Capturing the Friedmans

Movies 365: Day 8 – Capturing the Friedmans

I can only imagine how director Andrew Jarecki felt when he first interviewed David Friedman, and the seed for this film was planted. At the time Jarecki was making a documentary about party clowns in New York, Friedman was one of the top clowns at the time, and as such was a subject of the film. Jarecki couldn’t have known at the time that he began working on his film that Friedman’s family was at the center of a major child molestation scandal in Long Island, and once he found out, I’m sure it was clear to him that he couldn’t continue making the same film, that this was a story that deserved to be told instead.

Capturing the Friedmans is the kind of film documentary film makers must dream about making. A compelling story, interesting subjects, a story little known outside of the town where it takes place, and, perhaps best of all, loads and loads of highly revealing footage, shot at the time of the events by the family at the center of the story. This last one is what makes Capturing the Friedmans so interesting and special. The Friedman family was always big on filming themselves, home video footage runs throughout the entire film, from the time the three sons were very young children when videos had no way of being taken while recording sound, to the time this film covers, when they were using cameras that I can only assume record onto VHS or maybe Super 8. Most importantly, unlike most families, the Friedmans filmed the most distressing times that they as a family went through, where most would turn off the camera (if they would even think of turning it on in the first place), the Friedmans let the camera roll capturing everything.

And man, what they recorded is incredible when used by Jarecki to tell their story. In the late 1980’s Arnold Friedman, a former school teacher began teaching piano and computer lessons at home for neighborhood children, young boys mostly. When a child pornography magazine sent from the Netherlands is intercepted by the Postal Inspector, Friedman is placed under a microscope. Police interview former students, and are shocked and disturbed at the allegations many of his students make. Perhaps what is most shocking is that not only is Arnold accused of molestation, but his nineteen year old son Jesse is as well. Arnold and Jesse are both arrested, and charged with ninety-one counts of various crimes, released home before their trial, for some reason, the Friedman family begins to disintegrate. And for some reason, they filmed a lot of it.

The home videos shot during this time are hard to watch, as David and Jesse vigorously defend their father against Elaine, their mother, and her decision to seek divorce from the disgraced Arnold. The fights between the family are captured in a way that could only be done by someone inside the family, the sons are vicious as they attack their mother, who seems utterly reasonable under the circumstances. As the family melts down, and information comes to light, your heart breaks for those caught in the crossfire. David and Elaine Friedman seem especially pained and burdened by the situation, and it’s really hard to avoid sympathizing with them, when all you want to do is blame them for not knowing sooner.

But, as always, there’s another wrinkle. One that unfortunately is not explored enough for my tastes. Like the McMartin trial there’s a question to the validity of the claims of the children at the center of the controversy. Interviews of former students are shown, one recounts somewhat vividly the abuse he suffered at the hands of the father and son, however, another refutes even the possibility that anything of the sort could have happened. More is talked about and evidenced that it’s possible that both father and son are innocent. And it’s here where Capturing the Friedmans succeeds, there’s the ambiguity at the center of the issue, are the charges real or trumped up?

It’s something I’m not sure of, but the film, to it’s credit, merely presents the question instead of going on the fool’s errand of trying to answer it. A first time director, Jarecki proves to be more than competent, and in is hands, the movie rises above the sensational piece it could have been, and becomes something truly special. Heartbreaking, extraordinarily watchable Capturing the Friedmans is an amazing film, one that anyone who likes documentaries should seek out immediately.