2003 Movie
Dir. Andrew Jarecki · United States of America · English
This documentary… man, where do I even begin? It captures the lives of the Friedmans and how their world turned upside down when their father, Arnold, and brother, Jesse, were both convicted of sexually abusing children. The filmmaker interviews victims, family members, and experts to strike you with the two sides of the story. The Oscar nominated film shows real footage from the family which makes it even more of an authentic experience. I won’t tell you much more about it- but let me just say, this documentary will leave you speechless.
An Oscar nominated documentary about a middle-class American family who is torn apart when the father Arnold and son Jesse are accused of sexually abusing numerous children. Director Jarecki interviews people from different sides of this tragic story and raises the question of whether they were rightfully tried when they claim they were innocent and there was never any evidence against them.
"A stirring examination of truth at odds with perception, the high price of privacy in the media era and the blinding veil of blood ties."
— Scott Foundas
Other
1 nom
"There's no doubt that the film delivers the emotional equivalent of a kidney punch, but that's as much a result of the filmmaker's attitude-better suited to entomological research-as it is to the Friedmans themselves."
— Amy Taubin