The Killer at Thurston High

In May, 1998, 15-year-old Kip Kinkel, a student at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, murdered his mother and father, and then drove to school, where he opened fire in the cafeteria killing two fellow students and wounding 25 others. Sentenced in September, 1999 to 111 years in prison without parole, Kinkel is the elusive subject of this Frontline episode, co-written by correspondent Peter J. Boyer, which tries very hard to maintain a dignified tone for the first two-thirds of the film before finally devolving into a disturbingly sensationalistic treatment. Combining interview clips with Kinkel's preternaturally perky sister Kristin (whose nonplussed demeanor as she reports her reactions to her parents' demise is downright eerie) together with family friends and school officials (both of Kinkel's parents were teachers), the program tracks the young boy's struggles in school, growing obsession with firearms (police would find a shocking arsenal in the Kinkel home), his parents' desperate attempts to reestablish contact with their increasingly alienated son through the intervention of counselors and drugs, and the adolescent Kinkel's increasing brushes with the authorities. At its best, the program paints a heartrending portrait of a mother and father whose gradual loss of control over their son led to dangerous acquiescence in his demands for firepower wholly incommensurate with casual target practice (such as semiautomatic weapons). However, during the final third, The Killer at Thurston High unexpectedly (for PBS) opts for bare bones sensationalism over reasoned examination, taking viewers--through a chilling police videotape--into the Kinkel home to discover the bodies of the deceased, followed by audio of Kinkel's haunting police station confession. While I realize that "graphic" footage makes for easier drama and higher ratings, I also find it a very poor substitute for intelligent commentary in a television series generally renowned for its probing look at critical issues. An optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)