Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Could Movie Depicting The Real Knox And The Real Meredith Be A PR And Defense Disaster?

Posted by Peter Quennell


Already one movie is in the works. That one will be based on Barbie Nadeau’s excellent little book Angel Face: The True Story of Student Killer Amanda Knox

That British movie is likely to stay pretty close to the truth, Meredith as the real angel, and Amanda as at least in some degree the scary opposite. Barbie Nadeau seems to be in no doubt that Amanda was fairly convicted, but she also seems to think maybe there were factors going back to Amanda’s childhood (as did Paul Russell and Graham Johnson in Darkness Descending) that could have kinda set Amanda up, and could have been prevented by parents who cared.

Now we have this new made-for-TV movie (post below) by the Lifetime cable channel (with Oxygen, it has the largest ratio of women viewers) which for now at least is starring the popular actress Hayden Panettiere.

In 2003 the beautiful South African actress Charlize Theron (images above) who had previously played super-cool and super-sexy roles, played the Florida serial killer Aileen Wuomos in the movie Monster. If anything, Charlize Theron played Aileen Wuomos as more scary than she really was - and Charlize Theron won an Oscar for the portrayal.   

Kathy Bates, Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman also did very well playing roles strongly against type, along with quite a few others. An actor’s dream, to pull this one off.

Could Lifetime and Hayden Panettiere now have in mind a movie rather like Monster? Playing Amanda Knox as she really seems to be - only more-so?

This has already struck the Knox and Sollecito defense teams as not only possible but a real danger. One that could influence her first appeal late this November, and help to sink her second appeal late in 2011.

From today’s Italian Libero News website.

Lawyers for Amanda Knox and Rafael Sollecito announce a battle with the script of a film for television on the personal life and trial of the two young adults convicted in the first degree for the murder of Meredith Kercher.

Maria Del Grosso, a lawyer who works with the criminal lawyers Amanda Luciano Ghirga and Carlo Dalla Vedova, reached by telephone by Adnkronos, called the idea “at least inappropriate…. you can not think about making a film when the case is judicially still open…. when you remove all this tension, we can work better on the appeals.”

The same opinion was expressed by Luca Maori, Sollecito Raffaele’s defender with Ms Giulia Bongiorno, who said to AGI “I am absolutely opposed to a movie when the appeal process, expected to be long, has not yet even started.”

“It is unthinkable” added Giulia Bongiorno “to make a film when there is still an open case uncrystallized in truth. If the movie comes out before the end of the process of appeals, we will ask for its seizure,” said the lawyer.

Well, Amanda Knox’s parents and their PR manager David Marriott did want to push Amanda Knox out into the hard limelight, too sanitized to ever successfully pass the giggle test in the long run.

Now they and Knox’s (and Sollecito’s) long-suffering Perugia lawyers may be facing the first of a series of swings the other way.

Comments

By Storm Roberts (Innai)

I was wondering if there was some legal impediment to making a film such as this before all the appeals had been completed - from the above I guess not.  I’m glad the two defence teams are speaking out against this idea - it is clearly inappropriate.

Interesting that it might be intending to show Amanda Knox in a less than rosy light - still doesn’t make it a good idea though.

Posted by Nolongeramember on 09/21/10 at 05:34 PM | #

Hi Innai. Yes, again this is something along with the high profile campaign that Amanda Knox and her lawyers never asked for and could seriously do without.

This will presumably be an English-language-only movie, though all the channels here try to market their products abroad where they can be dubbed.

There was a case here in the US a few years ago where a TV movie was aired before the legal process was complete. The defense appealed against its airing, but the judge let it go.

Where is Ted Simon in all of this?

He seems to be trying to tamp down Knox’s parents (who haven’t said much for a while) and the PR campaign, and maybe even the excesses of the FOA conspiracy theorists.

Quite probably on the same wavelength as Della Vedova and Ghirga.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/21/10 at 05:58 PM | #

The real untold story here would seem to be Meredith’s, which we have increasingly come to admire or even marvel at as we figure it out, the known past and possible futures.

I think that this might be what Meredith’s mother was hinting at, and if the family could abide that idea or support it, there would seem to be a big audience and no legal ties.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/21/10 at 06:52 PM | #

Not familiar with Lifetime, as I’m too poor to take cable. Are they known for producing anything with any teeth, or is it yet more junkfood for the mind? While I’m not at all surprised that someone is anxious to leap, even feet first, into a movie on Knox (before she disappears into obscurity) I have sincere doubts they will bother to do much research.

All of that aside, the thought of anyone acting out an actual savage attack for the sake of providing entertainment is distressing. Would it be hazy, and slow-motion dreamlike (as in Knox’s best truth she can think recollections?) Or do they actually plan to have an actress (presumably less perky than Panettiere) portray our sweet girl?

It took me a long time to be able to watch Meredith’s music video, because it brought home even more who exactly was lost; that she was vital, flesh and blood. We’ve been made to watch endless footage of Knox moving in and out of courtrooms, but no living footage of Meredith. I’m guessing that this movie (if it actually happens) would start out with the relationship between the two women, ala Dempsey, rather than starting with violent acts and following with the arrests and trial. That would simply be too anticlimactic for American tv.

Posted by mimi on 09/22/10 at 07:18 AM | #

interesting comments here from this story on the film which incidentally is linked to imdb.

other comments all around link pannetiere’s agreement to do this film to the colossal flop of her last one, and no one seems to have a kind word for lifetime…one wonders.

Posted by mojo on 09/22/10 at 11:27 AM | #

I think we have a two against one scenario here.

The ‘two’ being the Knox/Mellas clan and the defence lawyers of their daughter and RS - and the ‘one’ being the family of the victim; Meredith Kercher.

Firstly we have the Knox/Mellas clan and the defence not wanting this movie, as it could be prejudicial to their clients and convicted killer offspring.

The point here being that the truth is and will always will be, very damaging to them.

This is of course the very reason Curt Knox has leveraged himself to the hilt in employing at the start of this affair a PR company in an attempt to wallpaper over the massive cracks in his daughters personality.

Initially it was stated by the family that the reason of the PR company was to counter the negative press and “false” representation of their daughter in the media.

Why they still employ this company to this very day despite their daughter being convicted by a jury and sentenced and imprisoned some 10 months ago is another subject not for this particular post.

Secondly, we have the Knox/Mellas clan who would welcome the movie with open arms.

If they were to be given editorial input rights it would serve their cause and be a good vehicle for their continual efforts to beautify their daughter and they may even be able to negotiate some rights issues too - and make some filthy lucre.

One can see buttercup days - with Amanda skipping home and all manner of really cute woodland creatures following her behind because she is just well.. so nice.

Thirdly, we have the family of the victim Meredith Kercher - The Kercher family.

A family whose dignified silence from the start of this tragic affair has been admirable to say the least and remarkable at best.

They do not want this movie at any cost or for whatever reason - as to them it would be like having their beloved daughter and sister murdered again.

Film/TV company please have a heart and consider this last point.

Please show some respect to the dead girl and her family.

In the interests of human decency you have to abandon making this movie.

Posted by Black Dog on 09/22/10 at 11:27 AM | #

I agree with Black Dog. I don’t care if this movie tells the truth about Amanda Knox and her vicious, envious psychopathy. Meredith’s parents have not been consulted and are further distressed by this announcement, so it should not be made.

At the very least, the film-makers should contact the family and address their concerns.

I have long thought that the key to this murder is Meredith’s bubbly, friendly, easygoing personality, and how it conflicted with Knox’s “Queen Bee” self-esteem issues, and it is a story which should be told, but not in a TV movie, made without consultation with Meredith’s parents.

Posted by Janus on 09/22/10 at 03:25 PM | #

I have watched many Lifetime movies with the wife and have laughed at their predictability and overt bias-usually towards men. They even have advertised the movies on the channel with the tag line “Women in Trouble”. I have a feeling they know that it will be ridiculous to make this movie in favor of AK’s innocence. Based on the movies I have seen in the past, my guess is that it will be presented in such a way to leave it up to the viewer. They will present the facts to a degree, maybe not changing them, but leaving out important ones and at the same time will make the prosecutor look to be a villain. So, in the end, the viewer, despite the facts presented will still have reasonable doubt that she was involved to the extent she actually was. I think the actress they chose is way too glamorous to play AK. Not sure how tall AK is but the actress is a shortie, like 5’1’‘. Another hint as to how far from reality this movie is likely to go. Interesting that none of the major networks like ABC, CBS or NBC are making a movie. Maybe they realize that unlike the news, a movie circulates for years, and after a while the vast majority of the US viewers will see it for what it is, a thinly veiled PR campaign and a time capsule tribute to the networks bias toward other countries and human decency in general.  Despite the biased news reporting here, people are catching on to the truth slowly but surely.

Posted by Kazwell on 10/14/10 at 12:18 PM | #

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