There's no reason to give this made-for-TV movie any less than 10 stars for its waaaaay above-average intensity, intelligence, and honesty on the subject of the sexual (and emotional) abuse of children. The acting is uniformly superb, with the film benefiting also from taut direction, a subtly remarkable script, and solid production values. "I Know My First Name is Steven" stays about 85% true to the actual events of Steven Stayner's life and, even more important, stays 100% true to its mission: To show how sexual predators can mentally and physically bludgeon their victims, especially when those victims are children, into a type of submissive paralysis that might defy logic but does not at all defy our understanding if we open our hearts and minds to the truth. The fact that this important film, timely enough when it was made in 1989, is even more timely today in 2006 is a sad fact we all need to face. I applaud the Lifetime Channel for continuing to air the film at fairly regular intervals, though I remain mystified as to why it has yet to be released on DVD.
Review of I Know My First Name Is Steven
