Peccati di famiglia

While the acting isn't superb in this made-for-television movie, the events occurring in it are excellent. This true story involves a prominent woman in the community, played by Kirstie Alley, that betrays single, struggling mothers. She manipulates one woman and has her and her daughter live in her rental property and she turns around and burns the house down, getting the woman to move into her own home. She locks the woman in the basement and raises her daughter as her own, teaching her to lie to social workers and steal from department stores. When the girl grows up, and has the baby of Kirstie Alley's son, she then goes to the police to help free her mother. But the story doesn't end here. Even in jail, Kirstie Alley wreaks havoc upon the lives of this mother, daughter, and grandson, both mentally and physically. Excellent movie, a must-see true life story.

This was such a terrible story. If it hadn't been Kirstie Alley playing this despicably cruel character, I don't think I could have watched it.

Kathleen Wilhoite did such a good job as a girl treated so harshly she apparently couldn't feel pain any more. She seemed almost happy with her life because she didn't know any better. That was just sad.

I'm not sure which would have been worse: that these people were real, or that someone could have been sick enough to make up this story. The latter, unfortunately, was true. I wish it hadn't been. Still an entertaining presentation.

Superb film dealing with a family that used the system to take full advantage and do the most horrendous things to people who were under their foster care.

The film is marvelous as it is really a stinging indictment of the foster care system. That social worker saw all the symptoms of child abuse and chose instead to make notations, look at her watch and simply walk away.

Kirstie Alley again proves that she is a magnificent dramatic actress as the devil of a mother. Teaching children how to steal, setting fire to real estate that she owned, having the most disgusting children herself, and married to a brute all come together to make such an outstanding film.

The film is also a testimony to a criminal justice system that finally worked and meted out appropriate justice.

This is a marvelous film which should be viewed by so many groups alike.

I have had dealings with the family. It is very important that I locate this movie. I had no idea it existed until after the police left my home yesterday giving me a surprise visit. I began to research to see if I could find where he is or what he was up to.

I then found the name of the movie but I cannot find it. I went to Best buy, walmart superstore, BJ's, Sam's and a few video stores.

ALso I am looking at the dates of the posts and am wondering if anyone knows if the book ids completed and if so what the name of it is? Any help will be appreciated as I believe other things are going to happen. There just may be other charges.

Thanks for any help. Oh and if anyone nows how to locate the screenwriter. I have not been able to find him either.

Thanks for any help anyone can give. I retrieved my post too add more as I read even more posts.

This family did give to the politicians. But they were not glamorous. Let me put it in a different way. They did not dress the part nor look the part of someone with glamor. As I said I have not yet seen the movie. I just lived part of it. Yes she ruled the house. But he ruled the properties with his sons and foster sons. Yes they are scary people. To this day I do not know why the police were afraid of them. Soon the pieces of the puzzle will all fall in. But the fact is that the police were indeed afraid of him. As I sit here typing this, I am beginning to think that they were not afraid but were either hooked up with him or TOLD to stay away. One officer did tell me that. Another told me that no one dared to touch )&_)(&_)*(& Let me remind all of you if it was not portrayed in the movie that one of the Mayors has also served time. Surely not as much as he should have.

I am having visions of how these people may have been portrayed and if they were portrayed was as glamarous people and pillars of the community that is not so. They paid their way through for the crimes they committed. And the ones who had their hands out for the pay offs were no better and many of them have served time during the administration that was in office at the time of their arresst.

pooky

Hi..I am from Rhode Island and watched the movie. I vaguely remember hearing about this when it was discovered.

BUT what surprised me the most was....in 2001 I hired a contractor to build an addition for me. He seemed like a nice enough guy and price was reasonable, (I called 7 companies and only got 3 prices..seemed like no one wanted to work).

I had no idea who Raymond Burt was....well I found out at the end of the movie when I saw him and his family on the clips of them in the court room. What a shock that was.

It was hard to imagine what the hell his life must have been like with a mother like his. He was pleasant and friendly and I would never have guessed what his family life was like. I can only hope he did what he did because his mother made him and not because he truly wanted to.

The completed job was OK...a couple of things were not to my liking but that was subcontractors faults and Ray made up for them.

Don't know where he is now or if still in business..but I hope he's not with his mother.....she is one scary BITCH!!!!!!