'It's reliving the nightmare': James Bulger's mother slams film about his murder

James Bulger’s mother has spoken out against the Oscar-nominated short film Detainment to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning.

Denise Ferguson said she was never consulted about the film and found out about its existence just before Christmas, but initially tried to ignore it.

“I didn’t want to give it any publicity, [I thought] it’d be one of them things that’d come and go. We had a lovely Christmas and then as we went into the new year we see it’s been shortlisted for an Oscar…and that’s when reality hit. Why is it getting an Oscar? We weren’t even contacted over this… we were just hit with it,” Denise explained.

She went on to say it was ‘heart-rendering’ to see images from the film, especially seeing a young actor play her murdered two-year-old son.

“It’s just reliving the nightmare. I try to put it behind me; I’ve fought for all these years, and have done my best to be James’ voice, but to be hit with something like this is has just took me right back down.

“To see that still of James being led to his death by them two, and to see it again by actors – especially the one who plays James – it’s heart-rendering,” she continued.

While she has refused to watch it, her husband Stuart has and said he felt concerned for the child that played his wife’s deceased son.

“Then to see a little child playing James – and Denise hasn’t seen it – but the actual child playing James is in tears and sobbing. What have they had to do to make that child cry to make that part of the film, I don’t know,” Stuart said.

Schofield went on to read out this right of reply from the film’s director, Vincent Lambe: “The film was never intended to bring any further anguish to the family of James Bulger, and we never intended any disrespect by not consulting them.

“Whilst it is a painfully difficult case to understand, I believe we have a responsibility to try and make sense of what happened. Critics have specifically commented on the film being responsible and respectful to the victim.”

Denise said that she had discussed the film with the original police involved, and they confirmed that the film had changed several occurrences. She now believes that if Lambe genuinely ‘never intended any disrespect’ then he should pull the movie from the Oscar nominations.

“They are annoyed at the way it’s been done because its making them look bad in their jobs, and they weren’t… what he’s done, it’s a true story, but he’s altered stuff in there, a lot of stuff, and I think it shouldn’t get the Oscar and if he feels that strong about hurting the family then I think he should pull it himself,” she said.

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