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Leaving Neverland

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Leaving Neverland
File:Film Poster for Leaving Neverland.jpg
Directed byDan Reed
Produced byDan Reed
Starring
CinematographyDan Reed
Edited byJules Cornell
Production
company
Amos Pictures
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 25, 2019 (2019-01-25) (Sundance)
  • March 3, 2019 (2019-03-03) (United States)
  • March 6, 2019 (2019-03-06) (United Kingdom)
Running time
236 minutes[1]
182 minutes (TV edition) [2][3]
CountriesUnited States
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Leaving Neverland is a 2019 documentary film directed and produced by British filmmaker Dan Reed. It focuses on two men, Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused by the singer Michael Jackson as children.

The film is a co-production between the UK broadcaster Channel 4 and the US broadcaster Home Box Office (HBO). It premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in January 25, 2019, and was broadcast in two parts in March.[4]

Synopsis

In interviews, Wade Robson, Jimmy Safechuck and their families describe their relationship with the American singer Michael Jackson. Safechuck and Robson allege that Jackson sexually abused them at his home, Neverland Ranch, in California, as well as at Jackson's apartment in Century City.[5]

Cast

Background

In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexually molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. He denied the claims and settled the civil case out of court. No criminal charges were filed.[6] In 2005, following further allegations, Jackson was acquitted of child sexual abuse.[6] Robson and Safechuck had previously denied being molested by Jackson.[7]

Release

After premiering at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2019, it was broadcast in two parts in the US on March 3 and 4, 2019. An abridged cut, in two parts, is scheduled for broadcast in the UK on March 6 and 7, 2019. It will be shown in Germany, Spain, Sweden, Israel, New Zealand, and many other countries.[4]

On March 4, HBO broadcast Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland, in which Robson, Safechuck and Reed were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.[8]

Response

In January 2019, the Jackson estate issued a press release condemning the film, saying: "The two accusers testified under oath that these events never occurred. They have provided no independent evidence and absolutely no proof in support of their accusations."[9] Despite protests by Jackson fans, the Sundance Film Festival issued a statement that it would not withdraw the film.[10] Reed said: "I believe anyone who watches this film will see and feel the emotional toll on the men and their families."[11] At the Sundance premiere, Robson and Safechuck received a standing ovation. They said they had received death threats from Jackson fans.[12] In the Guardian, several journalists predicted that Jackson's music would be reassessed following the documentary.[13]

In February 2019, the Jackson estate petitioned a court to compel HBO to cooperate in arbitration regarding its plan to broadcast the film. HBO cannot be sued for defamation, as Jackson is dead; instead, the estate claims HBO violated a 1992 agreement to broadcast Jackson's concert film Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour, when HBO agreed never to "disparage" Jackson's public image.[14] On the day of the HBO Leaving Neverland broadcast, the Jackson estate released the concert on YouTube.[15]

On February 27, 2019 The Southern Christian Leadership Conference wrote a letter to HBO asking the network to reconsider airing Leaving Neverland explaining that "These same allegations, when raised in trial in a court of law during Michael Jackson's lifetime, affirmed his innocence".[16] Actor Corey Feldman, who was friends with Jackson during Feldman's childhood, said that Jackson did not act inappropriately towards him, and called the documentary "[one-]sided."[17] Brett Barnes, who was mentioned in the film threated to sue HBO if they dont remove him from the film, tweeting "Not only do we have to deal with these lies, but we’ve also got to deal with people perpetuating these lies. The fact that they fail to do the small amount of research it takes to prove these are lies, by choice or not, makes it even worse."[18]

Ratings

Leaving Neverland Part 1 was viewed by 1.26 million total viewers on its initial viewing on HBO.[19] Part 2 was viewed by 0.93 million total viewers.[20]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Leaving Neverland holds an approval rating of 96% based on 56 reviews, with an average score of 7.68/10. Its consensus states: "Crucial and careful, Leaving Neverland gives empathetic breadth and depth to the complicated afterlife of child sexual abuse as experienced by adult survivors."[21] On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average of 85 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim," based on 20 reviews.[22]

In Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Baldwin gave the film a B grade. She criticized it as "woefully one-sided" and concluded: "As a documentary, Leaving Neverland is a failure. As a reckoning, though, it is unforgettable."[23] In The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Fienberg wrote that Leaving Neverland "is nearly as much about the 20+ years during which Robson and Safechuck held onto secrets or even lied and covered up the truth — and the damage that can do — as it is about the alleged crimes themselves." He concluded that "it's doubtful you'll feel exactly the same after watching".[24] The Daily Telegraph awarded it five out of five, describing it as "a horrifying picture of child abuse".[25]

David Fear wrote in Rolling Stone: "By offering these men a forum, this doc has clearly chosen a side. Yet the thoroughness with which it details this history of allegations, and the way it personalizes them to a startling degree, is hard to shake off."[26] IndieWire's David Ehrlich wrote that the film was "dry" and "hardly great cinema", but that it was "a crucial document for a culture that still can't see itself clearly in Michael Jackson's shadow".[27]

Alissa Wilkinson described the documentary as "a devastating case against Michael Jackson" that "may forever change the legacy of the pop icon."[28] Brian Stelter noted that the documentary has sparked a re-examination of Michael Jackson's legacy.[29]

References

  1. ^ "Leaving Neverland". Sundance Film Festival. Sundance Institute. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  2. ^ NRK TV – Leaving Neverland (in Norwegian), retrieved March 5, 2019
  3. ^ "When is Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland airing on Channel 4?". Radio Times. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  4. ^ a b White, Peter (March 4, 2019). "'Leaving Neverland' Goes Global After Kew Media Sells Controversial Michael Jackson Doc Into 130 Territories". Yahoo News.
  5. ^ Mitchell, Robert (January 17, 2019). "Kew Media Boards Michael Jackson Documentary 'Leaving Neverland' for International". Variety. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  6. ^ a b McDonell-Parry, Amelia; McDonell-Parry, Amelia (January 29, 2019). "Michael Jackson Child Sexual Abuse Allegations: A Timeline". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  7. ^ February 26, Jessica Kegu CBS News; 2019; Am, 11:20. ""Leaving Neverland" director says Michael Jackson's views are "strongly represented" in explosive documentary". www.cbsnews.com. {{cite web}}: |last2= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Blake, Meredith (March 1, 2019). "Oprah Winfrey's intense interview with Michael Jackson accusers from 'Leaving Neverland'". Los Angeles Times.
  9. ^ Donnelly, Matt; Halperin, Shirley (January 25, 2019). "Michael Jackson Estate Addresses Controversial 'Leaving Neverland' Doc". Variety.
  10. ^ Sharf, Zack (January 15, 2019). "Sundance Will Not Pull Michael Jackson Child Abuse Doc 'Leaving Neverland' Amid Fan Protests". IndieWire. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  11. ^ Kreps, Daniel (January 9, 2019). "Documentary Accusing Michael Jackson of Sexually Abusing Boys to Premiere at Sundance". Rolling Stone.
  12. ^ Lee, Benjamin (January 25, 2019). "'Secrets will eat you up' – inside the shocking Michael Jackson documentary". The Guardian.
  13. ^ Tate, Greg; Petridis, Alexis; Winship, Lyndsey; Elan, Priya; Klosterman, Chuck; Snapes, Laura; Hans, Simran (March 1, 2019). "'Too big to cancel': can we still listen to Michael Jackson?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  14. ^ Martinelli, Marissa (February 21, 2019). "Michael Jackson's Estate Is Suing HBO Over Leaving Neverland". Slate Magazine. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  15. ^ "Michael Jackson estate posts concert film at the same time Leaving Neverland documentary airs". The Independent. March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  16. ^ "Southern Christian Leadership Conference Slams 'Leaving Neverland' as 'Posthumous Lynching' of Michael Jackson". March 2019.
  17. ^ "Actor Corey Feldman Defends Michael Jackson Following 'Leaving Neverland' Premiere". Vibe. March 4, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  18. ^ https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/02/michael-jackson-brett-barnes-hbo-leaving-neverland-molestation-threat/
  19. ^ Welch, Alex (March 5, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'The Walking Dead' stays steady, 'Shameless' rebounds". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  20. ^ Rejent, Joseph (March 5, 2019). "Monday cable ratings: 'Love & Hip Hop' holds, 'Teen Mom' inches up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  21. ^ "Leaving Neverland (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  22. ^ "Leaving Neverland Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  23. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (February 21, 2019). "Leaving Neverland is brutal, powerful, and flawed". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  24. ^ Feinberg, Daniel. "'Leaving Neverland': TV Review | Sundance 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  25. ^ Mulkerrins, Jane (January 26, 2019). "Leaving Neverland, review: Michael Jackson 'victims' paint horrifying picture of child abuse". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  26. ^ Fear, David; Fear, David (January 26, 2019). "'Leaving Neverland': Sundance's Michael Jackson Doc Leaves Audience Shellshocked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  27. ^ Ehrlich, David; Ehrlich, David (January 25, 2019). "'Leaving Neverland' Review: Devastating Four-Hour Doc Proves Michael Jackson Sexually Abused Children". IndieWire. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  28. ^ Wilkinson, Alissa (February 27, 2019). "Leaving Neverland makes a devastating case against Michael Jackson". Vox. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  29. ^ Business, Brian Stelter, CNN. "'Leaving Neverland' sparks a re-examination of Michael Jackson's legacy". CNN. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Further reading

Template:People v. Jackson

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