Biography/Crime/Drama
Based on a true story about torturing and murdering Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski.
Sylvia and Jenny Likens are daughters of Lester and Betty Likens, who works as professional carnival workers. Lester and
Betty head out to go on tour together, leaving their daughters under the care of Gertrude Baniszewksi. Gertrude's homefolk
is already filled with children and she is in financial straits. Sylvia befriends Gertrde's oldest daughter, Paula, who confesses in secret to her that Gertrude is having another baby. Everything seems to be going great, the girls get along fine until one day when all girls arrive home from the school and Gertrude seems to be upset. She orders all of her daughters upstairs, expect Sylvia and Jennie, who get orders to go to the basement. Girls follow the order and the both get whipped after Gertrude expresses concern over not getting Lester's check for taking care of the girls. All girls are spending time in town with Teddy and Ricky Hobbs, who has a crush on Sylvia. Paula meets up with Bradley, who tries to rape her, Sylvia sees them and blurts out the pregnancy secret, after that Paula is very angry and gets her revenge by compaining to Gerturude how Sylvia is talking trash about her in town. Girls arrive from the church, everybody watches how Paula beats Sylvia. Sylvia and Jennie make a long distance call to their parents, Baniszewski girls see that and arriving home, Sylvia gets punished again because of allegiedly stealing money that belongs to Gertrude. The punishment is not less hurtful this time, Sylvia gets burned with a cigarette on her hand. Sylvia's life gets turned to the worse when Gertie finds out everybody
in town are spreading rumors like Paula is pregnant and when she sees Sylvia flirting with her boyfriend, Andy, her limit couldn't take anymore. Gertrude's punishment is the most horrible of the last ones - Sylvia is asked to put a bottle up in her, even seeing a young girl crying an begging her, Gertie won't stop. Stephanie and Coy arrive at the same time as Sylvia gets her punishment, Gertrude order Coy throwing Sylvia in the basement. For weeks Sylvia gets tortured numberous times by every teenager in town, they all fail to notify the local law enforcement that Sylvia is being held against her will in the basement. Torturing goes over the edge when town pastor is visiting Baniszewski's house and it's revealed Paula is actually pregnant. In relation to Paula's guilt, one late night she helps Sylvia escape from the basement. The noise wakes up one of the Baniszewski sister's, who wakes up Gertrude. Paula sees her coming out of the house and holds Gertie still until Sylvia manages to get away. Sylvia collapses and falls to the ground when Ricky finds her, offers his help and asks for her forgiveness for everything he did to her in the basement. Ricky drives her to Sylvia's parents, who are shocked by what's being done to their daughter. They drive back with Sylvia to Baniszewski house, where she enters the house and sees her own body fading away from life. She has stopped breathing, Stephanie tries to convince Gertrude that Sylvia needs to be taken to the doctor, but Gertie doesn't believe it and does nothing to help her. Stephanie keeps trying to save Sylvia, but her body has turned cold. Ricky calls the police, Jenny promises to tell them everything if they take her away from that house. Jennie is swearing on the stand that Sylvia didn't do anything to Paula and Gertrude, the reason why she didn't report any of the actitities is that Gertie threatened her to do the same if she told anyone. Gertrude Basinszewski is found guilty of first degree murder after she denies everything and tries to put the blame of torturing Sylvia on her kids.
Produced by Christine Vachon, who produced drama-thriller movie One Hour Photo in 2002.
Directed and written by Tommy O'Haver, who direct family-fantasy movie Ella Enchanted in 2004.
Cast: Ellen Page, Hayley McFarland, Catherine Keener, Ari Graynor, Scout Taylor-Compton, Tristan Jarred
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