Araki film faces child porn accusation

|

What's Up?

|

Web Directory

May 13, 2005 | Sex & Society

Araki film faces child porn accusation

A conservative movie critic has levied charges of child pornography against acclaimed film-maker Gregg Araki, for his latest work, "Mysterious Skin."

The film, based on Scott Heim's acclaimed novel, is the story of two damaged teenagers who have bonded as a result of a traumatic experience they shared as boys. Shy Brian has fixated on five lost hours from when he was eight years old, convinced that he was abducted by aliens. Rough around the edges Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, of "Third Rock from the Sun") has fallen into the habit of hustling older men in a local park. Araki expertly weaves the threads of their individual pasts to reveal the truth of the boys' shared history and their need for kinship and healing.

Ted Baehr of the conservative MovieGuide has taken quite a leap, concluding that because a movie is about sexual abuse, it therefore is promoting sexual abuse. He wrote in his review, �This film clearly violates the child pornography statutes written by Congress and most state legislatures. We urge authorities to take action and investigate.�

Lewis Tice, press liaison for TLA Releasing, responded to the criticism:

... to declare that the film 'violates child pornography statues' is an inflammatory statement that misrepresents the real message of the film. ... As distributors for "Mysterious Skin," we at TLA Releasing/Tartan Films fully support director Gregg Araki's and novelist Scott Heim's artistic vision in presenting a powerful story about the traumatic effects of child abuse. We hope people take a chance to experience this emotionally engaging and hopeful film.