The Sad Case of Sylvia Likens
November 21st, 2007 | 1:37 pm est |
Ask any true crime enthusiast about the most harrowing and heartbreaking case they’ve ever researched, and chances are the name Sylvia Likens will come up at some point in the conversation.
An Indiana teen who, along with her disabled younger sister Jenny, was left in the care of an overburdened and destitute single mother as their parents were working in a traveling carnival, Sylvia became the target of abuse not only by her deeply-disturbed guardian, but, perhaps most shockingly, the children of the neighborhood as well. The details of the case are enough to shake even the most well-read true crime buff, making it a most unlikely candidate for feature film adaptation. Oddly enough, not one but two films concerning the Sylvia Likens case are now set for distribution: The Girl Next Door and An American Crime. The former an adaptation of author Jack Ketchum’s fictionalized account of the crime and the latter a by-the-books recreation drawn from actual court transcripts, both films dare to present a case that is excruciatingly difficult to read about much less see realized on the big screen. Still, it’s an important story that should remain in the collective conscious of the public. There’s no question that with Catherine Keener, James Franco, and Ellen Page aboard An American Crime has the star-power needed to draw in reluctant viewers, though by contrast the manner in which The Girl Next Door explores the mechanisms that would make such a tragedy possible make it a compelling – yet wholly unpleasant – study in mob mentality and the inherent responsibility of adults to protect children at all costs.
In the end, regardless of which film is considered more successful, the important thing is that the memory of Sylvia Likens lives on to ensure that no other children need ever fear meeting the same tragic end as the vibrant young girl from Indiana whose name has become a somber reminder of mankind’s true capacity for evil. The only question that remains now is whether or not filmgoers are willing to subject themselves to such horrors, or if the harsh realities of such a reprehensible case will simply prove too much for audiences to endure.
Check out the trailers for both films after the jump.
The Girl Next Door
An American Crime
I have to say that I thoroughly was engrossed from beginning to end of of both movies.
I was bawling in the one with Ellen Page though. More from tears of injustice and grief if anything else. (Sorry, I get sentimental.)
Seeing since the script from the court scenes are based on the original court documents, I am at a loss for words concerning the crimes committed against Sylvia.
Truly, a shocking film, that anyone should see, but most people will not see. Ellen Page wows me more as I see her, although I haven’t seen Juno yet. (I look forward to the Tracey Fragments though.)
Overall, I loved both movies, although An American Crime a bit more for showing a more human side to all involved, for telling this story, whether realistically or not.
Truly heartbreaking when I watched An American Crime.
But what makes me really sad and almost like crying is when I dig a little more from internet about Sylvia Likens…..the truth are much more worse than what’s in the movie.
Ellen Page’s performance was really good and convincing. We can feel her emotion as we go through it. But for me, I still think Juno’s was her best yet!
I’m looking forward as well for Tracey Fragments…..hopefully something new.
Anybody seen “Hard Candy”?
I’ve just seen “An American Crime” last night. I have to admit, the only reason why I watched it was because I was flickering through the channels with the strangest notion of knowing that I would find a movie, such as this and I left it on because I had read the summary which said it was based on a true story. I caught the story from the very beginning and watched till the end full of tears!
My reaction through the whole movie was, I hope she gets enough courage to run away! I was saying to myself, please tell me the little sister (Jenny) at least had the courage to run away and tell someone, but that never happened! I was especially mad to see that the neighbors could hear Sylvia going throught the torture and told themselves it would be best if they just kept to themselves and didn’t say anything!
I couldn’t beleive it! I guess because of what the laws are now - I don’t think anyone in this day and age who had any idea of something like that going on in their neighborhood would not want to report it. However on a stranger note, I understand why there are child abuse laws today than back then.
My reason for that understanding is simple, this movie made me think about my mother and that era from which she and many others her age were brought up in and I’ve come to the conclusion of, I guess those girls never reported or said anything about what they were going through because in those days you were taught to keep all of your family business and problems to yourself and don’t air all of your dirty laundry for all to see and judge. I also think because they were both too scared as well.
I have to admit reading what really happened and seeing the movie, yes the movie did not depict all of the horror this poor little girl had to endure and I can only imagine what her eldest sister must have thought after the fact of Sylvia dying! I’m sure she felt like a terrible sister who probably deep down inside must have thought at some point or another she could have helped and taken in her two little sisters despite money issues, she could have helped or did something about it!
After seeing “An American Crime” all I can say is that these things really do happen and they happen every day.
There’s a scene where Ellen Page is being dropped off after a picnic and she gets out of the truck and is about to walk up the stairs when she sees the Catherine Keehner character and how the feeling of dread grips her. For me, that dread came when I was 4 and it was my Father waiting with the broomstick handle he cut in half to beat me till I couldn’t walk.
Fortunately for me I got away and never saw him again after I was 8. Unfortunately for Sylvia she didn’t/couldn’t escape.
I also thought the part where the prosecutor was asking her sister why she didn’t run away or tell anyone and her response. I don’t think unless you’ve been in a similar situation to that you can understand the terror that takes you over. One slip up in those kinds of environments can and will cost you your life.
Sorry for the preaching and all I can say was it was an excellent movie and was the most authentic piece I’ve seen on child abuse and the performances were excellent, especially Ellen Page and Catherine Keehner’s.
I thought
I watched this movie and was very distraught at what i saw. I am truly sad for this young girl and her family. No one should ever be treated that way and believe Gerdy’s punishment should have fit the crime. I think she got off way too easy. Sylvia never had a chance to have a life. I cried for her watching this movie and i am appauled to know that the neighborhood kids as well as the children that resided there treated her that way. Stupidity is taught as you can see from their mother. I can’t even bear to watch the show again, it is too sad. I just hope and pray that Sylvia now has peace and is heaven smiling. Im sorry there are people like that in this world and i hope that the people who did nothing to prevent this tragedy from occuring now know that this may have never happend if they would have just said something to someone. Rest in peace Sylvia, you are an angel.
The single most disturbing aspect of this story is that so many knew what was going on and said nothing. If only one person had spoken up - the gutless neighbor who didn’t want to judge, the sister, the girls father who didn’t want to pry, the minister, the social worker, the sadistic psychopathic kids - this story would’ve had a different ending. The parents were ignorant and negligent, and obviously didn’t learn anything from what happened since immediately after the trial they left the daughter who survived with the prosecutor. Sylvia seemed protective of her sister, Jenny. Too bad Jenny was too spineless to show some protectiveness for Sylvia. It’s hard to believe any kid that age would be so stupid that they wouldn’t think of taking a detour to the police station on the way home from school to stop the torture of their sister. Then there’s Sylvia and Jenny’s older sister who did nothing when they told her about the abuse early on - she assumed it was exaggerated and didn’t try to check into it. There was no family safety net at all, which partially explains why Sylvia didn’t try to run until it was too late. She knew nobody cared enough to lift a finger. Then there are all the kids who were active participants in the torture. Anyone with the normal human ability to feel empathy for another would be sickened by that sort of torture, yet this group of young kids was fascinated and enjoyed hurting her every day. They should have all been put to death, even the young ones, because they were totally devoid of normal human feelings - and I don’t care if any of them got religion later - anyone capable of torture has something wrong with them that is NOT fixed by religion. Religion just helps those people manipulate others and disguise the evil a little better.
It’s after 3 in the morning. I’ve just seen the movie and I was compelled to read up on Sylvia’s experience. Never have I been so moved by a film. What disturbs me the most is how contagious evil can be- how right wrong may seem when one is in the presence of it. I imagine myself in the same situation as those callous children toturing Sylvia and although it horrifies me to the very core of my being and I find the existence of such evil and uncaring unfathomable, I wonder what I would have done, if I were one of those kids…I ponder on this statement and it sends shivers through my body: “There may be a little evil in every one of us”. God I pray for your overpowering goodwill. It’s the only thing that can save us…It’s the only thing that can preserve mankind.
I have just found out there have been movies made regarding Sylvia Likens murder. I haven’t seen them yet. I remember this murder as I grew up in Indianpolis and to this day I can still see the house where it happened. That was such a horrific crime. I was only around 10 years old at the time. It affected our family also that one of the boys involved, Richard Hobbs, was a very good friend of my cousin’s. Needless to say she was devastated when this happened.