Conference ljsrv1::tv_chatter

249.0. "Honor thy Mother and Father (Menendez murder)" by HELIX::MAIEWSKI () Wed Apr 20 1994 05:10

  The Fox network had the first of at least 2 movies about the Menendez
Brothers, Lyle and Eric, who shotgunned their parents to death in August of
1989. The two brothers were tried for murder last year and the trial resulted
in two hung juries. L.A. County is claiming they will try them again and it
appears the trial will take place some time next year. 

  The acting wasn't bad but the story was heavily slanted against the two
brothers. Many scenes of the trial were distorted to make the prosecutors look
better at the expense of the defendants which casts doubt on a lot of the other
behind the scenes "true facts".

  The two reporters that wrote the screen play had come out very early saying
that they felt the brothers were guilty of murder and it appears that rather
then writing a balanced screen play they decided to slant it toward their
original position to make themselves look better. I guess that's nothing new.

  Following are a few examples of differences between reality and what was seen
in the movie: 

  - The brothers claimed to have been sexually abused by their parents. Words
    given by Lyle Menendez during the trial were spoken by Eric in the movie.

  - At one point Lester Kuriama, prosecutor for Eric Menendez, trapped Eric
    into saying he bought the gun at a particular store then told everyone
    that the store hadn't sold that type of gun since 1986. It was a major
    point that the press talked about but it was lost to the jury amid 6
    months of testimony.

    In the movie once he sprang the trap the prosecutor put on a smug face,
    everyone whooed and ahhed and Eric hung his head in shame. In the real
    trial, Eric brushed it off and almost no one in the audience reacted,
    most having fallen asleep months earlier.

  - In the movie they showed Jamie Parchik, Lyle's X-fiancee, giving very
    damaging testimony claiming Eric had known about Lyle's hair piece. This
    contradicted testimony given by Eric earlier. The movie left out the
    cross examination where Lyle's lawyer Jill Lansing ripped Parchik apart
    catching her in one lie after another.

  Add to that all the Hollywood distortions:

  - Lawyers frequently walked up to the front of the witness stand in the
    movie. In the real trial that was only allowed when they were exchanging
    material evidence with the witness and each time they had to ask the
    judges permission to approach the witness.

  - Pam Basanich, prosecutor for Lyle Menendez never cross examined Eric as
    she did in the movie.

  - The lawyers were shown with the same cloths at the arrangement, opening
    statements, all during the trial, and at closing. Since the trial itself
    covered 6 months they would have been somewhat "ripe" by the end of the
    trial had they really done that.

  It's generally the case that when you know the real facts behind one of these
"docudrama's" you can see the distortions clearly. This one was no exception. 

  George