MovieChat Forums > Tagged: The Jonathan Wamback Story (2002) Discussion > True Story??

True Story??

posted 18 years ago by jonhimself
23 replies | jump to latest

I recently found a tape of this and watched it again... I kinda know enough about this situation to realize that Jonathan Wamback wasn't the model child that he was made out to be in this movie and was actually considered by many to be a "jerk".. I'm obviously not saying that he deserved anything, because that is obviously not true, but I think that the movie made the entire wamback family out to angels who are not at all at fault (jonathan included)... and over stated how "bad" the other guys were. Any thoughts?

[–] Emmaheart 18 years ago

I just watched it yesterday myself. I thought about that too. I mean, I think that they made him "inoscent" trough the movie and only gave some about what he had done. We didn't see much of when he was in that gang and to me it seemed that he relly didnät understand what the gang really was. I didnät take him for a rasist, just a kid that would not tkae watching kids get bullied around.
Still, I feel like I don't know the real deal, even if it's based on a true story. I'm not saying he deserved it because NO ONE deserves something likes that! I don't want to think that he had it coming either.

How do you know that people thought he was a "jerk" by the way? Just wondering.

I read an interview on the net with him and I got the feeling when he talked about it that the movie isn't that exact at all. I donno.
It is a good movie and I like it. It makes you wonder why the hell people can't live side by side without hurting each other or even kill each other. It's not often people is inoscent in moments like this one but I just hope that he's doing good today. Even if I got the full story or not.

Never give up on a miracle

[–] thespythatshagsu 18 years ago

I'm from the town this beating took place (Newmarket, Ontario) and he wasn't just a jerk he was a racist *beep* Racism at his level is intolerable. Am I saying he deserved to get beaten like that? Not exactly. I think those who did the beating shouldn't be punished as much as they were. They were pushed and pushed and pushed and just wouldn't stand for his crap anymore.

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[–] SevenKal-ElGuiry 18 years ago

ya i agree, you beat someone pretty much to death, you should go to jail for life. or as they did back in the 1800s, a life for a life, you kill some one you die.

I WAS IN THE POOL, I WAS IN THE POOL

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[–] dannymoore29-1 18 years ago

So what ever happened to the kids charged with beating up Jonathan Wamback? Did they ever actually serve any time for it?

[–] SevenKal-ElGuiry 18 years ago

ya i would like to know that, they need to do an update , would be cool to know

I WAS IN THE POOL, I WAS IN THE POOL

[–] roxbury_babe 18 years ago

I am also from the town that this happened in and Johnathans mom just did a presentation at my school. Johnathan did not deserve what happened to him! Regardless if he was a racsist or not (he wasnt).

The people that did this to him deserved so much more than they got!!!!!!

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Forget *regret* or life is your to miss

[–] craig_s_10 17 years ago

2 of the 14 kids who attacked him were charged with aggravated assault and served 5 months in a youth facility...the other 12 recieved nothing...

[–] RobinGottfridsson 18 years ago

No person deserves to die.

[–] RyanLa 18 years ago

Buddy, I knew John myself... First of all, did he ever hurt or "nearly kill" any blacks... or Chinese.... or Jews for that matter? What you are saying is that he was intolerably racist. Aside from the fact that your friends nearly killed and raped John of his youth, would it matter if he were racist? Like it's so much worse to be a racist, with all this "ghetto" shyster going around, polluting our school systems. But like it's worse to be racist than to be a murderer. That's essentially what you are saying. Also, you said John pushed these kids. Do you know that for a fact? And the kids shouldn't be punished as much as they were? In retrospect, John was paralysed equally by the time these kids got out. Now, here's some personal opinion, but I myself believe that someone who destroys another persons life for more than five years should get ten in prison... not youth jail... prison. Think critically son. I take it you are old enough to have opinions; you are old enough to use some reasoning.
Congratulations John, you are the strongest person I will ever know. Keep up the good fight, for society and for yourself.
Cheers,
Ryan

[–] roxbury_babe 18 years ago

is that respinding to me??? i hope not lol! because i completely agree with you! The people that did this to john should not be around newmarket anymore!! they should be in prison!!!

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Forget *regret* or life is your to miss

[–] RyanLa 18 years ago

Thank you! It wasn't directed to your comment, but a lot of the earlier naive commenters who think John is the real criminal here. I agree with your comments roxbury.

[–] god_of_thunder6969 17 years ago

thespythatshagsu: You are one dumb bastard. Even if Jon was racist (which he wasn't) he doesn't deserve to get beaten to within an inch of his life by a gang of idiotic, doped up morons who listen to shi-tty music and think they have darker skin than they actually do.

The scum that beat Jonathon should have been put in jail for 5 years at least where they belong.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] j_fritty 17 years ago

They shouldn't be punished as much as they were? Are you kidding me? You can hardly call what they got a punishment and I am disgusted at what you have to say. The ring leader of it all had to go to a detention center where his parents arranged for him to basically be trated like a King. He could go on outings and pretty much do anything he wanted while there. You say Johnathan was racist, yet his best friend was an african american? His parents best friend was a Jamaican woman. They would not allow the Wamback's to use tihs evidence in court, but it is true. Mrs. Wamback spoke this morning at the school I teach at and told the whole story. For you to say he shouldn't have "exactly" got beaten by that - that is a serious issue. I am assuming you are about 14 or 15 years old and have no concept of the real world at all. Grow up.

[–] Clusium 15 years ago

I met Jonathon Wamback & his mother a couple of years ago. He is a really nice guy(of course, I note that I met him AFTER all this had happened to him), & so is his mother.

From what I understand from the movie, he & his friends were trying to stand up to these gang members from bullying other kids in the school, & so they accused him of that racist graffiti on the park wall.

[–] KenanP 17 years ago

I also kept asking myself how much of the story was true while watching the movie. It would be very interesting to read an objective article of the whole thing.
They really went out of their way to glorify Jonathan and make him seem like a real angel to make us feel more sorry for him. And I just don't buy it.

I think it's much more probable that the racism theory was understated than exaggerated in the movie. Like he didn't know he was in a racist gang, please..

[–] siobhaaan 14 years ago

He and his mother came to my school to talk about his experience...and honestly he was so sweet. I dont know if he was a "jerk" and learnt from what happened but he was so sweet and nice. And i can't imagine him being a jerk. He himself owned up to not being perfect during that time and honestly what 16 year old is? and said that he was kinda having a bit of a fight with "Kyle" and did some thigns to make him mad. But he also said that some of what was in the movie wasnt completely true. And apparently the "kyle" guy (not his real name) was 10x worse then in the movie. And he did say "i dont care if he dies" and he had a twin brother who was just as bad. Thats also there side of the story. But i cant imagnie him being a jerk.

Just my opinion :)

When that day comes I shall futterwacken... vigorously - the mad hatter

[–] GethinVanH 13 years ago

CTV is known for their sugar-coated and thinly veiled polemics. This one was mainly a right-wing rant against the then 'Young Offenders Act' which protected the identity of criminals under the age of 16. It also protected young criminals under the age of 12 from being held criminally responsible. Of course this was quite a liberal act. As time went by there was more and more opposition to it. Mostly from parents like those of Womback who desperately wanted vengeance against criminals. But it has been shown that the systematic imprisonment of criminals only creates more criminal behaviour. Of course this is even truer for young people who are looking to act out or find acceptance.

The Young Offenders Act was eventually replaced with the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The new act allows people under 18 to be charged as an adult for "serious crimes".

See 'Little Criminals' for another look at a TV movie about youth and crime in Canada. I believe that one was also against the Young Offenders Act.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113666/

[–] tallard 12 years ago

I agree with your assessment. I've been away from Canadian television for over a decade, and coming back to it infuriates me... for a few reasons. The first was that there was so much censorship in the BRAVO broadcast that it ruined the flow of the dialogue. How on earth do people think you can broadcast a film about violence, and then censor out the violence??? it's utterly ridiculous.

Also, his own gang life was practically unexplored, and though the haired fellow gang-member didn't display his racist tude, his skinhead buddy certainly did. But the worst part was watching his ridiculous religious (yea I bet most people didn't notice the forehead crossing in the hospital room) right-wing daddy rant and rave against a justice system which ok, isn't always satisfying, but the scientific evidence does show that harder justice for youth does not help. But what to expect else from religious people, it's typical of them to want harder justice. And that's what the Harper government is all about religionists ruling Canada, more jails, more jails. We're becoming like Texas!! Soon Canadians will be allowing Sharia in order that religious people can have their way!

***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**