An American Crime

An American Crime is a very well acted film, particularly by Catherine Keener, but while watching it I thought of larger questions, such as why is a film made? There is the entertainment value, and also, as with good literature, the experience of expanding one's consciousness and learning something about one's self through a look at other's experiences. But An American Crime doesn't really offer any of that. It certainly isn't entertaining--in fact it's one long cringe, and ultimately it says nothing about humanity in general.

Based on an actual case that took place in Indiana in 1965, Keener plays a single woman who is overburdened by six children. She takes in ironing to make extra money, and has a variety of illnesses. Ellen Page, pre-Juno, and her sister are the daughters of carnival employees. The parents want to go on a carnival circuit, but don't know what to do with the kids. After meeting Keener once, Page's father leaves his daughters with this woman. Big mistake.

At first everything seems fine. Page gets along well with Keener's girls, particularly the oldest, played by Ari Graynor. But when Page learns about Graynor's pregnancy, Graynor begins to resent her new friend, and tells her mother that the new girl is telling lies about her. Keener's punishment is medieval, to say the least.

Ultimately Page is confined to the basement and tortured. Several of the Keener children, as well as there friends, participate in the madness. The torture involves cigarette burns, branding, and shoving a coke bottle into Page's vagina. All of this is told in flashbacks at Keener's trial.

As one can imagine, this isn't easy to watch, and after a while one may wonder why they are watching. The film is directed and co-written by Tommy O'Haver, and it doesn't follow usual film structure. There isn't the usual story arc--things just spiral ever downward. The only character that shows any change is Graynor, who comes to regret her actions and attempts to help Page. Keener, though very good, plays a psychopath, and Page is a victim. This is a horror film without any thrills.

An American Crime caused something of a sensation, pro and con, at Sundance in 2007, but never had a theatrical release. It was aired on Showtime, and Keener earned an Emmy Nomination, which was well-deserved. But fair warning, this film is ninety-minutes of downer without any transformative power.