Indictment: The McMartin Trial
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Indictment: The McMartin Trial | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Mick Jackson |
| Produced by | Diana Pokorny |
| Written by | Abby Mann Myra Mann |
| Starring | Lolita Davidovich Shirley Knight Mercedes Ruehl Henry Thomas Sada Thompson James Woods |
| Music by | Peter Rodgers Melnick |
| Cinematography | Rodrigo García |
| Editing by | Richard A. Harris |
| Distributed by | mediacs AG |
| Release date(s) | 1995 |
| Running time | 135 min |
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Indictment: The McMartin Trial is a TV movie that originally aired on HBO on May 20, 1995 about the McMartin preschool trial.
Based on a true story of a national scandal, a defense lawyer is turned on by shocking accusations that imprison an average American family. After six years and $16 million of tax-payers dollars, the trial ended with the dismissal of the charges without a single conviction.
[edit] Reception
One researcher claims that "several children’s advocacy groups have expressed concerns that the film’s focus appears to be slanted in favor of the accused perpetrators."[1] Conversely, for John J. O'Connor, writing for the New York Times, "This is a portrait of mass hysteria, fueled by panic-stricken parents, overzealous prosecutors, irresponsible talk shows and an out-of-control tabloid press." O'Connor adds: "Is Indictment balanced? Is it fair to the other side? No. As Mr. [Abby] Mann puts it, "What other side?" Watch it and shudder."[2]
Seth Mydans of the New York Times wrote: "The film makes no pretense at objectivity: There are good guys in the McMartin saga, and there are very, very bad guys..." He adds "Nor does the film try to examine difficult issues. It is a drama not so much about the painful process of assessing children's stories of abuse or about the fear and guilt their parents feel but about the destructiveness of a system run amok." [3]
[edit] References
- ^ Noblitt, R.; Perskin, P. (2000). Cult and Ritual Abuse - It’s History, Anthropology, and Recent Discovery in Contemporary America (E-book by subscription), Westport, CT.: Praeger, p. 184. ISBN 0-275-95281-9.
- ^ "TV WEEKEND; The Horrors Behind The McMartin Trial", New York Times, May 19, 1995. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
- ^ Mydans, Seth. "TELEVISION; A Child-Abuse Case, in the Eyes of the Accused", New York Times, May 14, 1995. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
 This article related to a made-for-TV movie is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
