Just Ask My Children

As a mum of two lovely children, I watched this film wondering how politics could be stronger than family love and unity. In the end, love won, but at what cost..... all the years without celebrating birthdays, Christmas, a new year at school, a new girlfriend, etc... so many things happening in one's life. I don't think I ever cried so much whilst watching a film, so I dare to imagine how much these parents and children cried every day of their lives, since when everything happened and forever more because you simply cannot replace or re-create 12 years of any human being's life. If the real Kniffen's ever see this message, please note, I have the utmost respect for you and have no idea where you found the strengh to carry on. I hope you have found peace and happiness and wish you all the best. you must be such strong human beings...From a mum that loves her children....they must have been the force that kept you going. Have s happy life, wherever you are.

Odd now in these days of such professional police investigation to see the portrayal of the dark days of the 80s when the art was just in its' infancy. The story really falls down on whether we believe the children and can they lie about this? If the kids are telling the truth then the parents deserve everything they get but if they are lying...?

In one scene the mother (the ever gorgeous Virginia Madsen) asks can the police just come into your home and take your kids away? And the answer of course is that if they have reason to believe you're abusing them then of course they can. But this was at a time when it was considered that children couldn't lie about such things and people didn't realise how they could be easily lead and influenced during interviews. It's also a good example of the importance of independence in the judicial system, the prosecutors desperate to please public opinion by getting convictions and then reconsidering when public opinion shifts in the opposite direction. Perhaps the scariest thing is when the prosecutor receives the court order to give the defence access to the boys and he just chooses to ignore it? Surely the judge should order HIM to be arrested for that?

Another film I'd recommend in the same vein is Indictment which is excellent.

"Just Ask My Children" is based on the true story of a modern-day witch-hunt in which a couple is falsely accused and jailed for molesting their own children.

When Brenda (Virginia Madsen) and Scott Kniffen (Jeffrey Nordling) are asked to testify at a custody hearing on behalf of their friends, they and their two sons, Brandon and Brian, are sucked into a nightmare. Their friends' hysterical relative has accused both sets of parents of molestation and peddling child pornography - and the local D.A.'s office is intent on appearing tough on child abusers. They badger Brian and Brandon into testifying against their mom and dad, with tragic results. For 12 horrible years, Brenda and Scott languish behind bars, separated from the sons they love and fighting to prove their own innocence.

This movie really made me think about injustice and the parents love for their children. One day i hope to have children myself and i hope that the children i have will stand up for me and i never have to go through what the family involved in this spectacular piece of cinema went through.

The acting and script was very convincing- i felt like i was watching the actual event first-hand, not a re-construction of events by trained actors. The courage of the family will be in my mind forever, it WAS awesome!!! probably the best true-life film i have ever set eyes on. Congratulations to the director for creating this masterpiece, it was a real credit to it's genre.

I agree that 10 is not a high enough number to rate this movie. This movie was well written, produced, and all the actors and actresses did a wonderful job. I am a fan of Virginia Madsen. The sad part is that what happened to this family happens all the time to other families and you do not hear or read about it. As I children's rights advocate, I have seen what happened to this family happen time and again. While you are watching this movie or even after you have seen it you will ask yourself, "How can this happen in the US?" Of course, I have other personal opinions that I cannot post here. This movie is a "must see" for anyone who has a child or children and/or works with children and/or families, etc. I would highly recommend this movie to be shown in college Psychology classes, law schools, especially when you are studying Family Law/Domestc Law, Criminal Law, and for medical doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, etc.