A Friend of the Family (miniseries)

A Friend of the Family is an American true crime drama television miniseries. Based on true events, it focuses on Robert Berchtold, who in the 1970s sexually abused and twice kidnapped Jan Broberg. The show stars Jake Lacy as Berchtold, and Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace as Broberg at different ages. Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, and Anna Paquin complete the cast.

Nick Antosca created A Friend of a Family after reading Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story (2003) and watching Abducted in Plain Sight (2017), both of which discuss Broberg's kidnappings. Antosca thought Broberg's story was too intricate for Abducted in Plain Sight 90-minute runtime and sought to retell the events with more context and depth. Broberg and her mother Mary Ann served as producers on the show; Jan Broberg was often invited to give the writers suggestions. Episodes were recorded between February and August 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia; and Los Angeles, California. The series was released between October 6 and November 10, 2022, on the streaming service Peacock. Critics gave A Friend of the Family positive reviews, and praised Eliza Hittman's direction and Lacy's performance.

Plot
In 1974, Robert Berchtold, a close friend of the Broberg family, kidnaps 12-year-old Jan Broberg. After Broberg is returned to her parents, he again abducts her at age 14 in 1976.

Main

 * Jake Lacy as Robert Berchtold
 * Colin Hanks as Bob Broberg
 * Lio Tipton as Gail Berchtold
 * Mckenna Grace as Jan Broberg
 * Hendrix Yancey portrays young Jan Broberg
 * Anna Paquin as Mary Ann Broberg

Recurring

 * Austin Stowell as FBI Agent Peter Walsh
 * Patrick Fischler as Garth Pincock
 * Philip Ettinger as Joe Berchtold
 * Maggie Sonnier as Karen Broberg
 * Mila Harris portrays young Karen Broberg
 * Norah Murphy as Susan Broberg
 * Elle Lisic portrays young Susan Broberg
 * Tyler Wojton as Joel Berchtold
 * Bree Elrod as Jennifer Ferguson
 * Ella Jay Basco as Sofia
 * Callie Johnson as Cop #4
 * Kate Adams as Eileen
 * Keilah Davies as Young Caroline Hansen
 * Jan Broberg as Jan's psychologist

Development
Robert Berchtold, a close family friend, kidnapped and sexually assaulted Jan Broberg at ages 12 and 14. Jan and her mother Mary Ann Broberg wrote a memoir titled Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story (2003) about these events. In 2017, Broberg told her story in the television documentary Abducted in Plain Sight. After watching the documentary, Nick Antosca "couldn't stop thinking about it" and considered Broberg's family fascinating. He later read Stolen Innocence, which he said "was relatable in that we all have vulnerabilities that somebody can use against us". Despite admiring Abducted in Plain Sight, Antosca thought the story was too intricate for an 90-minute runtime; he wanted to work with Broberg and her family to retell the events with more context and depth. Antosca and his colleagues studied many trial transcripts, FBI notes, interviews, and childhood journals about the case. In May 2020, it was announced Universal Content Productions was developing a series about Broberg's kidnappings; Antosca was to write and executive produce the series under his banner Eat the Cat, and Jan and Mary Ann Broberg would serve as producers.

Jan received several offers to tell her story in a feature film, television film, or miniseries but she thought the pitches were "too slick" and asked questions like "How did you ever forgive your parents?" that lacked understanding about her family's experiences. In March 2019, Antosca and Alex Hedlund contacted her about the project; she said he distinguished himself from other filmmakers in wanting to tell her story in his "sincerely empathetic" approach, saying, "There was care and concern ... So I was like, 'I think they get it.

Antosca stated he did not want to tell Broberg's story unless it benefited her family. In A Friend of the Family, he wanted to explain her parents' actions and choices, which he deemed only possible with her assistance. The Brobergs hoped the show would help people recognize grooming, coercion, and manipulation. The writers often invited Jan to give detailed suggestions. According to Antosca, she was vital to the "human story" depicted in the series, which is more immersive, empathetic, and relatable for the viewer. Broberg stated she has told her story many times "because I want to help people see it before it's too late", and abuse from "someone you know, someone you often love and usually trust" is common but not discussed enough.

The show's nine-episode duration allowed for more subtle and relatable story-telling than that of Abducted in Plain Sight. Antosca thought the story is "about a family overcoming something and getting to a place of forgiveness and healing where the monster has lost his power over them, which is also what made it worth telling". He classed the series as psychological horror. From the show's conception, he knew it would not include anything "exploitative or potentially gratuitous or uncomfortable". Antosca said viewers should be able to process each part of the story without being overwhelmed by anything that felt exploitative. He said A Friend of the Family should not show any of Broberg's abuse as a teenager, believing it would not serve the series' purpose. At the start of the show, Broberg introduces herself and explains her story to assure viewers she survives and because the events depicted are "nearly unbelievable, unless someone says, 'This happened.

In February 2022, the streaming platform Peacock gave the show a straight-to-series order with Eliza Hittman as director and executive producer. Hittman had never heard about Broberg's story before receiving the script for A Friend of the Family but she admired the show's writing, characters, and world so much she "devoured" its script. Her direction was not influenced by Abducted in Plain Sight due to the large number of omissions and limited duration. Since Abducted in Plain Sight production, true crime dramas had gained in popularity, prompting Hittman to contemplate the genre's ethics. Broberg was serving as producer, which Hittman described as a rare occasion in which the victim had granted consent. According to Antosca, Hittman was a key part of the "delicate psychological emotional character moments".

Casting
Vanity Fair said A Friend of the Family was barely a "dutiful retelling". Broberg anticipated the cast would go on "their own emotional journey" and develop their own understanding of their characters. She knew they did not want to mimic her family. Broberg addressed letters to the main cast, assuring them she would not hinder any decisions or interpretations they made. She also wanted the actors to understand every character—including Berchtold—was a "full human being".

Although she was not involved in the final casting selections, Broberg extensively spoke to Antosca about Robert Berchtold's character and the importance of portraying him as credible, loving parent. Jake Lacy was cast as Robert Berchtold; Lacy was initially apprehensive about the role but Broberg's involvement and commitment persuaded him. Lacy was drawn to the show's nuanced presentation of the events, which showed the Broberg family as human beings rather than as victims of a sensational crime. To prepare for his role, Lacy read Lolita (1955), a novel in which the middle-aged narrator abducts and sexually abuses a 12-year-old girl with whom he is obsessed.

Lacy thought emulating Berchtold's mindset was unnecessary, unhealthy, and useless. He imagined Berchtold's kidnappings and sexual motivations as a heist and took inspiration from Ocean's Eleven character Danny Ocean and American actor Steve McQueen:, saying, "He wants to be the dangerous, cool, edgy guy in this LDS community in Pocatello, Idaho ... I leaned into a lot of that ego and assumed charisma, assumed charm and fearlessness". Antosca gave Lacy a number of Jan and Mary Ann's personal possessions, including FBI recordings of telephone calls between the Brobergs and Berchtold after Jan's second kidnapping, in which he pretends not to know her location. Lacy was hesitant about becoming close to Jan Broberg because he feared he would be unable to portray Berchtold's inhumanity and obsessiveness. Broberg met Lacy during the second episode's production; according to Lacy, meeting Broberg "helped settle the work more than shake it up because you get to see the person you're doing this for".

Prior to receiving the script for A Friend of the Family, Colin Hanks had not heard Broberg's story; he almost declined the role of Bob Broberg, not wanting to play "a super nice Mormon that goes through a bunch of stuff". Hanks watched Abducted in Plain Sight after reading the first three screenplays. He could not stop thinking about the Brobergs' story and discussed it with many people. After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanks challenged himself to work on projects that scared him. He said he "really looked at [A Friend of the Family] story as that challenge, and ... just jumped off the cliff and got to work". Hanks found Bob was a difficult character to portray, saying he had no similarities to the character and that he was "so petrified". Jan told Hanks Bob often said "every day is a bonus", which significantly enhanced Hanks's portrayal: he said, "That was such an important thing that I came back to quite a bit, because no matter what is happening, ... to still have that point of view—even on the darkest of days—that every day is a bonus, that was so helpful".

Lio Tipton, who portrays Gail Berchtold, was interested in the show due to the Brobergs' involvement, and was also a fan of Antosca and Hittman. Of the main cast, the least was known about Gail and there was nothing clear about her position. Tipton often met with Hittman to discuss this; Tipton wanted to focus on how hard Gail worked to keep her family secure and together. Tipton attempted to focus on the interactions with Lacy's character and tried to avoid taking sides during their performance.

Hendrix Yancey and Mckenna Grace portray younger and older versions of Jan Broberg, respectively. Antosca was insistent on not casting adult actors who looked young for the role. Grace studied Broberg's story in depth, reading Stolen Innocence, court documents, diary entries, and letters between Broberg and Berchtold. While filming, Grace tried to spend as much time as she could with Yancey. and copied her mannerisms and smile. Grace also worked alongside Broberg. Despite enjoying freedom as an actor, Grace wanted to connect with Broberg and understand as much as she could about her thoughts and feelings at the time. Broberg and Grace discussed subtle gestures such an nail-biting to show stress. Grace described the role as "really emotionally and sometimes physically exhausting"; she had to push her abilities and blend three versions of Broberg—her own, Yancey's, and the real-life Broberg.

The show also stars Anna Paquin as Mary Ann Broberg, Jan's mother. The recurring cast includes Austin Stowell as FBI Agent Peter Walsh, who is determined to return Jan to her family; Patrick Fischler as Garth Pincock, Bannock County's district attorney; Bree Elrod as Jennifer Ferguson, Berchtold's lawyer; Philip Ettinger as Joe Berchtold, Robert's brother; and Ella Jay Basco as Sofia. In the show's final episode, Jan Broberg makes a cameo as Dr. Carr, a therapist who worked with her family. Broberg had previously worked as an actor and loved the profession. She considered her appearance in A Friend of the Family freeing; she said she felt she was "able to give [her] younger self a path" and console her father, who she thought never truly forgave himself.

Filming and design
A Friend of the Family was primarily filmed in the Atlanta metropolitan area and some scenes were filmed in Los Angeles, California. Principal photography took place from February to August 2022. While filming the scene in which Berchtold drugs Broberg, the crew focused on ensuring the then 11-year-old Yancey felt safe; according to Antosca, "You're asking a very young actress to go to a really intense emotional place. So I was very scared by getting that right, giving her what she needed to do her best work but protecting her". The show depicts the Broberg family's normal life, including birthdays, church visits, and vacations. The design takes inspiration from Classical Realism films of the 1970s, including Badlands (1973) and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Production designer John D. Kretschmer was influenced by his own Protestant home in North Carolina, which he deemed similar to Broberg's neighborhood. The production team recreated the Broberg family's house in Atlanta: they renovated a home atop a hill that was "a surprising visual match" by replicating the windows and floor plan. There was not much information available about Berchtold's house but Kretschmer knew he was wealthy, and owned a piano and a plethora of games. The team used police reports to model the GMC 260 automobile he drove. Yancey and Grace wore some of Broberg's clothes from the period. In the final episode, Grace wears a reproduction of a dress jan Broberg wore in a photograph.

Release
A Friend of the Family first four episodes were made available on the Peacock on October 6, 2022. The final five episodes were released weekly from October 13 to November 10.

Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating for A Friend of the Family with an average rating of 7.8/10 based on 24 critical reviews. The website's critics' consensus reads; "Unspooling like a slow-motion nightmare, A Friend of the Family benefits immeasurably from Eliza Hittman's deft direction and Jake Lacy's unflinching portrayal of insidious evil". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".



Journalists praised the show's portrayal of the true-crime genre. According to Slant Magazine, A Friend of the Family is able to "sidestep some common true-crime pitfalls" by focusing on the psychological effects rather than sexual abuse, and IndieWire writer Steve Greene said the series "has little concern for true-crime expectations". According to The Hollywood Reporter, A Friend of the Family mostly consists of "self-justification" for the Broberg family. Hittman's direction was well-received by critics. Greene said the show puts the viewer directly in Jan's shoes. Chase Hutchinson, from Collider, agreed, describing the direction as "understated yet no less upsetting". Several reviewers commented on the show's duration. Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Michael Hogan called the show "unnecessarily bloated". Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly said the show has difficulty sustaining its nine-hour duration due to a lack of insight and analysis. The A.V. Club Saloni Gajjar stated nine episodes were warranted and called the show "compelling".

Critics praised Lacy's performance. TheWrap stated his performance on the show "lives and dies", and is deserving of an Emmy Award nomination. The Financial Times called him the show's highlight. According to IGN, Lacy conveys a sense of villainy simply by smiling widely and speaking softly. The rest of the cast also received praise: reviewers from MovieWeb and The A.V. Club referred to Paquin as "heartbreaking" and "quietly powerful", respectively, while Common Sense Media stated Tipton "gives ... Gail real depth, convincingly depicting a troubled woman frozen between shame". According to Variety Joshua Alston, Tipton is able to give the character stability while maintaining a jittery, disturbing quality that is reminiscent of Lili Taylor. According to Baldwin, Yancey's and Grace's performances both have genuine warmth and vulnerability, and Hogan described Yancey as "heartbreakingly vulnerable". Entertainment website Ready Steady Cut dubbed Yancey and Grace the show's "MVPs", saying they "manage to fully convince and convey that they are in fact the one character at differing ages". RogerEbert.com Brain Tallerico, however, said the show is less coherent with two actors playing Jan; he stated he would prefer only Grace portraying the character. MovieWeb deemed Hanks' performance his finest yet but The Hollywood Reporter labeled him a "weak link".

A Friend of the Family: True Evil
On November 15, 2022, Peacock released the documentary film A Friend of the Family: True Evil. It follows Jan Broberg's recovery as she revisits several places, including the bedroom where her sexual assaults began. It also includes the story of another victim of Berchtold. The documentary explores ways families deal with generational trauma, which can affect survivors and their loved ones years after the abuse occurred, through interviews with Jan Broberg, her mother and son, and other family members.