"Even in this era of “Peak TV,” it’s rare to see something as essential and momentous as ESPN’s “OJ: Made in America". Ezra Edelman’s stunningly ambitious, eight-hour documentary is a masterpiece, a refined piece of investigative journalism that places the subject it illuminates into the broader context of the end of the 20th"
You may think you know everything about The Trial of the Century, especially if you watched FX’s excellent “The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story,” but “OJ: Made in America” not only fills in details about the case but offers background and commentary that you’ve never heard before. It is an examination of race, domestic abuse, celebrity, civil rights, the LAPD, the legal process and murder over the last fifty years, using the OJ Simpson story as a way to refract society. Its length may seem daunting, but I would have watched it for another eight hours and will almost certainly watch it again before the summer is over. It’s that good.As broadcast, “OJ: Made in America” is split up into five parts. The first part plays like a relatively straightforward “30 For 30,” the ESPN brand that has delivered fantastic sports documentary filmmaking. It focuses on the rise of OJ Simpson, becoming a household name at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968.
The second part of “OJ: Made in America” chronicles the instantly-tumultuous relationship between OJ and Nicole Brown. A friend says that her pants were ripped after her first date with OJ and that she said that “he got a little rough.” At this point, Edelman pivots to a story of how celebrity can let people get away with domestic abuse, while also focusing on the state of race relations in Los Angeles in the ‘80s and ‘90s. As the relationship between the Los Angeles Police Department and minorities in L.A. continued to heat up, Rodney King became the international example of the violence cops were inflicting on black people, and, eventually and more importantly, injustice. If you’re wondering how or why Rodney King’s beating plays a role in “OJ: Made in America,” know that one of the jurors in Simpson’s trial later states that she let OJ go as revenge for Rodney King.
Of course, the third and fourth part of “OJ: Made in America” is devoted to the trial, and they do an incredible job of distilling it to essential beats, with notable contributions by Marcia Clark, Gil Garcetti, two jurors and several witnesses, including some of OJ Simpson’s friends, all of whom either at that point or today admit that he did it.
The final part of “OJ: Made in America” is the only one in which I can find the slightest flaw in that I wish it was a bit longer. After being acquitted, OJ Simpson lost his exalted status. He was no longer allowed in the country clubs at which he was formerly the only black member. He was yelled at everywhere he went, essentially descended into a life of drugs and violence, which would result in his conviction for armed robbery. But he was always obsessed with his image. There’s an incredible scene in which OJ is taking down the flag at Rockingham, getting emotional and then pushing the camera away as if a paparazzi had snuck onto the grounds. It was staged. Any footage of OJ at the time could be sold to TMZ for a pretty penny and Simpson was making money with a buddy, even as his world was crashing around him
To understand OJ, we have to understand how much of his life was influenced by what he showed us in the world of celebrity and how we responded to it as a society. “OJ: Made in America” should be a conversation-starter, a way to discuss what happened in the ‘80s and ‘90s in terms of race and celebrity and what it says about today. OJ’s story may be over. Ours is not.
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The "Trial of the Century"
This section outlines the events of 1994 and 1995 that permanently altered Simpson's life and the American cultural landscape. Follow the timeline to understand the sequence of the criminal case and the subsequent civil trial.
June 12, 1994
The Murders
Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside Nicole's home in Brentwood, Los Angeles.
June 17, 1994
The Bronco Chase
Instead of surrendering, Simpson fled in a white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings.
95 MillionEstimated TV Viewers
1994 – 1995
The Criminal Trial
A nearly year-long spectacle. Simpson's defense team (the "Dream Team," including Johnnie Cochran and Robert Kardashian) focused heavily on allegations of police misconduct and racial bias within the LAPD.
October 3, 1995
The Verdict
Simpson was found not guilty of both murders. The verdict deeply divided the country, largely along racial lines.
1997
The Civil Trial
A civil jury found Simpson liable for the wrongful deaths of Brown and Goldman.
Ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages.
In 1973, Simpson achieved what no player had done before: rushing for over 2,000 yards in a single season. Remarkably, he accomplished this in a 14-game schedule.
Later Legal Troubles & Death
Las Vegas Robbery (2007)
Simpson was arrested for leading a group of men into a Las Vegas hotel room to retrieve sports memorabilia at gunpoint, items he claimed rightfully belonged to him.
Conviction & Prison
He was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping. Though sentenced to 33 years, he was paroled in 2017 after serving nine years.
Death (2024)
O.J. Simpson died on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76 in Las Vegas, following a battle with prostate cancer, surrounded by his family
The O.J. Simpson case remains a profound landmark in American history. It transcended a simple criminal proceeding to become a mirror reflecting deeply rooted societal issues. It highlighted and sparked national conversations regarding:
The power and limits of Celebrity Domestic Violence awareness The emergence of DNA EvidenceRacial divides in the U.S. Justice System
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