I'm pretty sure this was movie from Netflix... but my friend rented so many I'm sure he won't remember. Abusive mother has a few kids but holds a teenage daughter down in the basement. I remember because it was so horrible, mother inserting a hot item into her. It's just killing me because I originally thought the mother was Carolyn from sixteen candles. I searched imdb for her movies and it wasn't any of them. Watched it around '09.

Much thanks!

An American Crimehttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0802948/

I do believe that's it! Funny I couldn't remember Ellen page was in it because I love her. Appreciate it :)

A Patch of Blue?
Igby Goes Down?
Night Mother?
Carrie?
Do you remember anything else about the movie? :s

Never mind, I couldn't see your post! Sorry :s

Weird thing is that I am very familiar with the mother in the movie... know her from 40-yr old virgin and other movies. When I said that I thought the mother was from sixteen candles, it looks like it may have been the two girls' mother, that had left them because they were carnies. I thought that SHE was the one doing the horrible things. I will have to watch it. I'm going to try and see if YouTube has some scenes from it.

Dang... that's not it. The whole movie is on YouTube. There definitely wasn't a trial. I will have to check it out, though! I am a fan of true story movies. I remember the beginning starting with some kids by a creek. The mother was always in a nightgown. And I believe it was only one girl in the basement. I say it was from netflix but it may have been a lifetime movie.

Jack ketchum's "the girl next door"
And I was confusing carolyn from sixteen candles with her sister from sixteen candles... she was the mom:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0048273/

I will check the other one out. Thanks again!

Was it "Sybil" with Sally Field