Arnold Friedman is a highly respected teacher in the upper middle-class community of Great Neck, New York. So imagine his surprise and the surprise of his family when the police invade the family home the day before Thanksgiving, and charge Arnold and his youngest son Jesse with molesting and sodomizing dozens of young children. This is the story of Capturing the Friedmans, a documentary by Andrew Jarecki who presents both sides of the story: those of the alleged victims and the police, and that of the Friedman family themselves. But here’s the twist: in addition to interviews with son David and wife Elaine Friedman, Jarecki has actual video footage of life in the Friedman home after the case broke in 1987, shot by the family themselves. We will never know the truth behind the Friedman case, but Jarecki presents us with the facts and then instructs us to make our own decision. Capturing the Friedmans is at its best compelling and thought-provoking, and at its worst its a “very special” Dateline or 20/20. Blame my inexperience with documentaries, but while Jarecki’s film can be powerful, I found some of the interviews to be overlong and occasionally stale, and I found myself looking forward to the real footage shot by the Friedmans. I do recommend Capturing the Friedmans because it encourages debate and discussion, but if its around 8:00, save yourself a trip to the video store and turn on the TV to Dateline, as I am sure they will be featuring a similar story.
Grade: B-
DVD Extras Grade: Above Average
© 2004 Jacob Sproul