AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Joxerlives Utterly horrifying in every way, the mistakes of the past seem so obvious now with the benefit of hindsight and experience. Perhaps the saddest fact is that the cops, social workers and prosecutors in this case weren't actually bad people but genuinely believed that what they were doing was right, that the had uncovered monstrous child abuse, that children couldn't lie about such subjects and that they had to be subjected to coercive interviews in order to bring the truth to the surface. When they eventually began to study the evidence in detail they begin to develop that nagging doubt that they may have been mistaken but by then its almost impossible for them to admit their error in the face of public and media hysteria. I think the most revealing scene is when Mercedes Rheul's character talks about them trying to find one photograph, one drunken confession, one piece of corroborative evidence to back up the kid's increasingly fantastical and unreliable testimony. When they find nothing of the sort she desperately resorts to citing the lead suspect's reading of Playboy, interest in Pyramid power and unsatisfactory sexual encounter with an adult woman as proof of his guilt? When it emerges that the original accuser was mentally ill she still cannot give up the case, its gone so far there's no turning back now. That is perhaps the real tragedy, that of human nature. James Woods really rules this film, he's playing the same sleazy lawyer we've seen him play so many times before, accustomed to defending guilty as sin drug dealers but this time finds himself unexpectedly on the side of the angels with genuinely innocent clients. It really is a tremendous tour do force from him.

professorjeffreypbrown Maybe because I was in the movie and had to sit waiting most of the time for a call to the set, but I didn't even care for it while filming. I saw it with a friend post-production and was not impressed, again.There are some good actors in the film, my favorite was James Cromwell. He was such a kind man, willing to talk about everything except himself. There were wanna be's, couldn't be's, and shouldn't be's all over the set. But even one of the older actresses, Shirley Knight, did nothing but run her credits while talking to her. Zzzzzzzzzz.... And this is the major reason I got out of the biz. Wood's side kick, can't remember his name, was nice too, met him at an activity feeding the homeless at Thanksgiving. Even Mercedes was pretty nice. But the overall story was just of little interest to me. And I guess being in the film and the business you see how manufactured it all really is. There's one scene, for example, where the cast laughs at a pyramid related joke by Wood's side kick. I almost laughed out loud it was so forced and fake. Maybe it's why most actors don't watch their movies. They are too close to it and see details that most would miss stand out like a sore thumb.All that said, who cares about the issue? Child-molestation case gone wrong. Child molestation is perfect fodder for sensationalist Hollywood, and the court system messing up? Wow, that's something new. Bottom line? Fair at best. I guess having been an attorney myself for close to 20 years, there's nothing new there either.

namashi_1 Based on the shocking true story of the McMartin preschool trial, 'Indictment: The McMartin Trial' is a Brilliant Film that takes us through the history of this controversial, unforgettable trial. Taut-Writing, Flawless Direction & Remarkable Performances, make this film, unmissable.'Indictment: The McMartin Trial' Synopsis: 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.Abby Mann & Myra Mann's Screenplay takes us through this journey of torment & truth, astonishingly. I loved the film, it was so interesting & blunt. From start to end, the film offers a solid punch! Mick Jackson's Direction is Flawless. He has truly surpassed himself in this masterful film! Cinematography is proper. Editing is excellent.Performance-Wise: James Woods as the defense lawyer, is Dependable, as always. Mercedes Ruehl is fantastic. This performance is amongst her finest works to date. Henry Thomas is terrific. Shirley Knight delivers a heartbreaking performance. Sada Thompson is highly efficient. Lolita Davidovich is perfect. Alison Elliott is good. Roberta Bassin & Mark Blum leave a mark.On the whole, 'Indictment: The McMartin Trial' is an unmissable gem!

rondine One of the most gripping, interesting, "can't-put-it-down" movies I've ever seen. EVERY time this movie is on TV I cannot but help watch it. The screenplay and the acting are masterful and suspenseful- EVEN though I've seen it more than once! Now THAT'S a test of greatness- when you can watch something over & over & it still has a sense of suspense and awe.The casting is masterful- James Woods as the historically sleezy lawyer who usually takes cases that are awful and usually guilty of whatever they've been accused of. Mercedes Ruhel as the prosecutor is great because of her stoically indignant style of prosecution. This combines in the movie to make it look like initially the media *did* get it right. But then little by little things go sour. In one of the best performances she's ever given, Lolita Davidovich is spellbinding as the child therapist who gets caught up in the whirl-wind of the whole thing. Starting out with a decent motive, she ends up being the truly bad seed that started it all. She is awesome in the court room scene, as is Woods. If you've read any of the reviews here, you will know that this movie is about the infamous McMartin trial in which basically a whole family & their employees at a preschool were accused of hundreds of counts of child molestation. It turned out after over 5 years; none of the accusations were true. The media had basically taken over the justice system in an insipid and insidious way. This was actually the first time this had happened like this. (Yes, it has since happened again on a different level in a different way.) Also, the presumption of innocence for the accused was totally discarded.The way the media whipped people into a frenzy over the appearance of things and making these people out to be evil echoes some of the things that are going on today. In fact, it's very similar to the way Lou Dobbs has presented immigrants as something evil to be feared. Media... it can really warp the truth. One of the biggest tragedies is that the news- which is specifically supposed to enlighten and inform, has become so much about entertainment that it's lost its soul. This movie shows so well how things can be twisted- how the media can plant the seed in the minds of its viewers-- MUCH like the way Kay McFarland planted seeds in the mind of the children she "interviewed" for CII.The Salem witch-hunts can happen again. Be on your guard- it really can happen here in America.