CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS

US, 2003, 107 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Andrew Jarecki.

This challenging documentary lost out in the Academy Awards to Errol Morris' interviews with Robert S McNamara? about US foreign policy, The Fog of War. However, it did win the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival and many other awards. It is a very careful documentary about a difficult subject.

The Friedmans seemed to be a typical American family, especially with their love of capturing all their memories on film and then on video. The film builds up a portrait of Arnold the musician and teacher father, Elaine his strong-minded wife and their three sons. Suddenly, their word was overturned as Arnold and his youngest son, Jesse, were arrested for child molestation, charged with both of them eventually going to jail.

Andrew Jarusick became interested in their story, doing investigative research about the case. The eldest son, David, told him about the hours of footage he had. A documentary using this footage, using television news material from the time of the trial and contemporary interviews emerged. The material has been edited together so that the audience sees the chronology of Arnold's life, marriage and family, hears the testimony of the principal people involved (especially Elaine, David and Jesse as well as detectives, the judge, lawyers, victims and their parents), sees the footage of how the family behaved at the time of the trial (bizarre, frantic and hostile). The director also makes it hard to know what the actual truth is. One piece of the film, one interview, points in a particular direction of guilt, then another piece throws doubt on what has been said. The evidence for the accusation was testimony rather than physical evidence and this raises difficulties concerning police leading witnesses, false memories, lies and self-defensiveness.

This means that the audience has a great deal to absorb, is continually challenged to try to understand the characters, while being horrified at the charges and the implications about paedophilia. It is both gruelling and challenging.

1. The impact of the film, its awards and nominations? A piece of Americana? Fact/fiction?

2. The technical qualities of the film: the interviews and the direct speaking to camera, the frank interviews and expressions of experience and memory? The use of the Friedmans' home videos? The range, of Arnold Friedman's sister in the 30s, of his band playing in the 40s and 50s, of the family through all its stages? David Friedman and his beginning to use hand-held home video camera in 1988? His personal diary? The use of the video camera throughout the trial, photographing the family at home, especially their squabbles, fights and screaming? In the jury room and the shouting? The insertion of televised material from the arrest, the news coverage, the trial? Larry King Live? The filming for the epilogue, each of the characters around 2001? Jesse and his returning home to his mother?

3. The editing of the film: the choice of home videos, of interviews? The intercutting? The introduction to Arnold Friedman, the focus on his career, his life, as a father? The building up of the portrait of the family and the love? The irony by suggesting early in the film that there was the dark side, the criminal side? The selection of interviews so that the narrative was built up, especially for the events of 1987 leading to Arnold Friedman's arrest, trial and imprisonment? The musical score? The songs? Arnold playing his music and singing during the final credits?

4. The focus on each of the characters:
- Arnold Friedman, the father of the family, the explanation of his background, his father and mother, he and his brother living in the same room, the information about sexual relationships, their mother's promiscuity? His brother's homosexuality? His own sexual relationships with his brother, with young boys during his adolescence, his falling in love with them? His work in the band, his success? His marriage to Elaine, the footage of their courtship, proposal and dancing? His being the father of the family, the distance from his wife, his love for his children, especially Jesse? His career and success as a teacher, computers, music? His having classes in his home? The gradual revelations about him, the pornographic materials, the postman, the arrest and the search warrant? The interruption of family life, his son being arrested? The information about the classes, the accusations by the children, their being a lack of physical evidence, the reliance on testimony? His going to trial, the reaction of the media, the public? The discussions about his guilt or innocence? His being home on bail, the home videos of the family life, the Seder Supper, shouting at each other, his remaining calm, protesting his innocence, his relationship with his wife? His playing the piano before going to court? The trial, the discussions about his pleading guilty or not, his pleading guilty and blame coming to Jesse? Elaine's reaction? His sons wanting him to tell them the truth? The importance of the correspondence with the investigative journalist, her comments on the case, her letter from him, his explaining the details of his sexual activity in the past? His being in prison, attacked? The severity of the judge, the final sentence? His overdose for depression, his death, seeing his tombstone?
- Jesse Friedman, Arnold's youngest son, appearing in all the home movies, working with his father with the classes, the accusations of brutality and sexual abuse, his protesting his innocence? His being interviewed at the time of the trial, his age, experience? Whether his father should plead guilty or not and the repercussions for him? His discussions with his own lawyer, the lawyer believing that his father had abused him, the weeping in the court - while fooling around for the video on the courthouse steps before his sentence? His relationship with his brothers, with his mother? Going to jail, the severity of the sentence? His getting out and the audience seeing him embrace his mother at the end?
- David Friedman, the eldest son, his place in the family, the explanations that he was caring for his younger brothers? His relationship with his father, the boys as a gang, loving and supporting their father? Their alienation from their mother, criticisms of her, her coldness? David's analysis of the marriage? His own video, the desperate diary video and his anger at the police, not knowing who would see the video? His behaviour during the trial, believing his father innocent, at the family table, trying to be protective? His later life, seeing him as a clown, his success in New York City?
- Seth Friedman and his being seen only in the footage, the explanation of his place in the family, his refusal to be interviewed for the film?
- Elaine Friedman, the mother? Her own family background and severity, her marrying Arnold, her ignorance, her expression of her hang-ups? The large amount of interview information from her, her balance as she gave the interview, the relationship with Arnold, with her children? Her being seen in the footage, strident and aggressive? Her reaction to the arrest, at home, supporting Arnold and getting him the bail, yet their not being close? Her not being aware of his sexuality, her shock at the pornographic magazines? Her anger with her sons and their rejection of her? The plea for the guilty charge? (verdict?) The comment of David about her domination and her own comment about Arnold needing to confess and go to jail? The aftermath, her remarriage, her hoping for peace and healing, waiting for Jesse to come home?
- Howard Friedman, Arnold's brother: the story of their childhood, in the one room, sexual relationships, it only being revealed later in the film that he was in partnership with a friend, seeing them together? His testimony, his disbelief about his brother, not believing the guilty charge or the verdict? The pain in remembering his family, his saying that he blocked out any of the early experiences?
- Debbi Nathan as the investigative journalist, seeing her on Larry King? The discussions about the McMartin? trial, her knowledge of such cases? Her balanced view, her perceptions on the family, guilt and responsibility? The letter that Arnold sent her outlining his sexual history?
- Judd Moulton, Jesse's friend, his testimony about Jesse at school, not believing the accusations?
- Judge Abbey Boklan, presiding over the trial, her later interviews, her knowledge of such cases, her severity in sentencing both father and son? Scott Banks: the judge's legal secretary, his reminiscences, being seen in the court footage, observations on the case?
- Detective Sergeant Frances Galasso: the chief detective, her being seen in action, the focus in the film on her reminiscences about what happened, her care about the accusations, the investigation, sending out the detectives for the interview? Her belief in Arnold's guilt?
- Jerry Bernstein: Arnold's lawyer, his defence, his observations, his memories?
- Peter Panaro: Jesse's lawyer, the memories, his ethics, wanting to have a not guilty plea if Jesse was innocent, the guilty plea, being persuaded that Jesse was abused by his father, Jesse denying it?
- Ron Georgalis: the computer student, his memories of the classes, his finding them boring, not believing that Arnold was guilty?
- The other students shown in silhouette: the reclining student who believed that Arnold was guilty, his memories of the crimes?
- The various parents interviewed in silhouette?
The assistant district attorney, the other detectives, the postal inspector and their memories of the time, their perceptions, their trying to be balanced?

5. The issues of truth: the nature of memory, people and their memories according to their needs, blocking out of memories? The audience and the seeing of the interviews, the home movies, the director's juxtaposition of the testimony - believing what they saw and heard? About Arnold's guilt and responsibility? About the police work and their objectivity or bias? Jesse's testimony about himself?