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies First Look International, Killer Films, Showtime Networks

    Box office

    Budget

    $2,000,000 (estimated)

    Gross worldwide

    $1,306,875

    Movie reviews

     ( 102 ) Add reviews

    • By Suzanne 2022-08-04 20:16:34

      An American Crime: More Heinous than any Crime Movie

      This film is based on real events, and because it is true, it is more heinous than any crime film or even torture film I have ever seen, and it is full of sins that no screenwriter can write. It's better to call it a documentary than a movie.

      People are strange creatures, especially in the case of mass crime. Everyone becomes extremely crazy and loses their reason and humanity. The unhappy mother who raised her children alone, the other children in the family, and the children in the...

    • By Dee 2022-04-24 07:01:24

      Evil in the beautiful countryside

      When I watched the movie, I felt very aggrieved and depressed. When the girl died, everyone seemed to have sufficient reasons to say that it had nothing to do with them, and it was not their fault, but in fact everyone participated in the abuse and destruction, my sister said. She was afraid and dared not call the police. Seeing that her sister was abused, she only knew how to cry, even if her sister should bear it for her, and parents, it is also a service to put the child in such a family...

    • By Mireya 2022-04-24 07:01:24

      Spicy chicken mentally retarded bloody crime

      These two parents are simply pig-headed. How could they give their children to a strange woman to take care of themselves and chase after two people. There are such parents in the world? ? ? ? ? And this child was abused, and he didn't call the police or tell his parents. It's ridiculous. These two children are mentally handicapped? ? ? ? I really can't watch it anymore, it's just a mentally retarded movie, a mentally retarded crime, disgusting, spicy chicken drafting, a waste of more than...

    • By Cielo 2022-04-23 07:04:50

      human nature

      The biggest reason for Sylvia being so abused is her parents. From the beginning, it can be seen that her father is an irresponsible father. He just wants to travel with his wife and doesn't care about the children's lives. I have moved countless times and even put my child in foster care in a home that is only a church member, and I am not familiar with what kind of family this is, and a man who can say that it is fine without children is not worthy of being someone else's father. If you...

    • By Kaleb 2022-04-23 07:04:50

      Don't be engulfed by indifference

      At first I thought that I would make new friends who were happy, but I didn't expect that it was the beginning of disaster. The girl who was in her cardamom age actually died tragically in the hostel's house. The people next to her watched all this indifferently, and their hearts were so indifferent that they made their backs go numb when they watched the movie. Who can imagine what this beautiful little girl went through before she died. Even the final redemption is the hope of the heart....

    User comments

      ( 54 ) Add comments

    • By Chris 2022-03-29 09:01:08

      This is no longer a story about a beast, but a bunch of beasts! ! ! Including Sylvia's sister Jenny! ! ! Watching my sister abused and indifferent! ! ! This movie is very similar to "The Girl Next Door", except that the girl in "Neighborhood" was abused more seriously~~~ I felt bored when I watched...

    • By Nakia 2022-03-29 09:01:08

      Adapted from a true event, it tells the story of a girl played by Ellen Page who was fostered in the home of a single mother by her parents who went out to work and then abused to death. The brutality and cruelty shown in the film are simply a nightmare. Although child abuse incidents have been staged in China, but after the media reports, they have gradually faded out of people's field of vision. I really hope that this kind of film can be produced in China and attract the attention of the...

    • By Vita 2022-03-29 09:01:08

      The movie is actually poorly shot, but every second of watching this movie is a torture, I just want to say that what those people did is right to themselves? They have committed more crimes than they have endured. What the movie showed me was the annihilation of humanity at that time. That crazy woman is probably the most hated of all the movies I have ever watched. She was pitiful but vented her pain. It is utter ignorance in...

    • By Louvenia 2022-03-29 09:01:08

      8 points. Based on true events. It is precisely because the love for the eldest daughter cannot be released that the boarding mother in the play transfers her hatred to the innocent protagonist. Countless adults and children ignore the abuse and even enjoy it. Their selfishness and indifference are outrageous! The movie presents the evil of human nature after the enlarged consciousness of group sex nakedly in front of every audience, torturing everyone's...

    • By Michelle 2022-03-29 09:01:08

      Who would believe that things are far more cruel than imagined? Gertrude is a slut herself, seduces minors, has a little white-faced lover, poor people must be hateful, she feels that the whole world treats her badly, she sacrifices Sylvia to protect her children, and she sacrifices her children to protect herself, What a hateful man! Sylvia is like when we were in school when the teacher punished the students, and the bystanders were happy to participate as long as the teacher...

    Movie plot

    In the story, sixteen-year-old Sylvia ( Elliot Page ) and her sister Jenny ( Hayley McFarland ) are fostered at the home of Indiana housewife Gertrude ( Catherine Keener ) by their working parents. After a few weeks, their parents still didn't show up, and the $20 a week they used to send in child support was cut off. The emotionally unstable Gertrude has six children, five with her ex-husband, and her youngest son, 22-year-old Andy (...J
    more about An American Crime Movie plot

    Behind the scenes gags

    When director Tommy O'Have initially talked about the film's collaboration with Catherine Keener, who would become the show's heinous child abuser Gertrude, on the beach in Venice, Catherine had the intention of turning it down. 
    Catherine Keener said she was terrified to be as brutal as Gertrude. But the director asked her to think differently, and that was the real reason why they had to do it - never let this kind of child abuse...
    more about An American Crime Behind the scenes gags

    Background creation

    "An American Crime" is based on real events that took place in Indiana--IN in 1965. The filming of the film is mainly based on court records at the time.
    The screenwriting work of "An American Crime" was written by Tommy O Haver himself and completed with Ellen Turner. The tension of the film comes from the authenticity of the script. Therefore, it is not only the audience who are strongly affected by the case, but also the audience....
    more about An American Crime Background creation

    Evaluation action

    The film "An American Crime" is highly immersive and enjoyable to watch. The basic skills of production are relatively solid, the narrative structure is more ingenious, and the performances of the actors are in place and superb. (People's Net Review) 
    "An American Crime" restores the real child abuse incident in Indiana--IN in the Midwest of the United States in the 1960s, exposing the abhorrent criminal behavior of the child abuse...
    more about An American Crime Evaluation action

    Movie quotes

    • Gertrude Baniszewski: You know what it's like to be sick, Sylvia. I've been sick for so long, too. I can't... discipline my kids they was I should. I punish them I know, but... sometimes with my medicine I gets so I don't know what I'm doing.

      [begins to cry]

      Gertrude Baniszewski: And I care for them so much. Paula, the thing is... Paula's a lot like me. I had her when I was just about your age. Then Stephanie. Then all the others. Then John left... And here I am on medicine, doing whatever I can to keep my family together. I want something better for Paula... There has to be something better... And I need to protect my children...

      [cries]

      Gertrude Baniszewski: Do you understand that? You kids... you're all I've got... Thank you, Sylvia. Thank you for understanding, thank you.

    • Sylvia Likens: She sacrificed me to protect her children, and she sacrificed her children to protect herself.

    • Ricky Hobbs: [sees her "escaping"] Sylvia.

      Sylvia Likens: [sobbing, whimpering and cringing as he comes near her] No, no, please. Please don't, please.

      Ricky Hobbs: No, no, no, I'm not gonna hurt you. I swear to God, I promise, I promise. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, all right? Look, you gotta believe me, please. Please. You wanna get out of here? You wanna go? Let's go.

      [helps Sylvia up]

      Ricky Hobbs: Come on. You're all right.

      [they go to the car and Ricky gets in after helping Sylvia in]

      Ricky Hobbs: Where are we going?

      Sylvia Likens: [slurred from exhaustion and suffering] I don't know.

      Ricky Hobbs: Do you want to go to the police? We can tell them everything.

      Sylvia Likens: I gotta get to my mom.

      Ricky Hobbs: Where's your mom at?

      Sylvia Likens: [sounding close to tears] I think she's in Porridge.

      Ricky Hobbs: We're going to Porridge.