Running head: HOLLYWOODS DEPICTION OF JOHN WAYNE GACY

Hollywoods Depiction of John Wayne Gacy

Marcus M Monteiro
Union Institute and University

HOLLYWOODS DEPICTION OF JOHN WAYNE GACY

Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of Hollywoods depiction of the highly
profiled case of John Wayne Gacy. The movie industry often sensationalizes the telling of a
story to captivate their targeted audience. On the other hand, sometimes Hollywood creates a
reenactment that captures the essence of the circumstances and truth of the story being told.
From the perspectives of filmmakers, writers, researchers and news articles, this paper will
examine the validity of the various depictions of John Wayne Gacy. The various concepts
explored from these sources, about the criminal behavior and diagnosis, are examined to verify
the accuracy of the conclusions reached. The question is: Do those conclusions and or depictions
about Gacy concur with the behavior of an Antisocial Psychopathic Disorder (APD)?

HOLLYWOODS DEPICTION OF JOHN WAYNE GACY

Hollywoods Depiction of John Wayne Gacy

When dealing with the film industry, fiction has a way of playing a major role in
producing films about persons with a psychopathic disorder. As well, the same can be said about
the minds of many novelists and, therefore, may not accurately depict the relationship of the
concept of psychopathy. Such characters are often portrayed in an exaggerated fashion and
typically in the role of a villain or antihero, where the general characteristics of a psychopath are
useful to facilitate conflict and danger. Because the definitions and criteria in the history of
psychopathy have varied over the years and continue to change even now, many characters in
notable films may have been designed to fall under the category of a psychopath at the time of
the film's production or release, but not necessarily in subsequent years. (Skeem, Polaschek, &
Patrick, 2011)
Hollywood Film Depiction Dear Mr. Gacy
The Hollywood film, Dear Mr. Gacy represents an account of an obsessive relationship
between Jason Moss, a young college student, and John Wayne Gacy, a convicted serial killer.
This film is based on the personal experiences of Jason Moss. Jason, with the assistance of Dr.
Jeffrey Kottler, a notable therapist of psychology, submitted his dissertation titled, The Last
Victim: A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer. The Last Victim was produced
by Clark Peterson with a released date of May 11, 2010. Many have asked why Hollywood
would believe that this would be the type of story worthy of the expense of production. What is
the fascination with such a horrific topic that keeps the pockets of Hollywood laced from
monetary gain? The sad truth is the whole genre of true-crime books testifies to that, as does the
popularity of films and novels in which graphic murder plays a central role. We live in a culture
that violence is entertainment and murderers have become celebrities. (Moss & Kottler, 2011)

HOLLYWOODS DEPICTION OF JOHN WAYNE GACY

As with other individuals such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacys
behaviors mimicked the pattern of an individual suffering from an Antisocial Psychopath
Disorder (APD). Individuals diagnosed with APD are identified by several characteristics.
People with APD lack or disregard the moral or legal standards in a given culture. They have an
inability to get along with others; as well as they have trouble abiding by societal rules. The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) for mental disorders, defines this disorder further by
including people who commit illegal, immoral or self-serving acts but are not necessarily
considered psychopaths. The Axis II Work Group of the Task Force on DSMIV has
expressed concern that antisocial personality disorder (APD) criteria are too long and
cumbersome and that they focus on antisocial behaviors rather than personality traits central to
traditional conceptions of psychopathy and to international criteria. We describe an alternative to
the approach taken in the rev. 3rd ed. of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSMIIIR); American Psychiatric Association, 1987), namely, the revised
Psychopathy Checklist. (Hare, Hart, & Harpur, 1991)
John Wayne Gacys Childhood
According to an article published in the Oxford Journal of Medicine, Gacy was subjected
to both physical and verbal abuse by a parent and suffered from physical or emotional loss or
abandonment as well. (LaBrode, 2007) His family unit was that of instability. Childhood abuse
tends to manifests into behavior problems such as behaving as though any action they take part
in is justifiable if it means that they get what they're after. They become pathological liars; are
unable to feel guilt or remorse. As adults, a sociopath will usually choose their victims from the
populace of those most vulnerable. For example, (children, runaway youths, adults or the
elderly. Crime investigators can utilize these characteristics to help link separate crimes to

HOLLYWOODS DEPICTION OF JOHN WAYNE GACY

one offender. It is one of the most valuable tools for classifying and solving violent crimes
(Burgess, Burgess, & Ressler, 1992). (LaBrode, 2007)
Dear Mr. Gacy, the Movie
To compare and contrast the behaviors depicted in the movie with the true life personality
of John Gacy I scrutinized the movie titled Dear Mr. Gacy with the intense interest warranted
for the task of proper critiquing. I found it surprising that the movie began, not with Gacys
beginning of his murderous spree, but instead, at the time of his capture. At the start of the
movie, actual news footages were shown of the arrest and gruesome discoveries located beneath
the home of Gacy. Actual interviews conducted with Gacys close friends and neighbors were
also included in this movie. I was also surprised that Dear Mr. Gacy was based on the facts as
written by a young college student who took extraordinary interest in the thought processes of
John Gacy. The opening scene began by taking you inside a lecture room where the subject was
on Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD). A young student, Jason Moss, expressed his desire to
do his term paper on John Wayne Gacy through one-on-one interviews. He wanted to get into the
mind of Gacy to discern what made him tick. He also wanted to be the one who could do what
the FBI had not been able toget Gacy to admit he handled the deaths of 33 young boys and
men. Gacy initially confessed to the crime but later denied that he anything to do with some of
the bodies found in his basements crawlspaces and the others found in the Des Plaines River.
Although it was not stated, young Jason Moss had the very characteristics of an Antisocial
Personality Disorder. He was manipulative; gained the trust of Gacy to the point that Gacy
shared information with him. Gacy confided with him that in order to take control of a potential
victim, you must first learn to read them by observing their behaviors and thus learn their
weaknesses. Gacy stated that once in someones mind, you will have the power to do anything

HOLLYWOODS DEPICTION OF JOHN WAYNE GACY

you want. These are indeed traits of a psychopath. But, was this not the very same tactics that
Jason used to gain the confidence of and access to Gacy? Jason referred to this as grooming a
killer. In the last letter written from Gacy to Jason, he wrote the following: Well. Jason, you
really took me for a ride. You were right, I never saw it coming. Of all the people who f----d me
over in my life, I never thought it would be you. But it must have been fate. Thousands of people
wanted me, but I picked you. We had a real connection, the two of us. And now that I know the
truth, I know more than ever that you and I are a lot more alike than you think. Its time to die
now. See you on the other side, buddy. (Dear Mr. Gacy, 2010) From watching this movie
unfold, I tend to agree with Gacys assessment of Jasonthey do have quite a bit in common.
Gacys Last Victim
Jason Moss emerged from his experience with Gacy only to feel he had become his last
Victim during a face-to-face meeting with the killer. The meeting took place at the prison where
Gacys manipulative personality enabled him access to just about anything he wanted within the
prison walls. Gacy gained the freedom to do as he pleased; including spending the time he
requested to be alone and unsupervised with Moss. In the movie, Moss had to put up a fight to
halt the sexual attack being forced upon him by Gacy. Moss becomes overwhelmed with the sick
feeling that he had become Gacys last victim during the tempted sexual assault. Moss realized
that Gacy had managed to lure him there in the same manner he lured and controlled the
numerous victims before him. Mosss take-away was that from his experience with Gacy, he was
able to gain a profound understanding of the power of the mind of a serial killer.
In Conclusion
I found this movie to be indeed credible because someone who experienced the mind of a
psychopath firsthand told the story. Jeffrey A. Kottler, Ph.D. stated, I was able to confirm and

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document the details of Jasons story, I investigated the context of what occurred. (Moss &
Kottler, 2011) In this instance of Hollywoods perception of the serial killer John Wayne Gacy,
it appears they got the facts about APD relative to the characteristics of John Wayne Gacy,
accurately depictedthey got it right. The actors performances were superb. The depiction of
APD concurred with the description defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).
The articles assessment of Gacy that was published in the Oxford Journal of Medicine was also
accurately depicted. As disheartening as the events played out in this movie, I found it to be
captivating. It was unfortunate to learn that Jason Moss took his life at the age of 33. After Moss
encounter with Gacy, he went on to graduate summa cum laude from UNLV. He became a
criminal defense attorney with the Clark County Public Defenders office for two years before
his death. Although not suggested in the movie or any other written material I read, could it be
possible that Jasons personal torment he experienced because of Gacy contributed to his
suicide?

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References
Burgess, J., Burgess, A., & Ressler, R. (1992). Crime Classification Manual: A standard system
for investigating and classifying violent crimes. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Dear Mr. Gacy. (2010). Retrieved June 20, 2015
Hare, R. D., Hart, S. D., & Harpur, T. J. (1991, August). Psychopathy and the DSM--IV Criteria
for Antisocial Personality. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(3), 391-398.
LaBrode, R. T. (2007). Etiology of the Psychopathic Serial Killer: An Analysis of Antisocial
Personality Disorder, Psychopathy, and Serial Killer Personality and Crime Scene
Characteristics. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 7(2):151-160. doi:10.1093/brieftreatment/mhm004
Moss, J., & Kottler, J. (2011). The Last Victim: A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial
Killer. [Kindle DX version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com.
Skeem, J., Polaschek, D., & Patrick, C. J. (2011, December 15). Psychopathic Personality:
Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Evidence and Public Policy. Psychological Science
in the Public Interest, 12(3), 95-162.