Unlikely Friends Movie Essay

The documentary film, Unlikely Friends, focused on the victims of brutal crimes, who became friends with the perpetrators through forgiveness. Also, the film explored how the power of forgiveness between victim and perpetrator can affect change within the criminal justice system by advocating reconciliation and rehabilitation. Multiple victims of horrific violent crimes explained their long heroic journey to forgiveness.

Steve Watt, who was a Wyoming state trooper, faced a bank robber, Mark Farnham, who shot Steve multiple times and was left one eye blinded. Steve did not meet his offender, Mark Farnham, in order to love him. He went seeking relief and answers to understand why the offender shot him. At first, Steve Watt wanted Mark dead

because he took one of his eyes and left him unable to get around without crutches.

When Steve and Mark met, Mark admitted that when he shot Steve, he did not see him as a person, but an object standing in his way. Steve was able to see that many prisoners, who would blame the victims for their wrongdoings. Mark was not able to blame Steve because every time Steve visited him, he was not able to avoid the horrific reality of crime that impacted Steve. Steve believed that if prisoners do not see the pain they have caused to the victims, they would never learn empathy. Steve forgave Mark for his wrongdoings, but it did not mean that Mark was off the hook. Forgiveness is a long process that starts with tough love and it can lead to friendship. Khamisa, whose son Tariq was murdered, said, “Most offenders suffer from guilt” (Unlikely Friends). This explained how prisoners can easily twist everything and seek someone else to blame when the burden of

guilt was too much to tolerate. Steve and Mark are now best friends, Steve was elected to be Wyoming State Legislator and advocated the governor early release for Mark Farnham, since Steve believed that he was no longer a danger to the society. Apparently, the governor had denied Steve’s request, but Mark Farnham was grateful and blessed to have his own victim to support him. Mark Farnham had become a fully rehabilitated man.
Debbie Parnham’s only son, 16 year old boy, was killed during a drive-by shooting in Arizona. She was completely devastated and taken an obsession to see the killer, Gabriel Nieto, dead by death penalty or by her own hands. Debbie was consumed with hatred and bitterness that she had to do something to save herself from it. She had prayed to God to help her forgiving Gabriel Nieto for killing her only son. Debbie had the courage to forgive Gabriel. After, making the decision to forgive him, Debbie went seeking for relief and answers to continue her forgiveness process. To bring empathy towards Gabriel, Debbie had confronted him and insisted him to look at her son’s photos whose life Gabriel had taken. Debbie Parnham had tried to remind Gabriel about the unbearable guilt, but had helped Debbie to recognize his humanity. Recognizing the offender’s humanity was possible by the perpetrator’s ability to acknowledge the guilt. Now, Debbie was able to see Gabriel as her best friend as part of her healing process.
Jane Waterholter, whose son was murdered by J.D.

Klaus through an argument, was terrified of Klaus and had requested to be surrounded by officials with guns. This depicted that Jane was a victim of “fear of crime” and believed that she would never forgive J.D. Klaus. However, J.D. Klaus had taken full responsibility for his actions and pled guilty, while the court advised him against doing so. When J.D. Klaus immediately pled guilty, Jane knew that Klaus was acknowledging his responsibilities and was not blaming anyone else, but itself. Jane Waterholter decided to forgive him right away and would visit him often at Florida state penitentiary. The forgiveness had brought Jane and J.D. deep connection by mutual recognition of shared humanity. Jane declared that J.D. Klaus would be his newly son in a replacement for her lost son. J.D. Klaus as Jane’s new son had brought closure to her real

son.
All in all, Unlikely Friends explored the limits of restorative justice by the stories of friendship that developed between the victims and the perpetrators. Forgiveness was a new movement for restorative justice. Azim Khamisa stated, “Forgiveness is restorative justice on steroids” (Unlikely Friends)! Restorative justice program’s primary purpose was create a positive environment between the victims and the perpetrators. The program was designed to repair the harm that had caused towards the victims and perpetrators as well. The film advocates that the justice system should provide restorative justice programs to the prisoners and the prisoners’ victims, instead of having juvenile offenders being referred to restorative justice programs.