On the Tube
Turning a blind eye to a brutal abuse case
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By Alan Pergament
Updated: 05/08/08 6:57 AM
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- Paula Baniszewski (Ari Graynor), left, is the abuser and Sylvia Likens (Ellen Page) the victim in “An American Crime.”
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The star power of Ellen Page of “Juno” fame makes Showtime’s premiere of the disturbing independent film “An American Crime” a bigger deal than it otherwise might have been. The 21-year-old actress again plays a teenager in trouble, but there’s no levity associated with her problems this time.
Airing at 9 p. m. Saturday, “Crime” is based on a real-life story in Indiana in 1965. Page plays Sylvia Likens, the 16-year-old daughter of parents who work for a carnival. They hope they can cure their marital discord by going on the road without their teenage daughters for a few months.
Unfortunately, the parents didn’t investigate the manipulative, disturbed, overwhelmed single mother of seven, Gertrude Baniszewski (Catherine Keener), with whom children, and they were unaware of how abusive she would be.
Page and Keener give incredible performances as the abused and the abuser, and the exceptional cast also includes James Franco and Bradley Whitford. But you certainly can see why the film — which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival — didn’t make it to local multiplexes. The scenes of abuse and implied abuse are very difficult to watch. I can’t tell you how many times I had to stand up and look away.
Unfortunately, Sylvia’s neighbors, classmates and other children in her new extended family found it too easy to first look away from the abuse and then, incredibly, to join in.
It is easy to think about the film’s relevance to the situation involving the alleged abuse by members of the baseball team at Wilson High School. “An American Crime” makes one think about the mind-set of people without moral compasses who are guilty of ignoring inhumane abuse and are persuaded to stand by or join in.
Told in flashback at the start of Gertrude’s trial, the film slowly unravels the gruesome details of the abuse in unflinching terms. While not making her character sympathetic in any way, Keener does deliver a performance that makes you understand how Gertrude’s madness made her totally lose sight of right and wrong and how she was able to control everyone around her.
The waiflike Page, who also narrates the film, has to give a much more nuanced performance than she did in “Juno,” and she delivers big time.
Still, it is easy to wonder why anyone would force themselves to sit through the abuse depicted in the film, which has a creative shocker near the end. If viewers don’t have their own answer, fortunately Page’s narration gives them one by explaining that the case “even made Time magazine.”
“All these people started talking about things they used to ignore,” she added.
As difficult as “An American Crime” is to look at, it should be even harder to ignore its message of the importance of standing up for what is right.
‘30 Rock’ packs it in
On a much lighter note, NBC’s “30 Rock” ends its season at 9:30 tonight on Channel 2 with a very funny, overloaded episode that puts lead Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) in “Juno” territory. She has a much-promoted pregnancy scare at the same time her boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), lands a big government job alongside a character played by Matthew Broderick. They eventually concoct a “Producers”-like plot that enlists a character played by the underutilized Edie Falco. I don’t know which plot line is scarier — Liz’s pregnancy or the possibility that a fool like Donaghy could have a big government job.
In any event, the dueling story lines and a few other subplots are filled with the dry wit that the Peabody Award-winning series has become known for and that has attracted guest stars like Broderick and Falco.
I won’t reveal too many lines, but one of my favorites involves the reaction of actress Jenna (Jane Krakowski) after discovering that Liz is likely pregnant. “Oh, no, someone is going to get more attention than me.”
Judging by its ratings, I’ve probably given “30 Rock” more attention this season than Buffalo wants. But if this episode doesn’t sell you on the series, probably nothing will. Still, it might not get anywhere near the audience or the attention that “Scrubs” should get tonight for what NBC is calling its seventh-season finale. Reportedly, the series will shift to ABC for an eighth and final season.
Flop of a finale
The writers’ strike has resulted in “Scrubs” going out on NBC with a relative whimper. NBC actually has been doing a better job promoting Monday’s return of “American Gladiators,” which makes you wonder if the people running it are bigger fools than the fictional Donaghy.
In the “Scrubs” finale, titled “My Princess,” the gimmick show ends its seventh season with one of its biggest gimmicks. It combines a present-day medical mystery with a fairy tale told by Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) to his young son.
The bedtime story includes a princess, a two-headed magical team, a dark lord, a giant, a hero and a village idiot. Anyone who has watched the series over seven years doesn’t need to be told which characters best fit the description of series lead J. D. (Zach Braff), love interest Elliot (Sarah Chalke) and the supporting cast members.
As clever as the setup is, there aren’t many laughs, and the ending would be more idiotic and disappointing if the show wasn’t moving to ABC.
TV Review
“An American Crime” ★★★(Out of four) 9 p. m. Saturday, Showtime
“30 Rock” ★★★½ 9:30 p. m. today, Channel 2
“Scrubs” ★★½ 8:30 p. m. today, Channel 2
