I read Jeff Ashton's book and have seen most of the coverage on television. Sadly, the mixing of Jane Velez-Mitchell and Nancy Grace intertwined into the film here lost it's edge to me. I found the movie to be watchable. Kevin Dunn does a fantastic job as George Anthony. Elizabeth Mitchell is almost perfect as Assistant District Attorney Linda Drane Burdick. Rob Lowe is the star as Jeff Ashton but he doesn't resemble him at all. Oscar Nunez is surprisingly great as Jose Baez. I liked the fact that Casey's participation in the film was low-key. Most of the time it's the prosecution's responsibility to prove Casey killed little Caylee. Unlike the actual court case, we never saw the skeletal remain photos out of respect by the court. Here, I felt it completed the case. The woman who played Cindy Anthony was fine and adequate. We never see Mallory Parker. There was plenty of courtroom drama in the actual case. I was hoping to see the scene where Cindy breaks down while listening to the 911 calls. Of all the moments in the trial, it is something unforgettable and heartbreaking. Ashton's book was pretty sensitive to the Anthonys as a family and here as well. The idea of Cindy being prosecuted for perjury would add insult to injury. Cindy and George loved Caylee, their beloved granddaughter. Her loss is unbearable but they keep moving on. Finally, I would have liked to have seen what happened to those involved. I didn't stay to watch behind the scenes. Still for those of us, less Nancy Grace and Jane Velez-Mitchell. I followed the case quite closely myself and can never understand how somebody like Casey ended up this way. The film also misses key players like her brother, Lee Anthony; Leonard Padilla; and others involved in the case.
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Sylviastel20 January 2013
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aesgaard413 April 2013First off, I agree with everyone that we did not need to see a movie about the most hated and despicable woman of the Twentieth Century, but with the film more focused on Rob Lowe and the prosecution, it becomes much more easier to see how a trained attorney with such an easy case could lose to a shifty lawyer over a morally-deficient and completely repugnant waste of human life. No one in the world is stupid enough to believe that Caycee Anthony's father covered up what was being passed off as an alleged poolside accident. Anthony herself had a long history of lies, deception and immoral issues; all you needed was to psychoanalyze her and bring twelve to fifteen character witnesses of her record of behavior to prove she very likely killed her daughter. To say she was incapable of murder is like saying Jack The Ripper was just a little girl crazy or that Lizzie Borden only had daddy-issues. The movie runs a little short at two hours. To get the full impact of the case on the public, it really needs two parts. Rob Lowe plays his character with conviction, and his opponent Oscar Nunez is equally capable depicting Jose Baez as just a bit shady. Instead of trying to get to the truth, he endorses the lie with gusto and attacks those trying to get to the truth. This is the antithesis of a witch-hunt; you can't prove your client innocent so you just attack the state's case, and let's not forget the talented actress who actually "plays" Caycee. I can't imagine any actress even wanting the role, but she's got Caycee's cold vacuous empty stare down perfect. To tell the truth, there's no story or a lot of behind the scenes exposition as there was on a movie like "JFK," the movie is almost a step by step re-enactment of the court transcripts, but then it is a Made-For-TV movie so that kind of exposition would not be included to fit it into a time slot. The movie is worth a watch for a true crime buff or someone with the remotest unfamiliarity of the case, but like everyone else who lived it, no one wants to be reminded that someone got away with murdering their own daughter.
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slightlymad229 October 2014Based on a true story: Rob Lowe stars as Florida prosecutor Jeff Ashton in this riveting, true-life drama based on the infamous Casey Anthony murder trial that shocked and enraged the American public.
As a Brit living in the UK, I knew nothing of the story, and what actually happened. I watched this simply because it starred Rob Lowe.
Lowe stars in one of my favourite romance movie ever 'About Last Night' and I usually pay attention to anything he stars in. He has continued to impress me as he left "The Brat Pack" era of his career, and went on to 'Wayne's World' and 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who S******d Me' or his work as Sam Seaborn in TV's 'The West Wing' he is always reliable.
And this is no difference, he is superb, as is everybody involved. I was blown away by everybody's work here.
It was let down in several areas, but it's hard to pick faults with a movie that gets so much right. -
Michael_Elliott20 January 2013Prosecuting Casey Anthony (2013)
*** (out of 4)
State lawyer Jeff Ashton (Rob Lowe) gets himself the Casey Anthony case just as he wanted so that he can turn her into the most hated woman in America but it ends up with her walking free. PROSECUTING CASEY ANTHONY is based on Ashton's book so it's to be expected that the film would show him in a positive light and Anthony in a negative one. For a Lifetime movie this here is certainly above average thanks in large part to Lowe's performance but there's still no question that there are many flaws. As someone who really followed this case, one of the first questions asked in the film is how Anthony walked away being found not guilty. In the film Ashton says he doesn't know and this is a problem with the film because the truth of the matter is that he never proved the case. For the most part the film spends way too much time going over the court case and all the big evidence or lack of evidence if you will. If someone has followed the case then none of this stuff is going to be of much interest because we know the evidence and have probably heard countless talking heads discuss it to death. The film would have been much better had it tried to give us something new including Ashton's state as these events started to unfold. The majority of the film just has him insulting the defense lawyer and this here really goes nowhere. However, as I said, the film remains watchable as a trashy made-for-TV flick but we've also got a very good performance by Lowe. I really thought he was believable as the lawyer and I liked the way the actor managed to perform with his eyes, meaning, we're able to see how he thinks and feels simply by looking into his eyes. The supporting performances are decent at best but the actors had a pretty hard job since most people are so used to their real counterparts. PROSECUTING CASEY ANTHONY certainly isn't a great movie by any stretch of the imagination but it's at least mildly entertaining. -
dutchchocolatecake19 January 2013The characters cast in this movie do NOT match the real life personalities whatsoever - not in looks OR demeanor. None of them actually resemble the people I saw on television for the countless hours this case was covered.
For example, George Anthony was not a chubby, pathetic little man at the mercy of everyone around him. No, he was a tall, fit, intelligent ex-cop that was often forceful when he took the stand. I don't expect dramatization to be perfect, but come on.
This probably deliberate; as this movie is based off of the perspective of Jeff Ashton, the prosecutor of this case. It's interesting that the people who have made money off this case are the ones who do the most to stir public outrage. He admits that is his real goal: "When I'm done, she will be the most hated woman in the country." This tells me he doesn't care about justice for Caylee, he wants to instigate a public lynching. "I'm a believer in Karma," he says, so in the event a vigilante goes after Casey, he can deny deny deny any responsibility in his part of the entire media circus.
And that is what I find is most offensive, is Jeff Ashton's attitude toward this case and his own job. It's clear to me that he has no respect for the justice system, the court of law, nor to the jurors who took time out of their personal lives to serve their duty. Apparently his respect for the justice system extends only so far as the outcome results in what HE wants.
And who *smiles* at a death penalty trial? Really? I don't care who it is on trial, someone's life is on the line. Surely a death penalty qualified prosecutor would find it in his conscience to appreciate the gravity of the situation, to take it seriously enough to give it the treatment of dignity it requires. He treats his job like a game - in the courtroom, in interviews, and in the movie.
I'm not giving this movie a 1 just because I dislike Jeff Aston. I am giving it a 1 because this movie really is poorly done; and it resembles propaganda too much. The point of propaganda is to arouse a specific reaction - and that is what this movie was made to do. It was NOT created to give people a fair or impartial depiction of the events surrounding the death of Caylee Anthony. It was specifically created to pander to the perspective of a man who cared more about making the country hate Casey Anthony than doing his job well and prosecuting a case with professionalism and competency.
Common sense would say that if you care about justice, then it wouldn't matter if the entire country hates Casey Anthony. That's just not what happened here, though. -
eyedabaholic1 March 2021The law is not perfect, the courts are not perfect, people are NOT perfect. SHE DID IT. it's very sad that she got off with nothing. I would love to know where she lives, just to, you know, "congratulate" her...
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dv7279 September 2018I read Jeff Ashton's book a few years ago and found him to be one of the most distasteful individuals in the profession. I think a lot of Rob Lowe as an actor and he was very able to portray that expertly. I'm sure Ashton loved the portrayal. Ashton took the proceeds of his "book" and beat a long term incumbent. He was then defeated, but recently was elected to a Judgeship. Watch out, central Florida, you get what you elect. I'm sure he thinks Orlando just can't live without him.
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rongan20 January 2013One of the better made for TV movies about a real murder trial - very informative in so little time. My only complaint is the long and many commercials.
I thought the acting was quite good. The actual woman prosecutor during her endless opening statement was quite boring (it's on Youtube). The actress who played her was not – maybe that was poor acting.
After viewing it I could understand why it wasn't a slam dunk murder conviction.
Also the movie showed at least two jurors glaring at the prosecutor as if they didn't trust or like them. I felt the same way.
It's entertaining and moves along at a good pace. Watch it with an open mind and you might enjoy it. -
dayra-0794619 March 2022This is absolutely pathetic. This monster deserves to be in jail. Rotting there . I dont know how she sleeps at night knowing what she did. This whole movie is a disaster and i truly hope it gets taken down. Deep down i know that she knows shes a pathetic person. She never truly cared about her daughter. She wanted to live her pathetic life. Makes me mad, she deserves the death penalty.
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katelunberry12 December 2022I want to believe her and give her the benefit of the doubt, but when you are such a pathological liar it's very difficult to believe anything she says. Clearly her father was involved, but own up to the terrible mistakes you made!!! If her father abused her why move your child in with him? She was acquitted, so if you are going to do a documentary, own up to your part. She completely avoided the question. This doc was definitely bias and done by her or people who support her. I would have asked very different questions. I don't recommend this documentary if you want unbiased information. Very fake!
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edwagreen24 January 2013Rob Lowe looked too young to be playing a prosecuting attorney with 30 years experience stating that this would be his last case.
The movie was informative and showed a jury that was very much not in sync with 94% of the population who thought Ms. Anthony was guilty.
Note how little screen time was devoted to the Anthony character.
Unless the writing went astray, there certainly was controversy regarding the chloroform/ duct taping of the child.
Nonetheless, this was a riveting film with Lowe giving one of his best performances in years as a slick prosecutor brought to humility at the jury's verdict. -
This film was absolutely outstanding. Many viewers obviously rated it low because of their hatred for Casey Anthony. They brought in so many facts about the Casey and did a good representation of how her lawyer was able to create doubt to have her acquitted. The film Itself will cause you to generate anger, however that is only due to the facts around the situation. The cast was chosen well and it kept my interest throughout the entire film. It became slow at the end but that was expected given the verdict. I would recommend this over many other films made about Casey Anthony. Even the documentaries.