So what damage was done? (Three Identical Strangers)

[LAS14]

The director of the movie Three Identical Strangers was interviewed on Smerconish today. He said he didn't know whether the knowledge that was gained outweighed "the damage that was done." What damage? I've been thinking on and off about the knee jerk self-righteousness that was exhibited in that movie when, as far as I can tell, the only thing that was done was to put three children with qualified adoptive families and watch what happened. Thoughts?

[Sneederbunk]

1. Smerconish sounded as if there was a spoiler he would not reveal.

[Kittycow]

5. Something really crappy happens :(

I only know cuz I happened to have run across a lengthy interview with the boys on YouTube.

[Shrike47]

2. Psychological damage.

They were separated and not told they had siblings, let alone identical siblings. They were treated as test subjects without their consent.

[elleng]

3. Interested to see the movie,

something like what you suggest re: damage (especially if done for a TEST.)

[Sneederbunk]

4. Some of us are damaged knowing our siblings.

[Fla Dem]

6. A good LA Times article here telling about the psychological impact of their separation.

The surreal, sad story behind the acclaimed new doc 'Three Identical Strangers'

By AMY KAUFMAN
JUL 01, 2018 | 2:45 PM

When they were first reunited at age 19, the triplets quickly discovered how much they shared in common. Though they’d been separated at birth, David Kellman, Bobby Shafran and Eddy Galland had all individually grown up loving many of the same things: Marlboro cigarettes, wrestling, the same type of woman.

Decades later, at 56, the brothers are still learning about their commonalities. As boys, Kellman and Shafran shared the same vision problem: Amblyopia, a condition in which the brain and eye are out of sync, resulting in a lazy eye. But only Kellman was treated for the ailment — a fact that infuriates the siblings.

The brothers have spent the past few years, in fact, working through rage — anger toward the fate that befell them. What began as a miraculous fairy tale — three long-lost brothers stumble upon one another through sheer happenstance! — has since devolved into a dark tale of deception and inhumanity. It’s the story at the heart of “Three Identical Strangers,” a just-released documentary that premiered to jaw-on-the-floor reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January. (It debuted to impressive ticket sales in its very limited release over the weekend.)

The movie, directed by British filmmaker Tim Wardle, tracks how the triplets randomly found one another in 1980 and instantly became media darlings. They were interviewed by Tom Brokaw and Phil Donahue, wearing matching outfits and answering questions eerily in sync. The trio formed a bond so fast that it was almost as if they hadn’t been raised by three different adoptive families. They moved into an apartment together in New York City, later opening a SoHo restaurant called — what else? — Triplet’s, which attracted scores of tourists.

More>>>>>
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-three-identical-strangers-documentary-20180702-story.html#

[LAS14]

7. Are siblings routinely kept together when put up for adoption? I saw the movie...

... and that was never made clear, as far as I could tell.

[oberliner]

8. The film suggests behavioral issues and emotional problems as a result of their separation

They talk about how they would bang their heads against their cribs or something along those lines and suggest the behavior may have been related to being separated from their twins.

[CanSocDem]

9. Hard science vs. Social science

I'd prefer to be on the side of "social science" but this story of genetic similarities is indeed compelling. I grew up with a set of triplets who looked nothing like each other and shared very few common interests.

They were, however, brought up together in a large (combined?) family which may have contributed to an concentrated effort, from them , to be different. They were only a few days younger than me so I knew them all well and I still prefer one over the other depending on the situation.

BTW...In our little town there was also a set of twins and both of these families were held together by a single mom.


.

[True Dough]

10. Just watched this film

with my wife. We were both engrossed, not having been aware of the triplets when they were celebrities after they found each other.

It's a fascinating movie. Takes you in one direction and then another. I highly recommend it.