Capturing the Friedmans (2003)

Probable Score

Not Enough Info

Your Score

(0 - 100)

In the 80's, in the upper-middleclass district of Great Neck, the awarded Professor Arnold Friedman is arrested for possession of some magazines of child pornography. A further investigation of the police discloses that apparently Arnold and his eighteen years old son Jesse molested his young students during their private computer class. Their Jewish family tears apart with the situation and the sentences of Arnold and Jesse. (imdb)

More Information and Actions

Cast and Information

Directed By: Andrew Jarecki

Starring: David Friedman, Elaine Friedman, Jesse Friedman, Arnold Friedman

Genres: Documentary, Biography

Country: USA

Where to Stream

Ratings

Collections

Stats

Loading...
loading

Capturing the Friedmans belongs to 38 collections

1. 21st Century Top 250 (collaborative: moderated by dardan - 49 stars)

2. Uncanny, Disturbingly Weird Films (collaborative: moderated by paulofilmo - 41 stars)

3. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 30 stars)

4. AAA: Empire's five star movies (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 24 stars)

5. Best of criticker: Documentary (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 20 stars)

6. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)

7. Metacritic - Universal Acclaim (collaborative: moderated by sengir - 14 stars)

8. Cinema Discusso Yearly Consensus (2008) (public: PeaceAnarchy - 10 stars)

9. Skandies (collaborative: moderated by toro913 - 7 stars)

10. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2010) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 6 stars)

11. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2012) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 6 stars)

12. Ekşi Sinema "Alternatif" Top 250 (collaborative - 6 stars)

13. Best by different standards (public: sesito71 - 6 stars)

14. They Shoot Pictures: Top 100 Films of the 21st Century (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 5 stars)

15. Times Online: The 100 Best Films of the Decade (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 5 stars)

16. List: Best of the Decade by The Documentary Blog (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 5 stars)

17. Sight & Sound Greatest Documentaries of all Time (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 5 stars)

18. The AV Club Best Films of the '00s (public: TychoCelchuu - 5 stars)

19. Oscar Nomination: Best Documentary, Feature (collaborative: moderated by sengir - 4 stars)

20. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2011) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 2 stars)

21. Best of criticker: Biography (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 2 stars)

22. Time Out's 50 Best Documentaries of All Time (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 1 star)

23. Films available in HD (supplement) (collaborative: moderated by Jorg - 1 star)

24. The Community Collection: Every Film and TV Series referenced by Abed Nadir (collaborative: moderated by CosmicMonkey - 1 star)

25. Fascinating Crime Documentaries (collaborative: moderated by jimmyjazz)

26. Best of criticker: 2003 (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr)

27. TSPDT Top 150 Most Acclaimed Films of the 21st Century (2017) (collaborative: moderated by arrow-s)

28. Favorites: Documentaries (collaborative: moderated by KasperL)

29. Djross 2003 top ten (public: djross)

30. 2003: Year in Review (public: polanski28)

31. My DVD Collection (public: balseiros)

32. Favorites: Essential viewing (public: KasperL)

33. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 13 (public: PeaceAnarchy)

34. Movies to See: Documentaries (public: Lord Moe)

35. seen in 2016 (public: sproost)

36. Tom's Movies (public: tomwalsh)

37. Watchlist - Dokumenty (public: MikiRurk_STG)

38. My ratings (public: tpbradbury)

Browse the full list of collections

Show:

All Ratings | With Reviews

Order by:

TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
4	DavidBlast	100 _98th
Masterpiece of a documentary, this shows just how powerful an alternative take on the genre can be. Abandoning the troublesome "make-reality-fit-narration" schema, Capturing the Friedmans is a "did he do it" that evokes the spirit of Rashomon. Rather than jumping to conclusions the story respects and displays the different views and motives, to finally show a great problem with democracy: It all comes down to what people saw - or think they saw.
3	Pickpocket	8 _82nd
It's pretty obvious these people are guilty, I don't understand the confusion among reviews I've read. I mean, Arnold admits to molesting 2 boys at least (which is enough to warrant him to be stoned to death) plus his brother, who later turns out to be gay... SHOCKING. Pedophiles are the scum of the universe and it disgusts me knowing that Jesse only gets 13 years for sodomizing all these people. Fucking sick.
3	td888	60 _58th
I was not familiar with the story but it was still intriguing to watch. But as a documentary it is very one-sided, and I would like to have seen some more digging into certain facts and aspects of what was supposed to have happened and what certain people did or said.
3	BillyShears	90 _92nd
THEY PEE IN A CUP AND THROW IT AT YOU
3	FrederikA	95 _98th
Extremely wellcrafted and moving documentary that manages to -well- capture a really unique family, as it slowly disintegrates. And even though its not too hard to figure out where the director sympathies lay, he still gives enough time to counterarguments and different versions of the truth, to make the audience question what really happens...
3	AICHE	79 _75th
definitely leap-frogged the kids.
2	DavidKahane	97 _96th
Jarecki constructs a film that is about matters of truth and trust. Despite the fact that one family member had a pathological compulsion to videotape the bitter, private family fights that occurred (footage that Jarecki utilizes with a perfect mix of revelation and restraint) the cold, hard facts of the situation remains painfully elusive. What emerges instead is a family populated by deeply destructive individuals and how easy it is for people to conceal the truth, especially from themselves.
2	jstry	90 _91st
Very uncomfortable to watch and I wouldn't want to see it a 2nd time, but as far as documentaries go, it's pretty amazing. Not only did Jarecki have a great topic, but the footage that the family themselves took of their own breakdown...you can't get any better than that. I love when families in crisis turn the camera on themselves. It's fascinating. I don't know what to believe about the allegations, but I like that you get to decide for yourself and both sides are presented. Makes you think.
2	hellsditch	90 _93rd
Unflinching look at a family embroiled in a dark and sordid crisis, and their reaction to the spectacle and each other. A "normal" documentary would ONLY be concerned with the question, "Are these people guilty?" And although the filmmakers DO spend some time addressing that issue, even more time is spent asking the (more interesting) question, "How in the hell do you arrive at the truth?" A very potent synthesis of E. Morris' great "Thin Blue Line",and the lesser-known "51 Birch Street".
2	QVT	50 _56th
It's like the story of Roger Clemens if there was any doubt that he had indeed raped that kid.
2	bing	60 _30th
Hard to talk about this one- take away the absurdly interesting subject matter and this is just very vanilla documentary filmmaking.
2	krf7	95 _97th
A documentary that runs the gamut on topics: mass hysteria, the power of suggestion, police investigative tactics, the breakdown of a family in the face of crisis. But most of all, it brings to mind the importance of "innocent until proven guilty" and how that is sort thrown by the wayside when faced with heinous acts that allegedly occured.
2	Calabria	87 _91st
poor mother
1	MartinTeller	93 _97th
Full of interesting characters and amazing stories and shocking surprises. And it leaves you thinking a lot about it and the questions it raises. Although ultimately the film is more about family and memory than it is about making a case for either side, one can't help but try to piece together the truth.
1	Magb	75 _50th
Well, I, for one, don't know what the hell to believe. I don't particularly want to do too much tedious digging around for the different sides of the story, and I can't know how objective the documentary is, so it's basically impossible for me to make up my mind about what happened and what didn't. However, no matter what the truth is, it's certainly fascinating to watch.
1	citysqwirl	78 _62nd
Watching this documentary just underscores how complicated and unresolved real life can be.
1	th_mertens	77 _73rd
Very nice editing and story telling. ... Gives an excellent inside in a complex family drama and shows the difficulties of the truth. ... A very honest and objective documentary.
1	PeaceAnarchy	81 _64th
While it doesn't give you answers and reveals itself to be a little one sided it is fascinating to watch a messed up family dynamic go through what is shown in the film. It also raises some interesting questions about emotional reactions to horrible crimes.
1	ineluki	90 _97th
Probably one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. The amount of primary-source material combined with the most balanced approach I've ever seen in a documentary film. Watch this one.
1	twincinema	85 _85th
While the "did they or didn't they?" question is interesting (the film attempts to be ambiguous, but the answer is clear), the documentary dazzles as it shows the elusiveness of clear fact and truth, and the narratives people build in this messy thing we call life.
1	Boobjuice	74 _71st
Fascinating and very uncomfortable documentary about a family troubled by a disturbing allegation against the father.
1	KasperL	95 _98th
Problematizing the notions of knowledge and truth, Jarecki gives an unforgettable account of a tragedy, cueing you not only to guess at the guilty and the injured parts but to decide what you believe. It's incredible that it was possible for him to tell this story with original footage rather than having to reconstruct the events with actors. If you only see one documentary, make it this one.
1	Ross	90 _93rd
I am not a big fan of documentaries, but this is absolutely amazing. The film treats its subject with the objectivity it deserves, and therefore you are constantly changing opinion of what actually went on.
1	gtown1479	79 _67th
Wow what a weird topic. That in my mind makees this an eye-catcher as a documentary. The different home videos showing the interactions and breakdowns amongts the family helps tell the story better than any narrator could. What a cast of characters. Getting different view points from police, possible victims, and the Friedman family themselves forces the viewer to make their own decision. It isn't an easy one, but I again think that's what makes it a good film.
1	INDYATMN	98 _97th
No1's what they seem in this brilliantly crafted investigation into pedo accusations against superficially white-picket-fence family.The film proves innocence and guilt almost simultaneously: whileRadecki's digging seems to indicate that the specific allegations are false, the dirt uncovered is just as bad.Community hysteria&family's reactions2 the allegations initially surprise, but are real-life demonstration of how people(on both sides)believe what they want/need2 believe, evidence be damned
1	Rollergirl	90 _78th
E pensar que a idéia original de Jarecki era fazer um documentário sobre palhaços de NY e acabou sendo um relato sobre uma mistura tão complexa quanto pedofilia, mídia, moral, consciêcia e família.
1	luckyjordn	83 _93rd
This is a complex and fascinating case and family. There are so many angles covered. Not only do we learn about the case, but there are several clips of the family that give us an intimate look into their lives. By the end, you really don't and can't know the truth. If you approach it with an open-mind and consider all the evidence, you will inevitably flip back and forth about whether or not he/they were guilty. Also, the NY jewish banter makes the film feel like a Woody Allen black comedy.
1	Sweekoden	80 _80th
Perplexing. I demand my documentaries be in black and white, dammit. So many different takes, so many facades, way too many unreliable narrators. Awesomely done, but sheesh, do I hate not knowing what to think. Only thing I didn't like was how insignificant everyone--with the exception of the mother--made the possession of child pornography out to be.
1	Gnalkhere	70 _46th
Made me sick to my stomach but it suffers in the editing and cues for emotion
1	JSchlansky	80 _77th
Son: "Do you like it when she calls you slime?" Dad: "She doesn't call me slime- everyday." The contradictory statements and general confliction between sides is thought provoking to be sure but while the film for the most part seems to be striving for objectivity, it came off more than a little too sympathetic for Friedman's given all of the information out there.

Average Percentile 69.23% from 1498 Ratings