Trapped: The Alex Cooper Story

Late at night, Alex runs barefoot to avoid a passing car, then ducks behind a parked vehicle and later behind a bus stop. When a bus rounds the corner, she steps in front of it and rides away, beginning a difficult journey she never asked for.

Alex, a 15-year-old student, meets Frankie Jackson and they fall in love. They spend time together at places like the beach, the boardwalk, a bowling alley, and Frankie's house.

Alex's Mormon parents confront her about the relationship and throw her out of the house. She seeks refuge with her sympathetic neighbor Daniella.

Her parents take Alex to Utah to stay with her grandparents in St. George and place her with Johnny and Tiana Simms, who run a program that practices conversion therapy. The Simms warn that they know everyone in the community and will not let Alex get away.

In the Simms' care, Alex endures control and punishment designed to prove she is 'straight.' She is forced to stand facing a wall with a backpack full of rocks and is told that any contact with Frankie will be discovered.

Alex makes repeated attempts to contact Frankie or seek help, but each attempt is met with punishment from Johnny and Tiana. She tries contacting via her school and even leaves notes in a grocery store, yet the Simms' discipline grows harsher.

The parents press Alex to disavow her relationship, insisting she must pretend to be straight. To prove conversion, she reluctantly provides Frankie’s last name and endures a strict routine for 77 days.

Overwhelmed by the abuse, Alex attempts suicide by taking an entire bottle of pills and leaves a note for her parents. Johnny pulls her from the water and Tiana scolds her, continuing the harsh cycle of responses.

The Simms permit Alex to spend Thanksgiving with her parents, offering a brief moment of normalcy. Afterward, the pressure resumes as they remind her to stay 'in line' with their rules.

Alex finally breaks down and reveals Frankie’s last name to her parents, and they allow her to return to school under a cover story about helping her grandparents. At school she meets Jason and learns about a Gay-Straight Alliance.

Jason and teacher Carol Lynn contact Salt Lake City attorney Paul Burke, who agrees to represent Alex pro bono. He also pledges to represent Frankie if Alex's parents have her arrested.

A slip by the Simms leads to Alex being pulled out of school again; that night she removes the backpack and runs away barefoot. A bus driver later stops and helps by taking her toward safety instead of reporting her.

The next morning, a friendly police officer takes Alex to the St. George Youth Crisis Center, where Colette assures her that neither the Simms nor her parents will be able to take her away. Colette promises that not everyone is like the Simms and reminds Alex she is perfect the way she is.

Frankie arrives and the two share a joyous reunion, renewing their commitment to support each other. They begin to look toward a safer future together.

A postscript reveals that after months of legal battles in Utah, Alex wins the right to live openly as a gay teenager, and she reconciles with her parents. They express support, with her father even offering to walk her down the aisle someday.