Broken Harts

This very detailed and informational documentary tells the horribly tragic case of the well known Hart family who plunged to their deaths on the California coast. It includes the history of the 6 adopted kids, the women who adopted them and the mistreatment these kids endured.

Unfortunately, this story will be seized upon in a 'we told you so' manner and I write this review in counter to the other review by jfnaoau who portrays the family in a racist and homophobic way. These were great kids whose lives began and ended in unfortunate circumstances. These were 2 women who purposely misled the public and had terrible parenting skills. The race or family makeup makes no difference to what happened to this family. Fortunately the documentary does not try to paint this family unit in a negative light but focuses on the behavior of each individual. This is an American tragedy enhanced by the failures of the court and Child Protective Services.

Those children were failed again and again and again, by everyone around them and the multiple agencies that should have investigated further. If the skin colors were reversed, the two adoptive 'mothers' would have been crucified upside down seconds after the first allegation was made. An absolute disgrace on every level. My heart breaks for those kids and everyone who loved them.

Two White lesbians became the guardians of six intractable black youths and proved what anyone without a corrupt mind already knew.

The film is banal, with the obvious agenda of the director unintentionally providing the only true commentary on a society hopelessly professing/pretending to believe anything other than the truth.

I feel that the African American man hijacked this story to try and make it about race. If you want to blame social services for not interfering, I think it has more to do with two lesbian parents than the fact that they are white. Everyone was fooled by the lesbian mothers having the picture perfect family. I don't know the laws in Texas, but why did the Aunt leave them with her daughter who let the biological mother come see them? There are no easy answers, and six beautiful children lost their lives in this social experiment.

As expected, this documentary is HARD to watch. The lives these kids led is horrific. What also makes this hard to watch is the racism accusations that just aren't proven. To me, this is a woman (Jen) with severe mental health issues that were well hidden, a woman's partner (Sarah) who to me is a battered wife, controlled and doesn't know how to get out. I don't believe Sarah was a co-conspirator in the deaths, I think it was Jen. Irrelevant now. I think the "system" failed these kids, just like it fails kids every day all day long all over the country but racism? Nope. Not buying it. I think those kids would have been abused, neglected and ultimately killed no matter their skin color.