Few criminal cases have garnered as much public scrutiny as Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us depicts of the 1989 Central Park Five convictions, depicted as part of its four-part miniseries. When They See Us has led to public outrage and even Linda Fairstein, who overseen this case has stepped down following its release.
Felicity Huffman plays Felicity Fairstein as an aggressively forceful figure who pushes five teenage boys’ confessions into an agenda-driven mold she has selected for them to fill.
The Story
Ava DuVernay’s four-part Netflix series Lawyer When They See Us depicts the 1989 case of the Central Park Five, young black men falsely arrested and accused of brutal rape of a white woman in New York City. Although eventually exonerated, their arrest sparked widespread outrage and racist panic over young black men “wilding” on New York streets. Starring Jharrel Jerome, Michael K. Williams, Aunjanue Ellis Vera Farmiga Blair Underwood John Leguizamo The series has received mixed reviews but many viewers found it powerful and moving.
Linda Fairstein’s portrayal as former Manhattan prosecutor Linda Fairstein has proven especially divisive. Fairstein served as head of the District Attorney’s sex crimes unit during the incident and is often accused of defaming victims while unjustifiably pressing for convictions of men, who would eventually be cleared due to serial rapist Matias Reyes coming forward with confessions of serial rapings. Fairstein filed a lawsuit against Netflix and DuVernay alleging they portray her unfairly as “racist and unethical villains.”
Fairstein was depicted in the series as an aggressive prosecutor who pursued conviction even when there was little evidence supporting the charges, dismissing law enforcement officials’ doubts about her case and failing to investigate evidence that pointed towards their innocence. Her portrayal infuriated Fairstein and her supporters, leading her to part ways with both longtime book publisher as well as several boards like Vassar College trustee board.
Fairstein now has a valid claim that her Netflix series defames her, and plans to file suit seeking damages for any harm done to her by the film. A court must now decide if it takes unfairly dramatic license with truth of case portrayed on screen; further, such a determination will raise important issues about freedom of speech and artistic license limits.
The Cast
Affidavit of five teenagers charged in a vicious Central Park jogger assault made headlines for months in the nineties, yet an Ava DuVernay miniseries on this topic has caused outrage among those involved. Linda Fairstein, who oversaw this case as prosecutor and is depicted by Felicity Huffman in this series as Linda Fairstein claims it depicts her as racist and unethical villain.
The Netflix drama centers around five young men who were wrongfully charged with attacking a female jogger in 1989 and later exonerated due to legal procedural irregularities in 2002. It depicts their interrogation without lawyers present which ultimately resulted in false confessions being extracted from them; additionally it shows how this case fuelled racist panic about urban youths living in New York City.
When They See Us features an incredible cast, including Michael K. Williams, Niecy Nash, Vera Farmiga, Asante Blackk and John Leguizamo. Each actor expertly portrays one of five suspects and their families; yet how do the actors compare with their real-life counterparts? We took a side-by-side comparison between major cast members in this miniseries and their real life counterparts for this analysis.
Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us is not the first television production to address this case; however, it may be the most comprehensive and accurate. While Sarah and Ken Burns’ 2012 documentary The Central Park Five focused mainly on prosecuting Alex Cooper as part of its narrative, When They See Us takes more artistic license in portraying these facts.
As such, it largely parallels the real trial. Although there may have been minor variations based on newly discovered evidence or changes made by prosecutors during proceedings in real life.
Although nuances remain, the Central Park Five story remains intact. These young men were charged with violently and sexually assaulting Trisha Meili, 28, an associate banker at Bank of New York who was out jogging on April 19, 1989 during her midday run; Trisha suffered severe injuries that required her to remain hospitalized for one month following their assaults.
The Director
Linda Fairstein, the Manhattan district attorney who prosecuted the Central Park Five in 1989 and was depicted as an anti-Black racist villain in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix show When They See Us, has announced her intention to step down as a Columbia law school lecturer. Fairstein became an in-demand expert witness during high-profile legal matters due to her character, Alexandra Cooper. She also wrote several crime novels featuring her.
However, the four-part series presented her as an unethical and racist prosecutor who ignored evidence which could have exonerated the teenagers. It showed her overseeing their interrogation – she even referred to them as animals during one interrogation session! – while also steamrolling law enforcement officials who expressed doubt about the case. This has caused great outrage and has even caused calls for her dismissal as she had lectured at law school for 17 years prior.
The Rating
Ava DuVernay’s miniseries When They See Us has become an incredible tale of racial injustice. Based on true events, it depicts five young men wrongfully accused of raping a jogger in New York City in 1989; their convictions depended heavily on Linda Fairstein, an assistant district attorney from New York’s sex crimes division who made her reputation prosecuting violent criminals. Fairstein later filed suit against Netflix, DuVernay and series writer alleging defamation against them all; she won her case before a judge.