Uncovering a Grandpa’s Decades-Long History of Sexual Abuse
Images deceive in Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing a Family’s Secrets. Rachel Beth Anderson and Amanda Mustard’s documentary chronicles the latter’s clan and, in particular, her grandfather Bill Flickinger, who spent many days and nights raping and molesting young girls—and largely getting away with it. A film in which happy snapshots and home movies conceal a horrible secret in much the same way that Bill’s relatives kept his monstrousness hush-hush, it’s a gut-wrenching saga about illuminating the darkest corners of private lives, and about the difficulty—and perhaps unjustness—of genuine Christian forgiveness.
Amanda places herself and her mother, Debi, front and center in Great Photo, Lovely Life (Dec. 5, on HBO). At the film’s outset, they visit Bill at his current senior living residence, where he’s thrilled to see the duo. In a dining hall, more than one woman greets and says kind words about Bill, and his gregarious and effusive personality suggests why he’s considered a welcome part of the community.
Back in his room, however, things take a decidedly different turn, courtesy of Amanda’s questions about the prior accusations levied against him. Bill admits that he did fight his urges because he knew they were wrong, but then follows up that candid admission with an equally frank and revealing qualification: “It seemed like, that some of these little girls, for example, would almost throw themselves at me. Now that might sound a little stupid, but they wanted to learn things. And they were experimental. And to me, it was too much of an open temptation. And I fell into it.”