Movie Review: The Elizabeth Smart story

Movie: The Elizabeth Smart Story

Stars: ***

Editors comment:   The story line was great, but it takes a minute to understand.  Definitely a sad story, kidnapping just doesn’t make sense to us.;

The movie almost instantaneously begins with ‘Elizabeth Smart’ being kidnapped by a man who almost hilariously resembles Santa Clause.  Unfortunately the night before she’s suppose to go to a big party with her friend, the an threatens her life that he’ll kill the rest of her family if she doesn’t get up and come with him.

(… It’s really sad that a grown man would kidnap a  girl who doesn’t appear to be older than maybe 14..).

The other younger girl then realizes that her sister Elizabeth is gone, and informs her parents ‘Mommy somebody took Elizabeth’. Typical parents,  they didn’t immediately believe that her daughter was taken but did when they noticed nobody else was in the house.

The family immediately informs the police, which almost instantly pops up at the family’s house  demanding answers and phone numbers thinking that the family was responsible for Elizabeth’s disappearance.

The detective himself is literally convinced  that the father is the culprit in the disappearance of his daughter, even though the family makes it very clear that they had nothing to do with the abduction.

View some background information on Smart’s (real life kidnapper) Brian David Mitchell.

The inevitable has happened, the family becomes bombarded by the press upon returning from the police station whereas they subsequently speak to the public for the first time pleading with the assailant to return his daughter.

Anyone notice that the kidnapper looks allot like Santa Clause? Like for real.

[Fact: Brian David Mitchell was a former street preacher].

While the search terms were dispersed into the woods, Elizabeth Smart was actually being held captive in a set of woods too [location unknown].

Any person who has a child would know the family had nothing to do with this, this is just heart breaking to watch.

‘Brian Mitchell’ begins to ‘preach’ to Elizabeth while sitting around a fire demanding that she forget about her past life, as he ‘is the only person who knows the real her.

It’s kind of inspiring to see that SO  many people turned up looking for this little girl. I’d hope that this actually happened whereas this many thousands of people did just what they did here.

Pretty much the entire town at this point turns out looking for Lizzie, stores closed looking for Elizabeth, while all the while, the kidnapper dressed in his preacher outfit walks by one of the closed stores.

[Note: Mitchell tells the little girl that he is 'her salvation' she must eat, sleep (etc) upon his authority command].

A few important takeaways from this movie:

• Never ever leave your child unattended in your home after hours, especially with windows open.
• If your child ‘shouts’ at night, don’t think they’re lying… GO CHECK ON THEM!

Always remember people, to keep your children safe. If they’re quiet inside your home, they’re probably up to something.

• Shocking! The same kidnapper goes back for the other girl, but fails because she woke up and she screamed.

We think because of the way this movie is put, and the fact that it is a documentary you should watch the rest of it from this point for yourself. It’s so sad and unfortunate, I don’t understand kidnapping.

Related articles

• Elizabeth Smart says family’s love helped her survive ordeal (al.com)
• Experts say child abductions from homes ‘exceptionally’ rare ()
• Abduction survivor Smart to speak in Morristown (knoxnews.com)
• Elizabeth Smart to Speak About Holly Bobo Search (wreg.com)
• Elizabeth Smart tells Iowa families: Miracles happen (newsday.com)
• Kidnap survivor Elizabeth Smart: ‘Miracles do happen’ (oddonion.com)