Last weekend, Lelia and I went to DownTown West, the indie-friendly movie theater in Knoxville, and caught the highly acclaimed documentary Capturing The Friedmans. For those who have not seen it, I will try not to spoil some of the suprises for you except to say that it is one of the most devastating depictions of a family dissolving ever recorded.
The filmmakers had originally intended to make a documentary about David Friedman, then the most famous family clown in NYC. After getting to know David a little better, it was soon obvious that his family had a MUCH more gripping drama unfolding before them. Artie Friedman, David's father, as well as one of David's two younger brothers (to give away which would be a spoiler) was convicted for sodomizing young boys whom he ostensibly taught computer class to in his basement. Before the scandal however, Artie was a highly respected school teacher and had even played piano in a Borscht Belt jazz band. He was also an avid collector of kiddie porn. Having intercepted a book of child pornography, the local authorities were able to gather enough evidence to warrant a search of Artie's home and found numerous kiddie porn magazines hidden away in his basement....where he also taught computer classes to children.
This is where the film takes us into murky waters. Conducting an investigation and holding interviews with dozens upon dozens of children who attended Mr. Friedman's computer classes, the officers in charge of the case very likely mishandled their responsibilities by deliberately leading the children to agree that they had been sexually assaulted as well as induce a hysteria among the parents.
The main drama on display is not in the courtroom, but in the home of the Friedmans. Artie and his wife, Elaine, had long before occupied seperate emotional spaces and spent very little time together. While the men in the family (including Artie's brother) rally to Artie's side, Elaine remains aloof and doubts her husband's innocence. This causes a horrible rift as the children, who were not close with their mother before, begin to demonize her for not standing by their father.
I won't reveal anything else that happens in the film for fear of ruining it for everyone. The film had a profound emotional impact on me as it managed to turn one family's awful tragedy into a universal portrait of what happens behind closed doors when families fall apart.