Capturing the Friedmans (NR, 2003)

Using bittersweet loops from family movies and gripping scenes of confessional-style interviews, CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS recounts the arrests and convictions of a father and son for child molestation in the 1980s. Arthur and his son Jesse were accused of committing hundreds of rapes during the computer lessons they taught to elementary school children in their Long Island basement. Precipitated by a police investigation into Arthur's child pornography collection, the arrests plunged his middle class Jewish household into a media storm and divisive family crisis. Told via family video footage before, during, and after Arthur and Jesse's arrests, Capturing the Friedmans relates the effects of the crimes on the relationships between the various family members. Viewers learn how these family dynamics influenced the decisions that Arthur and Jesse make while defending themselves in court.

The Friedman family's penchant for self-chronicling yields a layered, complex examination of how they dealt with a crippling crisis. Capturing the Friedmans is unrelenting in its honesty and, as a result, it has moments of being utterly painful to watch. David, the eldest Friedman son, refuses to believe that his father could harbor sexual feelings for young boys and Elaine candidly admits to suffering from an acute depression. Moments of extreme introspection like these make Capturing the Friedmans as fascinating as it is excruciating.

This documentary could raise many opportunities for families to discuss issues related to sexual abuse. Yet because so many of the interviews and scenes involving family discussions are emotionally intense and filled with frank descriptions of sex crimes, parents should be wary of letting kids watch it alone. That said, this is documentary filmmaking at its best -- but it's still best watched by those mature enough to handle the very serious subject matter.