A woman about my age has produced a documentary about her missing childhood friend. Andy Puglisi disappeared from his neighborhood pool in 1976. 22 years later, friend Melanie Perkins made a film about the case, called "Have You Seen Andy?"
It's going to be shown on Cinemax, which I don't have, so I really hope it comes to DVD sometime. Fascinating and sad, and the era, that 1976 childhood, that weird innocent time before we knew about Adam Walsh or Jacob Wetterling, stabs at my heart.
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My wife attended the premiere of this film last week. One of the other mothers in her mommy group is a friend of the filmmaker, so they went together. As coincidence would have it, though, one of Andy Puglisi's aunts works at my wife's company, and so my wife was a quasi-official representative of their employer as well.
Very sad story from a time when child abductions were not such a cause celebre. I am looking forward to seeing it on Cinemax myself.
My own amateur review of “Have You Seen Andy?” Now on Cinemax
“Have You Seen Andy?” is an amazing story surrounding the disappearance of 10 year old Angelo Puglisi from Lawrence Massachusetts in 1976. Long before their were Amber alerts and missing persons websites the search was not much more than the townsfolk holding hands and walking through the woods calling his name.
Melanie Perkins burning desire to make this documentary, was her childhood promise to find out what happened to her friend Andy. Growing up in a poor neighborhood development across the street from the State Pool, were literally hundreds of children, many from single parent households. Melanie brings her playmates back together years later to discuss what happened to Andy.
The title comes from Andy’s mother’s own lips as she searched for her son asking, “Have you seen Andy?” Andy’s family and friends recall fondly how they remembered Andy, and Police go over their investigation as Melanie searched for answers as she filmed. Earlier the day he disappeared, Melanie had asked Andy to walk home with her, but he was not ready to leave the pool. That was the last Melanie saw her friend Andy and her motivation for years in the making of this made for HBO film.
Melanie nudges investigators to re open the case and uncovers possible leads and evidence missed in 1976. Viewers follow the investigation into the woods where cadaver dogs pick up scent and a dig is undertaken only leading to disappointment.
Information uncovered about the five sex offenders who were at the State Pool the day that Andy disappeared sends a chill, as it becomes clear that more than one could have been involved. Melanie pushes on to interview suspects gaining insight into the sex offender mentality, realizing that a pedophile network was in place.
This Film is not just about Andy but all the kids who went missing who have not been found and their cases cold and closed. Melanie illustrates how serious the child predator nightmare is as she touches on groups of predators who have networked to form a community of like minded men who actually believe they have rights to have sex with children.
Even If you are a CSI fan you will still love this movie as it is the real deal but without all the modern technology which was not available in 1976. Nancy Drew would have been proud of Perkins tenacity and resourcefulness at getting to whatever truth can be found.
Check out http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/haveyouseenandy/index.html for times this will replay and also for more information on Andy Puglisi.
Anne
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