I felt sympathy for Elaine, as well. They married young, probably before they really knew each other well, which was really pretty typical of those times. Over the course of their relationship, Elaine came to the realization that her husband wasn’t really into sex, or her. Then the cops find a huge stash of child porn behind the piano….it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. And seriously, how could you rationalize, and/or forgive that? After 20 years of marriage and three children, the betrayal is enormous, especially if she was at the point where she really didn’t like him much anymore, anyway.
That said….how could she NOT know something weird was going on with her husband? If my husband (if I had one, ahem) had an office that he was secretive about, why would she not try to figure out why? How could she overlook a huge stash of pornography—CHILD pornography—hidden behind the piano? Granted, the photos of the house showed that she wasn’t much of a housekeeper, but still. That was quite a bit of porn.
And also, if they were guilty of the crimes with which they were charged, how was it that Elaine never heard anything, never saw anything, and had no idea that these crimes were taking place for a number of years? Because Elaine seemed pretty forthcoming in her ideas about what happened and the psychology behind it, I think she would have spilled something if she knew there was abuse going on.
BUT! I am torn when it comes to deciding whether or not I think they did it. On the one hand, the father was an admitted pedophile. It is difficult for me to see how the father could reason that he was “saving” Jesse by pleading guilty. I can understand why his father’s guilty plea made Jesse feel trapped. But the thing that really shook my doubt about their innocence was Jesse’s 11th hour confession. Right before he is sentenced, he breaks down in front of the judge, admits that he is guilty, but says it’s because his father molested him. This is understandable—the victim wanting to gain favor with the abuser by helping him perpetrate the crimes—but it was strange that it came out at the last minute. He maintained his innocence up until the very end, and then he cracked and admitted guilt. Why? Because he thought the judge would feel pity for him? I would have reasoned it would be just the opposite. By maintaining his innocence, it leaves that little shadow of doubt. Who really knows? I don’t think we’ll ever know.
And Jesse’s lawyer was a sleazy opportunist who deserves to be bitch-slapped.
reply
share
debbie-goodman
17 years ago
'That said….how could she NOT know something weird was going on with her husband? If my husband (if I had one, ahem) had an office that he was secretive about, why would she not try to figure out why? How could she overlook a huge stash of pornography—CHILD pornography—hidden behind the piano? Granted, the photos of the house showed that she wasn’t much of a housekeeper, but still. That was quite a bit of porn. ' Yinky
I disagree with this, I've met and spoken with many people in the course of my job who have been married to child abusers and have had no idea. They've looked back in hindsight and seen 'signs' but at the time, when you're married to someone for 20 years the last thing you're going to think is that they are capable of child abuse.
Also Yinky you say how would she not have seen the 'huge stash of child porn'. But in the film the pornography was described by the officers involved in the case, when you look at the photos of the house which they took during the search there is nothing seen in open view.
I do have sympathy for Elaine because although I don't think she was the best mother in the world, it seems that Arnold had such a hold of on his sons that they seem to take his side automatically. David is a prime example of this, it seems it was his hatred of his mother that made him stand by his father despite the evidence that his dad was a a paedophile.
I find it interesting that Seth declined to take part in the film
reply
share