Our Guys: Outrage at Glen Ridge

The film is really great. It shows both the positive and negative effect when we're telling the truth. What will happen to my friend if i reveal the truth about them. Will i ever have another friend. Will I hurt my other friends who trying to help me? - I think these questions is very difficult to respond to especially if you're the one who being put in the same situation as Leslie in the film. I personally really like the film a lot, it shows me the desire of friendship when you're alone, isolated from everyone emotionally because they think you're not part of the group, and i do see this happen a lot especially in the school community and also mostly in a teens environment. I'm every into film making, and i wish to be a film maker in the future years. Thank You

Do not be daunted by the sensational nature of the crime, depicted in this film. The director did not go for shock value. This film is sensitive and poignant despite the grotesque nature of the crime.

This is not your typical made for TV movie. For Heather Matarazzo's performance alone, put this film on your "must see" list. Since the producers used the real names of several perpetrators, I feel confident that the script must be very accurate. (Some of the guilty were shielded from public exposure due to their status as minors.) Most "based on a true story" movies take great liberties with facts, characters and events to make a more dramatic or cohesive film and I tend to dismiss them as entertainment, not documentary.

If you watch this film, I think you will be haunted by the protagonist long after the final credits.

I don't care that it's "only" a television movie, this movie is really good. Based on a true story, turned into a book and now this film, it stars Heather Matarazzo as an abused retarded high school girl. She just wants people to like her, so she 'goes along' with her rape, in a very disturbing scene, kind of shocking for television, not titalating at all. The supporting cast is wonderful. Ally Sheedy and Eric Stoltz are the adults in the piece, in charge of bringing the teens who did this awful crime to justice, and they are really good. So are the teen jocks who rape her. A good lesson in safety and 'fitting in', well told, good music and direction, overall this is a very good production and all should be proud to have done it.

I have to admit, I haven't seen the movie yet. I used to live in Glen Ridge. Graduated from the High School there. HATED the jock mentality. It was pervasive... it got under your skin and left you feeling 'dirty'. I had also been in another high school before, but didn't run across the elevation that the jocks received from everywhere in that town.

When I 1st heard about the incident, (I had graduated a few years before... I didn't know any of the people directly involved,) I hate to admit it, but the thing that came to my mind was: "Of course." And: "Where else, but there?" It sickened me, but (even scarier,) didn't surprise me.

The defense's argument that the rape was excusable because of where they came from, itself was inexcusable. But, again, typical of the town and it's attitude.

They deserved every punishment thrown at them by the courts and then some. And the lawyers should have gotten punished too. I wish there was some way to shift the towns view, but after reading the post earlier from a young woman who still lives in the town, I can't help but think that things haven't changed.

Do I go back for the reunions? I'm thinking.... not.

This film deals with the true case that occurred in Glen Ridge, New Jersey with the graduating class of 1989. Obviously, what the students did to this girl is disturbing and inexcusable. What is also offensive is the attitude of the community, school and parents; the denial and discrimination.

Eric Stoltz is excellent as prosecutor Dan Laurino,who empathizes with the victim (well-done by Heather Matarazzo). The character Ally Sheedy portrays is a detective who used to work in NYC, and is now on the task force, prosecuting the members of the football team who took part in the gang-rape of a mentally disabled student.

There is much denial and deferral of responsibility, the group mentality of "don't make waves" and the accusations that, as an unstable person, the character Matarazzo portrays had deserved, and even asked for, what happened to her. It is the utmost disgrace that American communities like this still react this way.

The next time you see a tragedy in the local news, and a neighbor comments they couldn't believe it happened in his/her neighborhood, chalk it up to the mechanism of denial; the fact that people cannot comprehend such things does not mean they are not happening every day, and that we need stricter laws protecting the disabled. 10/10