In THE THIN BLUE LINE, a landmark documentary from 1988, filmmaker Errol Morris conclusively proves that a man named Randall Adams was wrongly convicted of murder and dispatched to prison. Adams is victimized by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas, and, as a direct result of Morris’s investigative skills, he wins his freedom. Such is the power of filmmaking at its very best.
But tragically, the victimization of Randall Adams is not unique. A disturbingly similar story is told in DREAM/KILLER, a new documentary directed by Andrew Jenks that recently was released to home entertainment. DREAM/KILLER takes us back to Halloween night in 2001, when a small-town Missouri newspaper sports editor was murdered. One of those accused and found guilty is Ryan Ferguson, a 17-year-old high schooler who is sentenced to years in jail for murder in the second degree and robbery in the first degree. “He’s my son,” declares Bill Ferguson, Ryan’s father. “I’m totally convinced that he is innocent.” And he singlehandedly sets out to prove that Ryan is no criminal, and no killer.
These days, as we know all too well, endless individuals have access to recording devices and criminal acts are captured on these devices right as they unfold. Then they are broadcast for all the world to see on social media and the 24/7 cable news networks. And with the existence of these images, how can an individual concoct a story and expect one and all to believe it when those filmed images offer evidence to the contrary? For after all, as the saying goes, a picture-- or, more to the point, a moving picture-- is worth a thousand words. Plus, moving image records exist of police interrogations and court proceedings. DREAM/KILLER is a film that takes full advantage of this technology as Ryan Ferguson is seen as he is grilled by the police, as he goes on trial, and so on.
But this film also is a deeply moving account of a tragedy that can befall any American family or, more to the point, an average American family that is lacking the money, power, or influence that will ensure a fair trial. However, words and verbal accounts do play a role in DREAM/KILLER. Ryan’s prison experience cannot be filmed, but his description of what it is like to be incarcerated on a day-to-day basis is riveting.
If there is one villain in DREAM/KILLER, it is the prosecutor who is more interested in gaining a conviction than in getting at the truth. And one only can wonder: Why? Why would he choose to wreck the lives of a teenager and his family? Shouldn’t this prosecutor’s primary concern be the solving of the murder, and finding the true culprit? That would be logical. But we are not dealing with logic here.
And a couple of questions are posed in DREAM/KILLER that transcend the plight of Ryan Ferguson and his family. The first is: How many individuals who are incarcerated in America are innocent? The second is: How many have been railroaded by corrupt prosecutors?
Rob Edelman has authored or edited several dozen books on film, television, and baseball. He has taught film history courses at several universities and his writing has appeared in many newspapers, magazines, and journals. His frequent collaborator is his wife, fellow WAMC film commentator Audrey Kupferberg.
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