Capturing The Friedmans
There is an aura of unease about this documentary which only increases as we watch.
The Friedman family is superficially typical, happy, smiley in old photos and home films. They appear comfortable in their Long Island home where father Arnold also teaches computer classes after school. But soon certain allegations emerged in the 1980s that were to implicate both father and youngest son Jesse.
Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki doesn't try all that hard to remain impartial and this becomes obvious as we move to the courtroom climax. Friedmans is composed of interviews spliced with grainy 8mm footage, later superseded by video plus some photographic images.
We get to learn a lot about Arnold's unusual childhood which apparently included watching his mother have sex with a man and this gave him the idea to try something out on his younger brother. Needless to say, his wife had an edited history. The picture that emerges is one of Jewish male chauvinism in scenes of household whinging that put The Nanny's cast to shame. Elaine Friedman is blamed for everything by her sons, while the father-the one actually accused of child molestation-seems to rise ever higher in filial estimation.
Most peculiar is David Friedman's absolute and irritating denial of his father's activities. He questions and dismisses proof as if it were junk-mail. The level of absurdity is raised all the more by the fact that David launches his manic defence, and we see footage of him, as New York's foremost clown, with his oversize glasses and funny costume. The viewer can't help but wonder if Arnold abused more boys than mentioned.
As documentaries tend to do, this one raises several good questions about the claims against Jesse, the youngest son. His father went to prison, but for Jesse, things seem more dubious. The prosecution doesn't have that much against him. All in all, this doco has some of the feel of our local TodayTonight-inspired Henry Keough saga, but is naturally more distant.
Andrew Staker
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