OUR GUYS: OUTRAGE AT GLEN RIDGE

US, 1999, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ally Sheedy, Heather Materazzo, Eric Stoltz, Sarah Botsford, Art Hindle, Lochlyn Munro.
Directed by Guy Ferland.

Our Guys is based on events in New Jersey. It is based on a book by Bernie Lefkowitz who acted as a consultant for the film, as did the character played by Eric Stoltz, Prosecutor Robert Laurino.

The film is set in the late 1980s and focuses on a middle-class suburb in New Jersey. The boys in the final year at high school are celebrated in the town as the footballers – although they have had a poor record in matches. They are a macho group, egging each other on, lacking in a moral perspective, presumptuous and proud of their prowess.

They are accused of assaulting a mentally impaired teenager. She is played with great conviction by Heather Materazzo (who made a great impact at the age of thirteen in a not unsimilar role in Welcome to the Doll House).

Ally Sheedy portrays a rather stern policewoman who has returned from New York City and hears the reports, decides to investigate them and perseveres for several years. She is assisted by Prosecutor Laurino. However, with the mental difficulties of the young girl who wants to please everyone, wants everybody to be her friend and lies in order to maintain friendships, they only break through after some years in a court sequence where the girl’s drawings are brought in and she is able to explain them and so convict the boys of their brutal assault. The visualising of aspects of the assault, with baseball bat and other implements, is kept until the end.

The film could act as an examination of conscience of middle-class parents who do not supervise their children, don’t give them some kind of moral perspective, who band together to support them even when they commit crimes. There is a criticism also of the school community which refuses to believe in the guilt of the young men and bonds together. The film also shows aspects of the media as bringing out the truth as well as exploiting the situations and tricking a mentally impaired girl.

The film maintains the interest as well as audiences wanting to know what happened and whether justice would be done (and the postscript indicates that the boys were let off a lot of the penalties that would normally be given to members of other races or in poorer circumstances who were accused of the same crimes).

1.The film based on true crime story, the 80s and the 90s? The nature of sexual assault? The law? Investigations? Justice? The greater consciousness since the 1980s of sexual assault, victims, penalties?

2.The title: the credits, the continued showing of the footballers in play during the film? The town, its pride, sports-oriented, banding together? The refusal of parents to believe in the guilt of their children? The school staff? The boys and their status, wealth, hiring defence lawyers?

3.New Jersey, the town, the school and homes, the parties? The police precincts and the courts? The musical score?

4.The structure: the introduction to the boys, seeing Lesley at the dance and her dancing alone, her talking to the boys, inability to make relationships? The story of Kelly Brooks, her time in New York, her return to New Jersey? As partner for Frank Bennett? The chatter of the other police? The interview with Carl, the reporting of the rumour, the investigation? The variety of reactions of parents, teenagers, the police, the school? The interrogations over the years? The court, the final decision? And the visualising of the crime?

5.Issues of community standards, public opinion, sexual behaviour, teenagers, assault, the truth? The critique of the tolerance of the boys? The girls and their being victims? The mentally impaired? Legal protection for the mentally impaired?

6.The focus on Lesley, seen alone at the dance, dancing, trying to talk with the boys, their dropping her? Her exaggerating reports to the parents? A mentality of eight years? Her particular pathology, wanting to be liked, wanting to please everyone, inventing stories, telling lies, adapting the truth? Her being adopted, her parents and their kindness? The past sexual assault case – and it being used in court? Children’s reaction to her, taunting her? Her attraction to the boys, sexual drives, behaviour, talk? With Kelly and the friendship, the guardian angel pin? Her friendship with Bobby? Yet her telling different stories, being nice to the parents of the boys? The trip with Maureen and the taping of her conversation, adapting her answers to Maureen’s requests? The importance of the drawings, the discussions with the psychologist? Their providing the key for the case?

7.The boys, their age, the backgrounds of their families, ordinary? Permissive, lacking values? Put on the school pedestal, Homecoming King? The scene of them speeding, going to the parties? Their partying behaviour? As individuals, as a group? Their later trashing the home of the young girl? Their parents’ reaction, the arrests? The media’s treatment of them? Their pleading not guilty, the fact that they were allowed out on bail? Their using Maureen to trap and incriminate Lesley? The graduation sequence, their being absent, yet going to the party? The finale and the audience seeing some of what happened? How well delineated were the characters, or were they seen as a group?

8.Paul Archer, Lesley’s attraction towards him? As more laidback? His not intervening to stop the boys attacking Lesley, his not attacking her himself? The plea bargain?

9.Kelly, her story, her age, sternness, the information about her? The discussions with Carl, the interrogations? Going to see Bobby, his support? Working with Frank, the revelation that his son was involved? With Lesley, with her parents, with the other parents? The presentation of the case to the judge, his saying there was lack of evidence? His taking Bobby off the case? Frank having to step down? Her treatment of Lesley, over the years, getting her confidence, friendship, the revelation of the tape, her patience in dealing with Lesley, the drawings? In court? Her friendship with Balke over the years? His not believing her? His apology to her at the end? The scene with Bobby and his brother, discovering the personality of Bobby, his care for his brother? The story of driving?

10.Bobby, his personality, his role as prosecutor, knowledge of the law? The meeting with Kelly and Frank? His meetings with Lesley, the parents? Going to the judge? His being reassigned to the case after being put off by the judge? His exasperation with the tape, careful listening, able to hear the full tape? In the court, using the drawings, the final questioning of Lesley? With his brother, mentally impaired, the story of his driving and his support of his brother?

11.Lesley’s parents, their adopting Lesley, the continued care? Trying to help her? Too soft? The finale with the mother and the pin? Urging her to tell the truth? The contrast with the other parents, their wanting to save their children, money, paying for defence lawyers? The harassment of the Faber family, the for sale sign, objects hurled at the windows…? Yet their finally staying and other families moving?

12.The school authorities, their behaviour, their standing by the boys? Without grounds? The media, the media pack? The journalists and their infiltrating, the interview with Lesley and the damage to the case? The school and the graduation? The role of Carl, the whistleblower, wanting to be anonymous, the information given out, his being spurned? The lack of applause at his graduation? His support of the girl whose house was trashed?

13.Johnny, his attack on the jocks? The girl who explained how she had been exploited? Their being put on the outer? Johnny and the banners? His being in the court?

14.The process, the effect on Lesley, on her parents? Her being vindicated?