Indictment - The McMartin Trial (1995)

Based on the true story of the McMartin family who accused of a heinous crime suffered six years of public humiliation before being found innocent. The scandal that tore a family and a nation apart.Running Time: 132 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 026359122620 Product Description

James Woods Gives a Wonderful Performance!

This tells the true story of the infamous McMartin preschool trial.I ordered this a while back and finally got around to watching it.I bought it because I was fascinated with this case after watching a CBS movie of the week called "Do You Know The Muffin Man".This true story focuses on The McMartin Family's Attorney.This film portrays the Family as innocent people which is what I believe is true.There is no medical evidence that anyone was molested at the preschool.A woman named Kee McFarlane was brought in to interview the children.Her interviews with the children were videotaped.The McMartin's lawyer viewed the tapes and noticed she used methods that might have possibly brought in false memories into the children's minds.The videos were shown in the courtroom during the trial when Kee McFarlane was on the stand.The McMartins ended up winning the case.James Woods gives a wonderful performance as The McMartin's attorney.

This film is very interesting and entertaining.I highly recommend it to anyone that was fascinated by the Day Care which hunts of the 1980s. March 14, 2008

Biased movie

Cult and Ritual Abuse - It's History, Anthropology, and Recent Discovery in Contemporary America - Noblitt and Perskin - Prager (1995) p. 141 - 142
"The McMartin Case is also the subject of the cable movie, Indictment, produced by Home Box Office. Several children's advocacy groups have expressed concerns that the film's focus appears to be slanted in favor of the accused perpetrators. The newsletter for the organization, Believe the Children, contains an impassioned plea to its readers to relinquish their subscriptions to Home Box Office (HBO) in protest of the film's airing. An article featured in the newsletter entitled "Sex Abuse, Lies and Videotape"(1995) describes the genesis of the program and voices its concerns that the true victims of the McMartin case, the children, might be damaged by the perspective of the film's author, Abby Mann. According to the article, Mann and his wife, Myra, became advocates of the operators and staff of the McMartin preschool during the course of their trial. Because of the Mann's involvement in the case and their relationship to the accused perpetrators, the article expressed the concern that the film might reflect an unbalanced portrait of accused and accusers such that roles might be reversed in the eyes of the viewing public. This has, in fact, been proven to be a correct assumption. Reviews of the cable movie featured in magazines such as Time (Bellafante, 1995) and TV Guide (McDougal, 1995) on the film's depiction of an overzealous prosecuting attorney, a mentally unbalanced parent of a child victim, and a punitive therapist all lend themselves to the perpetuation of the ideas that the true victims are the alleged perpetrators. Ironically, this film also casts the media in an unfavorable light implying that the media's over-the-top reporting of the event led to a veritable witch hunt."
January 12, 2008

Beyond The Veil of Truth

There is something here in this movie beyond the veil of truth that the media never spoke of during the actual witch-hunting of the 1980s. I grew up in the aftermath of these California trials and it was with much angst that I met with families affected by them.
Indictment looks at the era from the point of view of the real "victims," which are the McMartins. If you speak with any of the surviving families they will tell you that they "believe the children" which was the slogan adopted by families during the actual era.
However the ones that never got to speak are the ones who knew what had actually happened. At the time I didn't know that it was from a paranoid schizophrenic woman that these charges came about, even more shocking was that she continued to send her son to the McMartin preschool after the allegations were made.
What followed in this woman's wake was a series of events that nobody could control. There was too much power in the hands of too few. At that time, in the early 1980s, California law was trying to come down hard on pedophiles. They needed someone to blame to move legislation forward. So they used the McMartin case to their advantage.
The power that they used over the McMartins and the children "interviewed" violated just about every civil right law in the constitution. It a was scary time for anyone working with children.
There was a woman, Kee McFarlane who had no valid credentials for "interviewing" kids suffering from abuse trauma. One of my friends had come into contact with her through the CII organization which at the time was trying new methods of bringing repressed memories of abused children to the surface.
During his sessions with her he was put through so much trauma he was willing to tell anybody what they wanted believe.
Kee McFarlane's power came from the public who wanted "justice" for their children. Little did the public know that all of these allegations came from fabrications by Kee McFarlane.
The only change to come from this case and the trial was the questioning of children because they are impressionable and vulnerable to suggestability.
For those interested in the era that drove most families in California into hiding, see this movie but be aware, it's a horror story.
August 19, 2007

Best television move I've ever seen

It is my favorite James Woods performance, and it made him a hero to me. April 21, 2007

Excellent Film And A Stellar Cast: James Woods Shines!

"Indictment: The McMartin Trial" is an excellent film. I do not live very far from Manhattan Beach, and was once a junior lifeguard there. I still jog and bicycle down there when I get the chance. I do remember very vividly when these events occurred. One of the things that I don't know is whether or not the children were molested. However, I do remember how nearly everyone where I worked at the time presumed these people were guilty. Even the LA Times showed unflattering pictures of the accused. Therefore, I do believe that there was a frenzied and carnival-like demonizing of the McMartin family. The film itself is very good. (James Woods) gives an outstanding performance as the attorney who defends the McMartin family.

There is no doubt in my mind that the public hysteria over the allegations this family was charged with, and the media hype, were responsible for a grave miscarriage of justice. I feel for the children too: As they were equally victims of an out-of-control legal system that failed them too! Mercedes Ruehl also gives an outstanding performance as the lead prosecutor who abused the power she was given. Her performance as the win-at-all-costs prosecutor, was absolutely stellar. Ruehl's character compliments the performance given by defense attorney Danny Davis (James Woods).

Moreover, the entire cast was great in this film. With Henry Thomas [of ET fame] as the son accused of several counts of molestion; which would result in the longest trial ever; along with actress Shirley Knight, as the mother; and Sada Thompson as the matriarch of the family, this is one great film. And one sad chapter in the California legal system. Also, Lolita Davidovich gives an excellent performance as the prosecutors main line of attack in the molestation charges against the McMartin family: As her taped videos of the children led to many of the initial charges against the McMartins. The film is an HBO released film, therefore, as with many of their films it is not anamorphic or letter-boxed, but full screened. Maybe someday the film will be released in a better format. Otherwise, this is a 5 star film. Only the DVD format gives it minus half a star. Highly recommended. [Stars: 4.5] November 14, 2006

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