Capturing The Friedmans Details

Capturing The Friedmans

Watching Andrew Jarecki's riveting non-fiction drama is like watching a slow-motion replay of a multi-car pileup; you know it's headed for disaster, but there's no way you can stop watching. On the surface, the Friedmans were a typical 1980s American family. Living in Great Neck, Long Island, Arnold was a well-respected teacher, Elaine was a dedicated mother, and their children Seth, Jesse, and David were model students. But one Thanksgiving, that happy facade came to a crashing halt. After the local police discovered Arnold had engaged in the buying and selling of child pornography, they questioned several students who attended his computer classes in the Friedman basement. What they revealed would shock the community, and destroy the Friedman family forever. The subsequent investigation and trial uncovered even deeper hidden secrets at an alarming rate, creating a rift between Arnold and Elaine that would never be reconciled. Jarecki uses present day interviews with Elaine, Jesse, and David, as well as Arnold's brother Howard, to provide some sort of insight on the situation, but it backfires, for everyone has a different story to tell. And then there is actual home video footage of the family in the midst of the hurricane, which gives the film an eerie, voyeuristic charge.

Starring	Arnold Friedman, Elaine Friedman, David Friedman, Seth Friedman, Jesse Friedman
Director	Andrew Jarecki
Studio	PALISADES TARTAN
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 48 mins
Certificate
Genres	Documentary
Language	DVD: English DVD: English
Released	DVD: 23 Jul 2004 DVD: 23 Jul 2004 Production year: 2004
Format	DVD