The Jaundiced Eye

Detroit Free Press - August 27, 2000

MOVIE REVIEW

Documentary follows long search for justice

BY JOHN MONAGHAN, FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER

Documentary follows long search for justice

[3stars] out of four stars

According to the fishermen who frequent his Monroe bait shop, Melvin Matthews isn't the kind of guy to count every single minnow when you buy a dozen. You always get more. So once your limit is caught, you drive out of your way to take those extra minnows back.

It's this kind of eye for local color and detail that makes Nonny de la Peña's "The Jaundiced Eye" such rich viewing. Named after an Alexander Pope quote about skewed justice and perspective, this searing documentary chronicles the story of Matthews, who, with son Stephen, was accused in 1989 of sexually molesting and torturing Stephen's 5-year-old son.

After serving four years of a 35-year sentence for the crime, the men faced a second trial after their first conviction was thrown out on appeal. The entire case against them was eventually dismissed because of lack of evidence.

"I don't care if you are acquitted. The charge will stick with you," says Melvin, still wondering how he spent four years behind bars, mostly due to the testimony of the 5-year-old, who the movie hints was likely coached by his mother and a live-in boyfriend. The only piece of hard evidence -- that the boy tested positive for chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease -- proved false by their second trial.

"The Jaundiced Eye," from the producers of the gripping "Waco: The Rules of Engagement," screened last fall at the Detroit area Lesbian and Gay Film Festival before touring the art house circuit to overwhelmingly positive reviews.

The movie paints a vivid portrait of a justice system where well-meaning but ill-trained social workers use any means necessary to uncover sexual abuse of children. Their methods, the film asserts, often lead kids to say what they think adults want to hear.

Homophobia also played a part. Stephen, who married his pregnant girlfriend Danette at 17 and split to California after the baby was born, is openly gay, a thought that obviously doesn't sit well with her ex's new boyfriend, who is interviewed by phone. Danette also had issues with the elder Matthews and his ex-wife, who spoiled their grandson rotten when he was in their care.

Despite its grim subject and frank talk, the movie is surprisingly entertaining. We meet a social worker whose only outlet from a stressful day is her obsession with singer Barry Manilow. She sips from a Manilow coffee mug, surrounded by framed concert photos of the entertainer on her office walls.

Also among the local characters is the Matthewses' first defense attorney who, instead of having the men tested for chlamydia, wanted them to hire a costly handwriting expert to try to decipher the mental makeup of the jury. They later went elsewhere for representation.

Of course, the story doesn't end with what we see on film. The Matthewses have since become plaintiffs in a civil case against the doctor whose positive chlamydia testing helped convict them.

Officials involved in the case have government immunity and are nearly impossible to prosecute. Most amazing is how the men, who are justifiably bitter, remain so amiable on film. Stephen, who has recently declined interviews due to his pending court case, is attempting a fresh start in Toledo. He has also begun the painful process of reuniting with his now-teenage son, who signed an affidavit saying he was never sexually assaulted.

Melvin, who found religion in prison, still has faith in the Lord but little trust in the legal system. Caught by phone last week behind the counter of his bait shop, he wants it to be known that "if it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone."

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