An American Crime

Oh my god what a harrowing and disturbing film but is a must see. I agree with everyone's else's comments about this and at times I had to have my eyes shut because of the awful screams that came from the poor child (Sylvia). It is like a book that you really get into, unputdownable, you just simply have to carry on watching it to see what happens. The actors/actresses were superb and as much as it was difficult to play these characters, they all did a superb job. Films like these although upsetting and disturbing, are also intriguing too. The fact that it was based on a true story says it all. It is a sad tale yet at the end I truly believe that 20 years is not a long time for someone to go to prison for due to murdering and abusing a poor innocent girl.

I watched this movie 3 times already and read articles about them on the internet. I cant stand how people were back them mind their own business cause u know it wasn't happening if u didn't admit to it. I think it was disgusting and sad how that women treated that girl and her kids and their friends and personally i think they all should have spent the rest of their life in prison,Every single last one of those kids should have got prison time or juvie time including the sister Stephanie she knew what was going on and also in the papers she wasn't the nice one she also helped in killing Sylvia.. Look up the story its sad and the really sad thing is its still happening in Indiana now. Except its not the families that ignore the problem its the Social Workers.

This movie was a cheap exploitation of a true story. The trial testimony and autopsy evidence shows the true outrage of a young woman by her caretaker, her children and other neighborhood children. If the screenwriter had based his screenplay on the police reports and the court testimony he would have a terrific story; however he took the cheap way out and wrote a hollywoodization of this piece of c@@p. For instance, the victim had bit completely through both her upper and lower lips when she was tortured. Secondly the victim never went to the carnival where her parents worked; she was completely bedridden from her injuries. The director should be hung up by his thumbs.