Taken in Broad Daylight
| Taken in Broad Daylight | |
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| Directed by | Gary Yates |
| Produced by |
Mark Wolfe Kent Ulrich |
| Written by |
Charlene Blaine-Schulenburg Kim Delgado |
| Starring |
Sara Canning James Van Der Beek LeVar Burton |
| Distributed by | Lifetime |
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Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Taken in Broad Daylight is a 2009 American made-for-television movie based on the real-life kidnapping of Nebraska teenager Anne Sluti, who was abducted and held for six days in April 2001 by Anthony Steven Wright, also known as Tony Zappa. Wright was later sentenced to life for the Sluti abduction.
On April 6, 2001, Anne Sluti (Sara Canning), an all-American 17-year-old from Kearney, Nebraska, is seen running on a track at her high school as her boyfriend, Gary, and her best friend, Paige, watch. Gary gives Anne a teddy bear for their anniversary. Anne then departs with her best friend, but before she does when she is about to get into her car, Tony Zappa (James Van Der Beek) comes up behind her and drags her to his car. Anne begins screaming as onlookers call 911; Anne escapes from the car as Tony punches her, throws Anne in the car, and drives off.
The police arrive. When one of the detectives tells Officer Mike Timbrook (LeVar Burton) that the car belongs to Anne Sluti, Officer Timbrook realizes that he knows her family and goes off to tell the Sluti family of Anne's kidnapping.
Anne awakens at night as Tony tells her that she shouldn't have screamed. Anne said she screamed because he was punching her, and soon realizes that Tony won't allow her to be released. Tony pulls the car over, and after binding her hands behind her back and blindfolding her, he tells her that if she can get herself out of the binding, he'll let her leave. She is unable to do so, and Tony returns her to the car.
While driving for some time, he removes the blindfold. The car suddenly crashes and flips on its side. Tony frees himself, but Anne, strapped in a seat belt with her hands still bound, is unable to do the same. Tony climbs back and cuts the seat belt, pulls her out of the car, and onto the grass. While she gasps for air, Tony says, "I saved your life. That means I own you."
Daylight breaks and Tony has a chain around Anne's neck as they walk down a dirt road. Tony sees a tractor and ties the end of the chain to a post while he drags the car out of the ditch with the tractor. Anne uses this opportunity to leave a message by carving her initials, A.S. into a rock. Anne persuades Tony to let her call someone and tell them that it was her idea to take off.
Back at the Sluti home, one of Anne's mother's friends, Cat, lets Anne's parents stay at her home to rest while she stays at their house in case anything new happens. Later, the phone rings, and it's Anne. Tony has her call home. Anne asks for her mother Elaine, pretending that Elaine is just a friend, but Tony hangs up and has her call Paige. Anne leaves a clue in her message. Tony believes she says she's on "a quality vacation," while she is actually saying "equality vacation," signifying that she is in Wyoming (whose motto is "equality"). Then she hangs up, and Tony says that it's time they start their "vacation."
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Wikipedia