An American Crime on Showtime

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 5/10/08 at 9:22pm

Anyone watching it right now? I don't get the channel right now, but I'm interested to hear opinions on it.

[Broadwaywest2]

Posted: 5/11/08 at 1:52am

I just finished watching it. What an intense film. I'm not sure if it was a good film. I think it was an okay film with 2 fantastic performances. Catherine Keener is outstanding in this movie. Had this film been realeased in theaters, oscar talk would have been buzzing. Hopefully, an emmy is in this woman's future. While, she does play one of the most disturbing female villains I have ever seen, she definitly gives a back story and feeling to an ultimate cruelty.

And to those who think ellen page can just play sarcastic teens w/ a heart of gold. Think again. She is just as terrific playing the vicitim. As the voice over narration and victim in this tragic story, ellen gives it her all. This is a complete 360 from Juno and just as powerful and affecting.

There is a lot of abuse and violence in this film, mind you most of it is done off screen, which in a way makes it worse.

However, the most disturbing part is a narration at the end, which I won't give away.

This film sheds a light on a truly horrenous crime, and definitly proves that most horrific crime is absolute silence.

[elphabelle07]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 1:23am

This film was very intense. I thought that the acting was amazing, especially Keener and Page. I also thought the girl who played Paula (her name escapes me) was also very good...because I hated her.

At first I thought it was somewhat ridiculous. Who would ever do such a thing to such an innocent girl? And then I learned that it is based on a true story, which made it more haunting. Someone DID do that to an innocent girl. It's just sickening. I can't say the movie was enjoyable...at all. But it was very powerful, and the performances were very well done. It is not for the faint of heart.

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 5:27am

Sorry, I also posted something about this film before reading your original post. This film was more disturbing than "Bastard Out Of Carolina." That was the first film I saw that truly affected me, but "AMerican Crime" gave me nightmares. I will never understand for as long as I live crimes committed against children. I understand that the two main characters were both teenagers, but still as naive and innocent as children. I can't believe that she only served 20 years, and the daughter got another trial and only served TWO years. ( I read this on the net) I've been reading stories all night about the real court case- it was even more horrific than the movie. On the internet, one site has pics of the basement and the mattress that the police found her on- it made me sick to my stomach.