I’ve just finished reading the Open Letter to Woody Allen that was written by his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.
I have no doubt at all about her story. I just saw a comment on Facebook that said we ought to wait until the truth is determined before we string the guy up. Of course, Allen denies it, just as he denied having a sexual relationship with another one of his adopted daughters who is now his wife.
Why are people so reluctant to believe girls and women who finally shed their cloaks of shame and bring their abuse to the attention of whomever they feel safe to tell? Does a person who has created an impressive body of work in the film industry get an automatic benefit of the doubt, just because of his celebrity?
My answer to the question posed in my title is: both. Woody Allen is both a creative genius and a probable pedophile. That is why I think his selection for a Lifetime Achievement in Film Award does not and should not have anything to do with his highly questionable personal appetites. That his films have received both critical and box-office acclaim is undeniable. Unless some of the young actresses he featured in his movies come forward (pretty fast, I’d say) to reveal that Allen actually molested them during filming, I think his pedophilia is irrelevant to the quality of his work.
I completely understand Dylan Farrow’s motivation for finally coming forward publically just before the man she despises is celebrated by Hollywood on the Oscar broadcast. The justice system failed her because her molester had the piles of money needed to get the best judgment money can buy. The idea of such a monster being lauded for anything is probably repugnant to this haunted woman.
It will be interesting to see what unfolds in the run-up to the Academy Awards broadcast. If the award is bestowed as planned, will the audience give him a standing ovation, as is usual, or will there be a few who are silent or even boo him?
In a court of law, defense attorneys fight tirelessly to make the jury understand that the defendant’s being a philanderer, a thief, a liar, and an all-around jerk is not admissible evidence that the defendant is a murderer. For me, a person who has NEVER admired Woody Allen for reasons having nothing at all to do with his probable pedophilia, the Lifetime Achievement Award should be determined on his work and only his work.
Do I believe he should be behind bars for his treatment of his daughters? Absolutely!
