In a Town this Size 2011
Distributed by First Run Features, 630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036; 212-243-0600
Produced by Patrick V. Brown
Directed by Patrick V. Brown
DVD, color, 71 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
Sexual Abuse, Sociology, Counseling, Psychotherapy, Law
Date Entered: 06/03/2014
Reviewed by Rodney Birch, Reference Librarian, George Fox University“We never thought it could happen here…to us, to our kids.” “He was part of the family.” “Unlike today, in those days we were just naïve about those kind of things…about what a pedophile was.” These are comments expressed at various points throughout this film by both the children who were victims of sexual abuse by the town physician, and their parents. The setting of the film is a small, rural Oklahoma town in the 1960’s and 1970s. In a Town this Size explores the sociological and psychological impact of child sexual abuse on both the victims and the families both immediately and years following the actual abuse.
Brown, an abuse victim himself, interviews victims and their parents to provide context for the film, and trys to gain some understanding into why it took so long for the abuse to surface. Many parents of the child victims, after finding out what was going on, didn’t know what to do with the information—often discounting it as just “being uncomfortable with the physical examination.” As more and more rumors started to surface, and more and more children started confirming the stories, legal action was sought. It was discovered that the statute of limitations was 2 years, and there had to be either evidence of physical or psychological trauma. The abuser, a respected pediatrician ended up not renewing his medical license as a result of an investigation. “We were taught to stay away from strangers in the movie theatre who smelled bad and dressed in a trench coat, but we were never taught about when it was someone you trusted, was articulate, and professional.” This comment was expressed by one of the victims when asked why he didn’t report the abuse to his parents. This film is a raw portrayal of the emotions and feelings of the victims and their families, coming to terms with the abuse and the betrayal of a trusted friend and doctor. In a Town this Size would be a useful resource for those in mental health fields, such as counseling and psychotherapy to understand the behavior and thought processes of victims of sexual abuse. Additionally, it is a good resource for sociology to gauge how people in various settings and time periods view events and issues.