Steven, 7 anni: rapito

I read a book on Stevens ordeal and the author said that the Stayner's of Merced were as cursed as the Kennedys of Massachusetts. I cannot believe that so much horror could happen in one family. Steven was abducted for seven years and came home maimed mentally for life and died at 24 in a terrible accident. I think in a way death was kind to him and then in the last few years his brother Cary was convicted of murdering four women in Yosemite National Park. What got me is that Cary tried to use Stevens disappearance as an excuse. He said he was so traumatized by it.

I first watched this TV movie when I was 9 or 10, and it haunted me for a long time afterwards. Many years later I came across the book, and although this fills in a lot of the gaps that the movie leaves out, the movie does a better job of dramatising the situation without the over emphasis on the goodness of Steven's family, and the evil of his kidnapper that the book gives. It's a shame that all the details could not have been included in the dramatisation, as the full story would have made the story even more tragic, and that bit more realistic. A 5 hour movie would not be that practical though I fear.

The abuse of Steven is left up to the imagination in the TV adaptation, which is tactful to the family of Steven, but does gloss over the point that Steven was severely sexually abused and raped, and that Steven was okay with his friends suffering the same fate when they visited. These little details and many others like them make for a more frightening and even more gripping one than was produced. This is a shame, but understandable for a low budget US TV movie.

Generally, this is well worth a watch, though the book is better factually; but I'd probably give it a miss if you have young children.

I just saw this movie on lifetime and I remember seeing it when it was first on. I was only 9 years old then and I remember being so scared. I thought it was quite ironic that Cary Staynor was "camping in Yosemite" when Steven came home. The same place where earlier this year Cary murdered those women. Yet another chilling twist to the story.

Shows the Horrors of what happens to children when Kidnapped and abused. The Cast was excelent. I give it ten stars. I don't think anyone Who hasn't been through something like that can imagine what that poor kid went through. Steven is gone now, But I hope His tragic story is told again and again. And maybe someday America's children will be safe, and no longer be robbed of their innocence.

What an incredible TV movie,it left me speechless and disturbed for days. Corin Nemek was amazing and very real as Steven,I have seen many of his film and was a Parker Lewis fan when I was little but this was one was his best performance. I think it's very hard to give this film a critic because I don't think this film was made to entertain us ,it was made to educate us on the subject of Child abduction,I don't know about you but as soon as I have kids,the first thing I'll teach them is "NEVER talk to strangers" Parnell is the devil impersonated , how can you take a sweet little boy and strip him of his innocence? I hope he wont get away with it this time(He has been locked up again last year). That scene(The most disturbing scene in the movie if you ask me) were you see Steven at age 9 , smoking a cigarette while watching TV made me very sad because you just knew that it wasn't the same boy,all his childhood was destroyed and he was a child no more.

People need to see this movie,it's an important life lesson.

God bless the late Steven Stayner.