How do y'all feel this was in comparison to The Girl Nextdoor?
I know The Girl Nextdoor was a little more loose about the facts, however, it was said to be closest to the actual torture and death. (If you haven't seen it warning it is NOT for the weak stomached)
So I guess my question is which did you like better?
~ChellBell512~
I preferred An American Crime- it was taken mostly from the direct trial transcripts.
I thought Jack Ketchum's TGND was very exploitive. The acting was bad, and the
woman who played Gertrude was so over the top. The characters were very one dimensional.
I thought An American Crime did a good job showing multi-dimensional characters. Catherine Keener and Ellen Page both were deserving of Emmy's. Catherine Keener was actually nominated for an Emmy. I don't completely agree with Tommy O'Haver's interpretation of Gertrude and Paula, but I do think he brought out more than one side of them as characters.
Overall, I would have to say I thought An American Crime was a better film with a much better caliber of acting.
I put the fun in dysfunction!
Thanks I will definitely be watching it then.
~ChellBell512~
I could hardly stomach An American Crime (2007) after I have seen The girl next door and read up on the factual basis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Baniszewski
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Likens
Not only did An American Crime not involve me emotionally, it is a disgusting glorification and humanizing homage of one of the most vile women in history, depicting her as a loving mother who just hates to punish her 'step-daughters'
The script has been taken from Hollywood's playbook on how to capitalize on storytelling, and storytelling it is. The factual basis is a joke, as is the movie. Here is the real Gerdie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gertrude-baniszewski002.jpg
Now imagine how she could possibly play the luscious MILF as Gerdie in AC does. She couldn't and it never happened.
The girl next door 10/10
An American Crime 4/10
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Life's too short for mediocrity.
An American Crime is more of a film. By which I mean there is more direction to it. The Girl Next door is more shock value. Which I think is good in a way because his case is sick. But it added some stuff that didn't happen like rape. But this film did take it's own pointless liberties and sympathize with the abusers just a little too much. There should have been sprinkles of possible regret and not one full scene where it is shown. But for which one is truer to the case I give it to An American Crime by a hair.
"Ich lüge" is German for "I'm lying".
I prefer AAC, but TGND was very disturbing.
shareI have been reading about the real case and have never seen either film yet.
But just from clips online and trailers, I would attest that Keener was not the right choice. She doesn't look "war torn" or sadistic enough. Gerdie is a STRAIGHT WITCH!! I cant think of what actress would be best...but she's gotta look the maniacal BITCH.
I dont think I can watch this movie...it seems too flowery an interpretation of some twisted and SAD *beep* For that matter, I dont know if I'll watch Girl Next Door either lol.
But just from clips online and trailers, I would attest that Keener was not the right choice. She doesn't look "war torn" or sadistic enough. Gerdie is a STRAIGHT WITCH!! I cant think of what actress would be best...but she's gotta look the maniacal BITCH.
I dont think I can watch this movie...it seems too flowery an interpretation of some twisted and SAD *beep*...
who the hell named the movie a girl next door?
I thought we were talking about the movie with elisha cuthbert! imagine a poor chap downloading a nice movie about a sweet porn star neighbour and ending up with a family of torturer! crazy.
They took the title from the novel.
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Once upon a time, we had a love affair with fire.
http://athinkersblog.com/
An American Crime, though it totally missed some important facts was a better film. In my opinion, The Girl Next Door was trash. Bad acting, bad directing, typical B movie "torture porn." Then again, I wasn't a fan of the book either. I felt like Ketchum took Sylvia's story and was like "Let me one up this.." and tried to make everything worse.
spectacular.
I absolutely agree. Ketchum is a sick man. The Girl Next Door made me ill
http://forsylvialikensx.yuku.com/
Did you ever read "Let's Go Play at the Adam's" or "By Sanction of the Victim?" Other books that supposedly drew inspiration from Sylvia's case. I skimmed LGPATA (IMO, trash) but I've never been able to find BSOTV. I don't even know what the similiarties between the true story and BSOTV are.
spectacular.
I read the basement, House of evil, and Justice from within. I have read about lets go play at the Adams, but it is a hard book to get. I don't think I would read it anyway. From Justice with in is rare to, but Someone gave me a copy of it on ebook.
http://sylviamarielikensxco.ipage.com/home/1801.html
It's important to keep in mind that "The Girl Next Door" is based on a novel inspired by the original events--it's not intended to be a factual depiction like "An American Crime." So comparing them on the basis of which is closer to the actual case is kinda beside the point. "AAC" attempts to humanize the story more--maybe to a fault, making the villainess just a misunderstood and put-upon woman acting out her frustrations--while "TGND" conveys more of the sheer horror of a case of child abuse whose extreme cruelty might not be so easily explained.
share[deleted]
I haven't seen AAC yet but I saw The Girl Nextdoor. Some people here say that TGN is exploitative, that it's trash, giving us only the grafic scenes of torture. But for me that's the whole point. To shock us, to show us that this kind of things happen, that there are those who for some reason enjoy this sensless violance. The characters in that movie don't have to be multidimensional. They are not important as much to the story. It's about a girl that is abused, tortured and raped for no apparent reason. And that's the point. It doesn't make any sense. And when the time comes that it will it'll be the fall of our society. We can't justify what happend to that poor girl. Never! These one dimesional characters help us focus more on the suffering and doesn't let us forget who was the victim.
In that, it was a good movie. It wasn't easy to watch. It's not the kind of movie I'll be eager to watch again anytime soon. But it's important. The story is important. Don't ever forget the suffering of a child (or any other one person for that matter), don't ever stand and do nothing if you're a witness to child abuse.
Girl Next Door is the better film. AAC was too soft. Ellen and Keener were miscast.
The world economy will crash in 2016, so for now, have fun!
They were both good movies but I felt An American Crime was a MUCH better representation of this story. The love story with David in Girl Next Door was way too cheesy. And the torture was horrible, but the story is the most important part and An American Crime did that part better.
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"Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame."
Since I spent four years engrossed in this case, An American Crime was my attempt to see how the media potrays the case. So it was horrifying as it ought to be, but I felt it did not do the case or the Likens family justice. Never the less, I bawled my eyes out as I do anytime I return to this case, and the actors were superb.
the Girl Next Door was through the perspective of Jack Ketchum, a man as deeply affected by the case I was. I felt it captured my emotions and rage perfectly and left me feeling hung out to dry from crying so much. I had nightmares that crept into the daytime.
Both I feel left the right impact. to bring out this case and give more people the passion to put a stop to child abuse.
So long answer short, both:)