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LIBRARY JOURNAL DIGITAL
The Jaundiced Eye February 15, 2001 color. 90 min. Nonny de la Peña, The Jaundiced Eye, 11940 Chaparal St., Los Angeles, CA 90049; 310-289-3900. 2000. $89.95. CRIMINOLOGY
The Jaundiced Eye is the true story of a father and son, Melvin and Stephen Matthews, who are falsely
accused of child molestation by Stephen's former girlfriend and her husband. The child in question is the son
Stephen and his girlfriend had prior to Stephen's coming out as a gay man. The people closest to the events
reveal how the child's bizarre accusations, a climate of homophobia, and an inept investigation result in
35-year prison sentences for both men. After ten years of legal battles, a key piece of evidence is discredited,
and the case is dismissed. The two men quietly and convincingly share their pain, frustration, and humiliation,
including Stephen's harrowing rape in prison. This documentary underscores how the zeal to find and convict
child abusers may blind investigators to the truth while shattering the lives of the accused. Writer/director de la
Peña and producer Dan Gifford (known for his highly acclaimed Waco: The Rules of Engagement, Video
Reviews, LJ 10/15/98) allow the accused, the accusers, family members, investigators, and experts to tell their
view of the events in ways that are at once subtle, powerful, and appalling. Recommended. |