Crime and Punishment in Suburbia

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Crime and Punishment in Suburbia
Promotional movie poster for the film
Directed by	Rob Schmidt
Produced by	Christine Vachon Pamela Koffler Larry Gross
Written by	Larry Gross
Starring	Monica Keena Ellen Barkin Michael Ironside Vincent Kartheiser
Music by	Michael Brook
Cinematography	Bobby Bukowski
Editing by	Gabriel Wrye
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	January 24, 2000 (Sundance Film Festival) August 25 March 28, 2001 May 3, 2002
Running time	100 min.
Country	U.S.A.
Language	English
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Crime and Punishment in Suburbia is a 2000 film directed by Rob Schmidt and starring Monica Keena (as Roseanne Skolnick), Ellen Barkin (as Maggie Skolnick), Michael Ironside (as Fred Skolnick), James DeBello (as Jimmy) and Vincent Kartheiser (as Vincent).

This is a contemporary fable loosely based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. Roseanne (Monica Keena) is outwardly a perfect and popular teen, who suffers from a dysfunctional home life. Her mother (Ellen Barkin) begins an affair with a local man (Jeffrey Wright) and leaves her to live alone with her alcoholic stepfather (Michael Ironside). One night during an alcohol-fueled rage, Roseanne is raped by him. Sullied and traumatized, she decides to take things into her own hands. With the participation of her devoted and clueless boyfriend Jimmy (James DeBello) the twosome murder her stepfather in retribution, but Roseanne's conscience quickly begins to unravel afterwards.

The story is narrated by one of Monica's fellow classmates, Vincent (Vincent Kartheiser), a boy who is as concerned with Roseanne's well-being as he is obsessed with her. As the plot develops he forges a relationship with her, consoling her and giving her advice while trying to point her toward redemption. In the end it becomes possible that he, perhaps, might be her only salvation.