Capturing the Friedmans
March 2004 Reviewed by: Marc Mickelson Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Just as bad things can happen to good people, bad things can be the subject of good movies. Capturing the Friedmans documents the implosion of a seemingly normal American family brought on by one (or two) member's secret compulsion. Authority figures -- police and lawyers -- are shown to be more caught up in the hysteria of the moment or personal agendas than in serving justice. A man surely guilty of one crime may be serving time for another that's far worse, which he may not have committed. His son, who may be innocent (or not), serves time because the media create a climate in which justice is impossible. This is a truly sad story, one that will drain you emotionally.

The Friedmans -- Arnold, Elaine, and sons David, Seth (who is not in the movie), and Jesse -- were a close-knit upper-middle-class family living in Great Neck, Long Island. Arnold Friedman was a mild-mannered former professional musician and retired schoolteacher who taught computer classes in his basement and hammed it up in costumes, put on mock plays, and genuinely enjoyed his parental role with his effervescent sons. Elaine Friedman, however, was decidedly outside the male clique alive and well in her house, and once all hell broke loose in the family's collective life, this schism grew, creating bitter resentment and fiery anger between mother and sons.

All of this makes up a complex story told mostly through 8mm home movies and interviews conducted for the film, some emotionally raw. Capturing the Friedmans is a two-DVD set, with the second disc chock-full of extras. These include unseen home movies and much footage pertaining to Arnold's and Jesse's trials and their aftermath. The extras are befitting a Criterion Collection release, but after watching the movie, I didn't have much interest in viewing them. They do aid in understanding the characters and their topsy-turvy lives but seem like overload after such a draining film. Still, this DVD set deserves much credit for the sheer completeness of its presentation.

Capturing the Friedmans is not a fun documentary to watch, but it is a very well-crafted movie -- that cannot be denied. It weaves diverse materials into a powerful, multifaceted story whose many twists and turns are artfully conveyed. Director Andrew Jarecki started his professional life as a musician and made Capturing the Friedmans, his first full-length feature, with the assistance of HBO. One of the questions the movie raises is, "Will he top it?"

Another is, "What is the truth?" Is Arnold Friedman guilty of the crimes with which he is charged? Is his son Jesse? Watching Capturing the Friedmans may make you lean one way or the other, but the underlying tragedy of the movie makes it all the harder to care about making a decision -- the past is past for these people. What is depicted in Capturing the Friedmans won't happen to just anyone, and thank goodness for that.

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