Indictment: The McMartin Trial
Indictment: The McMartin Trial is a film made for television that originally aired on HBO on May 20, 1995. Indictment is based on the true story of the McMartin preschool trial.
| Indictment: The McMartin Trial | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama Thriller |
| Written by | Abby Mann Myra Mann |
| Directed by | Mick Jackson |
| Starring | Lolita Davidovich Shirley Knight Mercedes Ruehl Henry Thomas Sada Thompson James Woods Nicollette Sheridan Roberta Bassin |
| Theme music composer | Peter Rodgers Melnick |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Abby Mann Oliver Stone Janet Yang |
| Producer | Diana Pokorny |
| Production location | Los Angeles |
| Cinematography | Rodrigo García |
| Editor | Richard A. Harris |
| Running time | 131 minutes |
| Production company | HBO Pictures |
| Distributor | HBO |
| Release | |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Dolby SR |
| Original release |
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Oliver Stone and Abby Mann were executive producers of the film, which was directed by Mick Jackson.
The cast includes James Woods and Mercedes Ruehl, as opposing defense and prosecuting attorneys in the McMartin trial. Henry Thomas, Sada Thompson and Shirley Knight co-star as the defendants in the case, with Lolita Davidovitch as a child-abuse therapist whose findings were crucial to the prosecution's case and Roberta Bassin as the mother who initiated the case.
Summary
A defense lawyer defends an average American family from shocking allegations of child abuse and satanic rituals. After seven years and $16 million, the trial ends with the dismissal of all charges. George Freeman is the star witness in the trial. Kee MacFarlane and Wayne Satz are in a romantic relationship. The poster and ads for the movie declare "The charges were so shocking, the truth didn't matter."[1]
Cast
- James Woods as Danny Davis
- Mercedes Ruehl as Lael Rubin
- Lolita Davidovitch as Kee MacFarlane
- Henry Thomas as Ray Buckey
- Sada Thompson as Virginia McMartin
- Shirley Knight as Peggy Buckey
- Alison Elliott as Peggy Ann Buckey
- Roberta Bassin as Judy Johnson
- Mark Blum as Wayne Satz
- Richard Bradford as Ira Reiner
- James Cromwell as Judge Pounders
- Chelsea Field as Christine Johnson
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.[2]
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 ... 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.[1]
The Los Angeles Times described the docudrama as "HBO’s frothing, highly opinionated account of the case".[3] Variety reports this "fact-based HBO Pictures presentation ... makes no apologies for depicting the infamous child molestation case as a witch hunt" and leaves "little leeway for surprise. Even so, the well-acted cabler hits its targets with a take-no-prisoners gusto".[4]
Accolades
Impact
The film is cited as a watershed in the shift of ideas about satanic ritual abuse, recasting Ray Buckey as a victim of a hysterical conspiracy rather than a child abuser.[6]
References
- Mydans, Seth (1995-05-14). "A Child-Abuse Case, in the Eyes of the Accused". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
- O'Connor, John J. (1995-05-19). "The Horrors Behind The McMartin Trial". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
- "Revisiting the McMartin Case : 'Indictment,' a Passionate, Highly Opinionated Retelling of the Preschool Sex Abuse Scandal, Hits Hard at TV News Overkill". 20 May 1995.
- "Indictment: The Mcmartin Trial". 18 May 1995.
- "Indictment: The McMartin Trial".
- Baringer, S (2004). The metanarrative of suspicion in late twentieth century America. Routledge. p. 71. ISBN 0-415-97076-8.