''Cleveland Abduction'' is a 2015 American crime drama television film directed by
Alex Kalymnios
Alex Kalymnios is an English director, producer and screenwriter.
Early life
During school Kalymnios wanted to become an actress. When she directed her first school play, she decided that she wanted to become a director. In 2002 she graduated f ...
from a teleplay written by Stephen Tolkin. Based on the
kidnapping of three Cleveland women by Ariel Castro in the early 2000s, the film stars
Taryn Manning
Taryn Manning is an American actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett in the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), Cherry in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2010), Nola in ''Hus ...
,
Raymond Cruz
Raymond Cruz (born July 9, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his starring role as Detective Julio Sanchez in the series ''The Closer'' and its spinoff '' Major Crimes'', as well as his recurring role as drug lord Tuco Salamanca in the ...
and
Joe Morton
Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. (born October 18, 1947) is an American stage, television and film actor. He has worked with film director John Sayles in '' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' City of Hope'' (1991) and '' Lone Star'' (1996). Ot ...
. It debuted May 2, 2015 on
Lifetime.
The film is based on the memoir, ''
Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed'' by Michelle Knight.
Plot
In
Cleveland, Ohio, Michelle Knight (
Manning
Manning (a.k.a. Mannion, Manning) is a family name.
Origin and meaning
Manning is from an old Norse word — manningi — meaning a brave or valiant man; and one of the first forms of the name was Mannin; another cartography was Manny ...
) a 21-year-old single mother had lost custody of her son. On August 23, 2002, Knight was on her way to the court when she accepted a ride from her acquaintance Ariel Castro (
Cruz
Cruz is a surname of Iberian origin, first found in Castile, Spain, but later spread throughout the territories of the former Spanish and Portuguese Empires. In Spanish and Portuguese, the word means "cross", either the Christian cross or ...
), who was the father of a schoolmate. However, Castro abducted Knight and held her captive in his home. Finding strength through her belief in God and determined to be reunited with her son, Knight refused to be broken down by Castro. Soon thereafter Castro kidnaps and rapes two more girls, Amanda Berry (Droke) and Georgina "Gina" DeJesus (
Sarife). These girls too become imprisoned along with Knight. They become friends and fellow victims; treat each other as sisters through their years in captivity.
When Berry became pregnant with Castro's child, it was Knight who delivered her baby, even performing CPR on the infant girl under the threat of Castro killing her if Berry's child didn't survive. Despite enduring more than a decade of brutality and captivity, Knight's spirit would not be broken as her faith in the face of what she once thought would be a hopeless situation was a testament to the human spirit. On May 6, 2013, Berry succeeds in escaping from the house and the police arrive and released the women. Knight is finally given the chance to reclaim her life after nearly 11 years of captivity.
Cast
*
Taryn Manning
Taryn Manning is an American actress and singer. She is best known for portraying Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett in the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), Cherry in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2010), Nola in ''Hus ...
as Michelle Knight
*
Raymond Cruz
Raymond Cruz (born July 9, 1961) is an American actor, best known for his starring role as Detective Julio Sanchez in the series ''The Closer'' and its spinoff '' Major Crimes'', as well as his recurring role as drug lord Tuco Salamanca in the ...
as Ariel Castro
*
Katie Sarife
Katie Sarife is an American actress. She is best known for playing Daniela Rios in the 2019 supernatural horror film ''Annabelle Comes Home''.
Career
She appeared in the episode ''Fan Fiction'' of the television series ''Supernatural'' and in '' ...
as Gina DeJesus
* Samantha Droke as Amanda Berry
*
Pam Grier
Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distinc ...
as Carla
*
Joe Morton
Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. (born October 18, 1947) is an American stage, television and film actor. He has worked with film director John Sayles in '' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' City of Hope'' (1991) and '' Lone Star'' (1996). Ot ...
as Agent Solano
See also
*
Ariel Castro kidnappings
Between 2002 and 2004, Ariel Castro kidnapped Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Georgina "Gina" DeJesus from the streets of Cleveland, Ohio and later held them captive in his home of 2207 Seymour Avenue in the city's Tremont neighborhood. All ...
- the case on which the book this movie was based on, was itself based on.
References
External links
*
Cleveland captivity abc story
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland Abduction
2015 television films
2015 films
Lifetime (TV network) films
Biographical films about criminals
Films about kidnapping
Films about rape
Films set in 2002
Films set in 2013
Films set in Cleveland
Cultural depictions of kidnappers
Cultural depictions of rapists
Films with screenplays by Stephen Tolkin
2010s English-language films