Review of Capturing the Friedmans (2003) by Doug C — 17 Nov 2010
A fascinating, compelling, and disturbing documentary about the 1980s investigation of Arnold and Jesse Friedman for mass child sexual abuse in Great Neck, New York. The film does an exceptional job of presenting the question of whether the charges were the result of the hysteria surrounding the case (as a federal appeals court recently concluded) and the difficult evidentiary questions raised by the case, in which there was no physical evidence, conflicting testimony, and none of the supposedly hundreds of victims reported any sexual abuse until the police interrogated them.
The film also presents a compelling portrait of the complex relationship between criminal defendants and the legal system, including a lot of home video footage shot by the Friedman family themselves depicting how the case tore their family apart.
Highly recommended with the sole caveat that the case is a difficult and tragic one regardless of your perspective on the evidence.
This review of Capturing the Friedmans (2003) was written by Doug C on 17 Nov 2010.
Capturing the Friedmans has generally received very positive reviews.
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