Indictment: The McMartin Trial
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| Indictment: The McMartin Trial | |
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| Distributed by | mediacs AG |
| 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 Nicollette Sheridan |
| Music by | Peter Rodgers Melnick |
| Cinematography | Rodrigo García |
| Editing by | Richard A. Harris |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Release date | 1995 |
| Running time | 135 minutes |
Indictment: The McMartin Trial is a made for TV movie that originally aired on HBO on May 20, 1995. Indictment is based on the true story of the McMartin preschool trial.
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[edit] Summary
A defense lawyer (played by James Woods) defends an average American family from shocking allegations of child abuse and satanic rituals. After six years and $16 million, the trial ends with the dismissal of all charges.
[edit] Reception
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..."Is Indictment balanced? Is it fair to the other side? No. As Mr. [Abby] Mann puts it, "What other side?" Watch it and shudder."[1] | ” |
Also writing for The New York Times, Seth Mydans said:
| “ | 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.[2] | ” |
[edit] Impact
The film is cited as a watershed in the shift of ideas about satanic ritual abuse in the United States, recasting Ray Buckey as a victim of a hysterical conspiracy rather than a child abuser.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ O'Connor, John J. (1995-05-19). "The Horrors Behind The McMartin Trial". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5DB153FF93AA25756C0A963958260. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
- ^ Mydans, Seth (1995-05-14). "A Child-Abuse Case, in the Eyes of the Accused". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4DA1531F937A25756C0A963958260. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
- ^ Baringer, S (2004). The metanarrative of suspicion in late twentieth century America. Routledge. p. 71. ISBN 0415970768.
[edit] External links
- Indictment: The McMartin Trial at the Internet Movie Database
- Indictment: The McMartin Trial at AllRovi
- Indictment: The McMartin Trial at Rotten Tomatoes
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