The powerhouse acting of a notable cast is the making of this heated and worrying real-life drama, based on a notorious American trial into alleged child abuse, which involved mass public hysteria and a huge media circus in America, lasted seven years and cost $16million. It all sparks off in 1983 when staff members at the McMartin pre-school are accused by a parent of a two-year-old boy of child abuse. An increasingly hysterical witch hunt ensues, leading to a lengthy trial, but are the allegations true? The film-makers have clearly weighed the evidence and made up their mind. The script makes no bones about taking the side of the accused, and gets the media firmly in its sights, but it still weighs carefully the accusers' evidence, especially their oft-stated argument of 'children don't lie'. Lolita Davidovich is exactly right as the flaky, inexperienced social worker who fans the flames, and James Woods (as the hack defence lawyer) and Mercedes Ruehl (the smug DA) are thrilling as the opposing lawyers on the case. Long, riveting, adult material.

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