Mississauga's infamous bathtub murder subject of new film
The story of two Mississauga, Ont., sisters convicted of their mother's murder when they were just teenagers is now a Hollywood film, more than a decade after the killing took place.
The two sisters, dubbed the Bathtub Girls, plied their mother with lethal combinations of vodka and Tylenol 3 in order to drown her in the bathtub and make it look like an accident. The sisters' identities are protected by law since they were 15 and 16 at the time.
The murder took place on January 18, 2003, but the movie came out this week in theatres and is also available for on-demand viewings.
Bob Mitchell first heard about the case as a crime reporter. The case was so full of intrigue, suspense and drama, Mitchell wrote a book about it, called The Class Project: How to Kill a Mother. Then Hollywood came calling.
The film is called Perfect Sisters, and it stars Abigail Breslin, who was the star of Little Miss Sunshine, Georgie Henley, from The Chronicles of Narnia and Mira Sorvino as their alcoholic and depressed mother.
"The director has taken a more sympathetic look at the girls," said Mitchell.
But he says the director, Stanley Brooks, manages to stay close to the facts, dramatizing the murder plans.
"At least 20 to 30 kids knew that this was going to happen. There's a plan, everyone is contributing to the plan," he said.
The only downfall was telling the one friend who went to police. In the end the sisters got 10 years, but both only spent about three years in jail.
The sisters are in their 20s now. Both of them excelled in university. One of the sisters is now pursuing a degree in law.
The film is in limited North American release, but is available for rent or purchase on YouTube, iTunes and elsewhere.
