Over the 1987 Thanksgiving holiday, an upper-middle-class Jewish family was plunged into turmoil when two of its members were charged with shocking and ugly crimes. Arnold Friedman, a popular high school science teacher, and his 18-year-old son Jesse were accused of 141 counts of child molestation. That Arnold possessed child pornography in the basement den where he also taught computer classes to young teens was indisputable, but the other crimes (particularly Jesse's role in them) is not. This 2003 documentary explores the family's story. Another son, David, videotaped the family's arguments and pain as it progressed through the charges, trial, and prison terms. Director Andrew Jarecki portrays the police and accusers as not necessarily any more believable than the Friedmans.
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The review of this Movie prepared by David Loftus
Capturing the Friedmans is a critically acclaimed documentary about a scandal in a wealthy Long Island town. Arnold Friedman, a confirmed pedophile, is also a father and public school teacher who has been offering computer lessons in his home. After the police discover Friedman's stash of child pornography, they investigate allegations that Friedman has been using the computer classes to sexually abuse young boys. Arnold and his son Jesse are convicted of child sexual abuse, but the film leaves audience members to decide for themselves whether the men are guilty.
The review of this Movie prepared by Judy Berman
