Film / Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy

You can't accuse them of false advertising.

Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy is a 2011 Lifetime Original Movie dealing with the case of Amanda Knox, one of three people tried and convicted in Italy for the murder of fellow exchange student Meredith Kercher in the town of Perugia. The film stars Hayden Panettiere as Miss Knox, Marcia Gay Harden as her mother and Amanda Fernando Stevens as Miss Kercher.

The film has been criticized by people on the sides of both Knox and Kercher, with Knox's lawyers trying (and failing) to keep the film from airing on Lifetime and attempting to block its airing on Italian television, and Kercher's parents expressing distress over the film's portrayal of their daughter's murder; those involved with the movie have stated a desire to present the story as impartially as possible, and indeed some criticized Panettiere's performance for not making Knox crystal clear one way or the other. (On the other hand, the movie has gotten several good reviews for its acting - business as usual for Panettiere and Harden, but somewhat unusual for a Lifetime Movie of the Week.)

The movie has since been amended to note Amanda Knox's and Raffaele Sollecito's acquittal on appeal on October 4, 2011. ^note  The appeals trials were repeated, they were convicted a second time, and were finally acquitted in March 27, 2015. (Rudy Guede, also found guilty, remains in prison.)

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This movie contains examples of:

• Made-for-TV Movie
• Ripped from the Headlines
• What Happened to the Mouse?: While detectives are looking at Amanda's knives, Amanda then experiences a panic attack that's subdued only after she is taken out of the kitchen. Not only was a reason for what brought on her panic attack never given ^note  It's possible she's afraid of knives, but throughout the rest of the film, Amanda doesn't have the same reaction when knives are mentioned but it was never mentioned again.

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