Do You Know the Muffin Man?

This is the worst film I have ever seen. The reason I disapprove of this film is because it automatically assumes that the characters who were accused of ritual abuse, (in that case), were guilty. It is based on the McMartin trial, although the makers of this film (CBS), do want to admit it. The only purpose of making this film was to destroy any chance of fair trial for the McMartin family.

Back in the 80's, a wave of fear spread through North America with the belief that underground satanic cults were infiltrating all parts of society, including day-care centers. A rash of charges were brought against day-care workers all over the U. S., as well as Canada and other parts of the world on suspicion of sexually abusing children as part of organized satanic rituals. Despite children reporting fantastical and in some cases physically impossible occurrences, there were trials and many people did go to prison. Those who weren't found guilty, had their lives ruined. The satanic panic was all made possible by overzealous prosecutors, therapists, mental health workers, law enforcement, religious fundamentalists, and fearful parents. The media accepted it without any skepticism. However, there was little or no evidence ever found in any cases. No blood, no dead babies, no nothing. It was all mass hysteria. The idea of satanic ritual abuse was a hoax. Children were asked leading and suggestive questions, and often interviewed dozens of times. Children who said nothing happened, we're not believed. They were only believed after giving investigators the answers they wanted to hear. It was a modern day witch hunt.

Sadly this film is just one more example of how the media played a role in the satanic panic. When people abandon reason in favor of emotion and superstition, it can have terrible consequences. This movie creates a narrative that plays into the fears of the time and passes the story off as being based on facts. Besides wrongful convictions, one of the biggest tragedies of the satanic ritual abuse panic is that so many children in these cases may now as adults still believe that they were victims of SRA. How traumatic must that be? Finally, while police and prosecutors were chasing and charging people in imaginary satanic cults with horrific crimes, real cases of child abuse, often perpetrated by family members, went unpunished. I guess it's easier for people to accept that bad things happen in the world because of "the Devil", than to have to face and try to solve complex societal problems like poverty, income inequality, social justice, racism, and sexism.

I have to confess that this film scared the pants off of me. This was mostly from the stand point that things can go on in our world like this, and we don't even see them.

Whether or not this is based on the McMartin trial is immaterial. The point is that abuse occurs in this world, and the sad reality is that it can be performed by the kindly grandmother who lives next door as well as anyone. To shrug that off by saying it was produced to assure that a famous court case was not judged fairly is to deny the horror that some people go though on a daily basis. Whether that be by systematic or organized abuse in our preschools or the drunken father or mother in the child's home, it happens.

While the adult performances in and the direction of this film are not exactly top-notch, I had to hand it to the kids (Brian Bonsall and Stephen Dorff). They did a fantastic job.

This movie was terrible. It was so very terrible.

Most annoying was the way the trial was conducted. The defense attorney is allowed to ramble on and on when questioning a witness without the prosecution making any objections. He attacks the children brought to give testimony with cruel ferociousness and repeatedly yells at them that they're lying. These just aren't things that they subject children who have been sexually abused to. The trial is silly and it ruins the whole movie...(Law & Order has spoiled me for courtroom accuracy-ness).

This is actually a really good movie with stellar performances by all involved.

The subject matter is convincing and uncomfortable.

Pam Dawber is great in her role, as is the rest of the cast.

Yet again, the legal system is put under the microscope, and makes you root for the kids in a big way.

But the premise is overplayed and tired.

Other than that, it is well written, well acted and deals with important matter.

But there is an infuriating ending which gives no answers, just leaves the viewer hanging.

I enjoyed the movie, but kept asking myself at the end: "Ummm.... Is this IT????????"