Ellen page as sylvia likens and catherine keener as gertrude baniszewski in the 2007 film an american crime. Gertrude baniszewski is played by catherine keener. Sylvia ellen page and her sister, jenny hayley mcfarland, find themselves on the road living between their parents, lester nick searcy and betty likens romy rosemont. Sylvia marie likensa life, a case, a legacy in pictures. She began her career at the age of 10 on the awardwinning television series pit pony 1999, for which she. The film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of sylvia likens by indianapolis single mother gertrude baniszewski. In 1965, in indianapolis, indiana, the teenager sylvia ellen page and her fragile sister jennie faye likens hayley mcfarland befriend the children of the single mother gertrude baniszewski catherine keener in the church. Unable to take their kids along for the next carnival tour, sylvia s carny folks offer to pay a complete stranger to take sylvia and her younger sister hayley mcfarland in as boarders until the parents can send for them.
Page, 19, recalled her first reading of the script. An american crime 2007 ellen page as sylvia likens. An american crime is based on the true story of the murder of sylvia likens. An american crime 2007 disturbing breakdown youtube. In 1965, the troubled likens parents are forced to leave their teenage daughters sylvia and jenny with strangers while they work the season with a traveling carnival. I can remember the first time i heard about this crime as a teenager in indianapolis. Her career began with roles in television shows such as pit pony 19972000, trailer park boys 2002 and regenesis 2004.
Winterstern suggested the canadian actress ellen page hard candy, for the role of ms. Sylvia likens ultimately loses all humanity in the eyes of her abusers and is rendered a thing, a punching bag, a scapegoat. Ellen page sylvia likens, hayley mcfarland jennie likens, nick searcy lester likens, romy rosemont betty likens, catherine keener gertrude baniszewski similar movies. Ellen grace philpotts page born february 21, 1987 is a canadian actress and producer. I believe the actress was the only one who could impassionate sylvia likens the young innocent victim, who literally experienced hell on earth. I would like to comment that i was so saddened and terrified, at the same time, to learn that the movie is based on a true story. It is the story of sylvia likens played by, academy award nominee, ellen page.
Mar 24, 2020 the movie portrays the life of sherry, played by ellen page, who is homeless and aimless in the streets of different european cities, joins spark street people armed with radical knowledge, led by harry, a group of misfits and homeless youth who travel together throughout europe and welcome atrisk youths into their group. With ellen page, hayley mcfarland, nick searcy, romy rosemont. An american crime is a 2007 american crime drama film starring ellen page and catherine keener. Page wanted to start acting at an early age and attended the neptune theater school.
An american crime is a 2007 film based on an actual case of child abuse that took place in the state of indiana. An american crime is a 2007 american crime horror film directed by tommy o haver and starring ellen page and catherine keener. Page was remarkable, delivering heartwrenching emotion. The true story of a childs punishment that became a womans crime. The acting in the movie was superb, in particular ellen page and catherine keener. Ellen page as sylvia likens an american crime by hansba beats.
The film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of sylvia likens by indianapolis housewife gertrude baniszewski. Ellen grace philpotts page was born on february 21, 1987, in halifax, nova scotia, to martha philpotts, a teacher, and dennis page, a graphic designer. It was titled an american crime and starred ellen page and catherine keener. Please do not watch if you do not want to ruin the movie for yourself. Ellen page was 19 in an american crime when she played the character sylvia likens. Her case has been called the single worst crime perpetrated against an individual in the states history. The likens parents, who are professional carnival workers, go on tour together, leaving sylvia and jenny in the care of gertrude baniszewski, whose daughters the likens girls have met in church. Ellen page stars as sylvia likens, the teenage daughter of two carnival workers in 1965 indiana. Not an especially delicate handling of the details, but nevertheless inspired by sylvia likens. Ellen page the movie is based on the indiana crime that killed young, 16 year old sylvia. So sylvia likens ellen page and her sister jennie fae hayley mcfarland settled in with the baniszewski clan. See more ideas about sylvia likens, true crime and crime.
In the early 1980s there were moves to make a movie about sylvia but they were dropped in the face of intense opposition from sylvia s sister jenny. May 28, 2011 hard candys ellen page stars as sylvia likens a teenager who, along with her sister, is left to live temporarily with seemiglymildmannered housewife gertrude baniszewski, played by catherine. An american crime 2007 ellen page as sylvia likens imdb. Delving into the history of sylvia likens, ellen page reportedly stopped eating to get a sense of the genuine mistreatment that sylvia endured. In the same year that juno made her a very differently perceived star, ellen page makes for a heartbreaking sylvia. Oct 02, 2008 an american crime this is a very sad movie about a true story that happened in indiana in october 1965. Soon she invents a reason to start punishing sylvia. A woman catherine keener tortures a girl ellen page left in her care by itinerant parents. Dec 07, 2018 sylvia likens ultimately loses all humanity in the eyes of her abusers and is rendered a thing, a punching bag, a scapegoat. Page s sylvia likens is also a bit too upstanding in relation to the real sylvia.
In 1965, sixteenyearold sylvia likens ellen page and her disabled 15yearold sister, jenny hayley mcfarland enjoy themselves at a carnival circuit. Dec 26, 2009 an american crime based on true story about sylvia likens 19491965 r. An american crime is a 2007 american crime horror film directed by tommy ohaver and starring ellen page and catherine keener. Ellen page was 19 in an american crime when she played the character sylvia likens that was over 12 years ago in 2007. The true story of gertrude baniszewski catherine keener, a house mom who vents her frustrations by imprisoning and torturing a beautiful teenager ellen page left in her care by itinerant. Sylvias parents work for the circus and travel often this is why her parents were desperate to leave sylvia and her sister with the mother of children that sylvia and jenny met at church. Today she is 33, and has starred in 40 movies in total, 25 since an american crime was released. An american crime 2007 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Sylvias story will forever be told, hopefully inspiring those who are trapped in similar situations. Hard candys ellen page stars as sylvia likens a teenager who, along with her sister, is left to live temporarily with seemiglymildmannered housewife gertrude baniszewski, played by catherine. Ellen page she is from nova scotia, new scotland 44 visits in chron. Had this been a fiction story, then the plot and characterization would be nothing short of fantastic.
In 2007, a movie about the murder of sylvia likens was released. Not even the considerable talents of lead thesps catherine keener and ellen page can alleviate the artistic nullity that is an american crime. An american crime based on true story about sylvia likens 19491965 r. She truly captured a genuine performance, bravely providing peace to the late sylvia. So sylvia likens ellen page and her sister jennie fae hayley mcfarland settled in. Hard candys ellen page stars as sylvia likens a teenager who, along with her sister, is left to live temporarily with seemiglymildmannered housewife gertrude baniszewski, played by catherine keener. I guess im still trying to figure out what that plan was. To me, ellen page, who widely known as juno juno by jason reitman, will always be sylvia from an american crime. An american crime 2007 stream and watch online moviefone. Directed by tommy ohaver and distributed by first look studios, the movie casts ellen page as sylvia likens and catherine keener as gertrude baniszewski. A topnotch cast brings grim gravitas to an american crime, a direct dramatization of sylvia likens torture and murder that was initially created for theatrical release, but debuted on showtime.
Sylvia likens an american crime very sad ellen page. She was only twenty years old at the time of filming, but was capable. Ellen page as sylvia likens an american crime youtube. The true story of suburban housewife gertrude baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her indiana home during the 1960s. This video tells about how cruel peoplechildren can be. In 1965, betty likens romy rosemont and her husband lester nick searcy decided it was best to leave their two daughters with a neighbor while they went off with a traveling carnival. Sylvia and jennie fae likens, the two daughters of traveling carnival workers are left. The kids get along, so the likens figure gertie will offer a safe haven until.
Likens, aged 16, was held captive and subjected to increasing levels of child abuse and torturecommitted over a period of almost three monthsby her caregiver, gertrude baniszewski, many of baniszewskis children, and several other neighborhood children, before ultimately succumbing to. Their parents, lester nick searcy and betty romy rosemont, who work at the carnival circuit, reconcile their previously estranged relationship and agree to go on a tour together. Watching this movie is unsettling, though its a powerful message about how to speak up. The film is based on the true story of the torture and murder of sylvia likens. Released 2007, an american crime stars catherine keener, ellen page, james franco, bradley whitford the r movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 38 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. An american crime 39 movie clip an act of cruelty 2007 hd. Unfortunately for sylvia, gertrude soon snaps and holds her. An american crime this is a very sad movie about a true story that happened in indiana in october 1965. Girl next door is a horror movie based on this case. In the same year that juno made her a very differently perceived star, ellen page makes for a heartbreaking sylvia here. Rip sylvia i hope god is protecting you, i hope john and george beatles are singing to you and hoping you are having a good time in heaven.
For those trying to decide which movie to buy or rent the girl next door or an american crime the latter is far superior. Ellen page looks a lot like the real sylvia but is never entirely convincing as a 1960s suburban teenager. The murder of sylvia likens became an item of daily conversation as people read how she was beaten, burned, starved, scalded, tattooed and branded until death mercifully stepped in. After their carnival worker parents separate, sylvia junos ellen page and jennie fae likens hayley mcfarland move in with gertrude gertie baniszewski emmy nominee catherine keener, a divorced indianapolis mother with seven children six in the screenplay. Add to watchlist an american crime is a 2007 film based on an actual case of child abuse that took place in the state of indiana. The murder of sylvia likens was a child murder which occurred in indianapolis, indiana in october 1965. In 1965, in indianapolis, indiana, the teenager sylvia ellen page and her fragile sister jennie faye likens hayley mcfarland befriend the children of the single mother gertrude baniszewski catherine keener in.
The girl next door is emotionally manipulative, even sentimental, with sometimes exploitative elements and took ridiculous dramatic licence with sylvia. Page starred in the film hard candy 2005, for which she won the austin film critics associations award for. This was a fairly accurate telling of sylvia s story, starring catherine keener as gertrude and ellen page as sylvia. This movie was the second attempt to tell sylvia likens story on the big screen and the first one to be successful. Ellen page plays sylvia likens in an american crime.
It is based on the true story of the torture and murder of sylvia likens by indianapolis housewife gertrude baniszewski. Apr 21, 2010 ellen page plays sylvia likens in an american crime. An american crime 2007 an american crime 2007 user. Reverend bill used to say, for every situation god always has a plan. Sylvia likens an american crime very sad ellen page youtube. Gertrude baniszewski was an indiana murderer who facilitated the torture and murder of teen sylvia likens with the aid of likens s friends, boyfriend, and sister. Positive i watched the movie an american crime yesterday 52309. A 2007 american crimedrama film directed by tommy ohaver, starring ellen page, hayley mcfarland, bradley whitford, ari graynor and catherine keener. Ellen page, left, and catherine keener in a scene from an american. It is interesting to note that not one is known to have publicly apologized or expressed remorse in the years following this crime. Ellen page and catherine keener star in this dramatization of the reallife story of sylvia likens and gertrude baniszewski. Sylvia marie likens a life, a case, a legacy in pictures by forsylvialikens. The likens parents, who are professional carnival workers, go on tour together, leaving sylvia and jenny in the care of gertrude baniszewski, whose daughters the likens.
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