Okay movie fans true crime junkies listen up! There's a new series on Hulu called 'Good American Family' and it is based on a story that is so wild you might not even believe it's real . We're talking about Natalia Grace and her adoptive family the Barnetts. Get ready to have your mind blown because this story has twists turns and more questions than answers.
From Ukraine to Indiana: The Unsettling Tale of Natalia Grace and the Barnett Family Adoption That Went Sideways
So basically 'Good American Family' is all about Natalia Grace a girl from Ukraine with a rare type of dwarfism. The Barnetts a couple from the Midwest adopted her back in 2010. Sounds heartwarming right? Wrong! Things quickly went south and the Barnetts started claiming Natalia wasn't a kid at all but a grown woman pretending to be a child.
The Hulu series starring Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass as Kristine and Michael Barnett and Imogen Faith Reid as Natalia really gets into this whole crazy situation. It shows the story from different points of view trying to unpack what actually happened and who is telling the truth. It’s messy complicated and totally gripping. You will be on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what to believe.
Age Old Mystery: Why Did the Barnetts Suspect Natalia Was Lying About Her Age and What Did They Accuse Her Of?
This age thing is really at the heart of the whole drama. The Barnetts adopted Natalia thinking she was around six or seven years old. But pretty soon red flags started popping up. Michael Barnett said in a docuseries that when Kristine gave Natalia a bath they were shocked to find she had full pubic hair. Seriously intense stuff right from the get-go.
They also claimed Natalia was doing things that just did not add up for a little kid. Think trying to hurt their other kids messing with stuff around the house and even allegedly threatening to harm them. Kristine Barnett even said she caught Natalia trying to poison her coffee! Natalia on the other hand says Kristine made up the poisoning story and that she was actually the one being mistreated.
It gets even weirder. Just two years after adopting Natalia the Barnetts went to court to legally change her age. They managed to get her birth year changed from 2003 to 1989 making her legally an adult. This decision was based on some doctor and social worker estimates. Then in 2013 they moved to Canada with their sons and left Natalia alone in an apartment in Indiana. Yeah you read that right. Alone.
From Abandonment to Adoption Again: Natalia's Life After the Barnetts and the DNA Test Twist You Won't See Coming
Living alone in that apartment was rough for Natalia. She said it was not even set up for someone with dwarfism making everyday things super difficult. Luckily a neighbor named Cynthia Mans found Natalia and eventually she moved in with Cynthia her pastor husband and their ten kids! The Mans family actually formally adopted Natalia in 2023.
But the story keeps going! Natalia is now living with another family Nicole and Vincent DePaul who also have dwarfism. It’s all kinds of complicated and fascinating. And the age question? Well a DNA test was done in the Investigation Discovery docuseries and it suggested Natalia was around 22 years old which would mean she was about 9 when the Barnetts adopted her. Mind. Blown.
Courtrooms and Conflicting Stories: The Legal Battles the Barnetts Faced and What They Say Now
Unsurprisingly the Barnetts faced charges for neglect in 2019. Michael Barnett was found not guilty in 2022. Charges against Kristine were eventually dropped in 2023. Michael claimed he was also manipulated by Kristine saying she was controlling and threatening. Kristine meanwhile insists Natalia was loved and cared for and that the abuse allegations are false. She claims Natalia made up abuse stories to distract from her own "extreme" and "hurtful" behavior. It's a classic he said she said situation with no easy answers.
'The Affair' Vibes? How 'Good American Family' Uses Multiple Perspectives to Tell This Wild True Crime Tale
If you are watching 'Good American Family' and it feels a bit like the show 'The Affair' that's no accident. Katie Robbins the creator and writer of 'Good American Family' actually worked on 'The Affair' and brought that multi-perspective storytelling style to this new series. Each episode shows events from different viewpoints making you question what really happened.
This narrative technique really works for this story because in real life everyone involved seems to have a different version of events. It’s like everyone has their own truth and the show lets you see all those different sides without giving you easy answers. It is up to you to try and piece it all together. It’s definitely not a straightforward black and white story.
Dive Deeper into Natalia Grace's Story: Key Aspects of the 'Good American Family' Series and Real-Life Case
- True Crime Drama: 'Good American Family' is a fictionalized drama series inspired by the real Natalia Grace case.
- Multiple Perspectives: The series uses a narrative style similar to 'The Affair' presenting events from different characters' viewpoints.
- Starring Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass: These well-known actors play Kristine and Michael Barnett the adoptive parents at the center of the controversy.
- Age Controversy: The central mystery revolves around Natalia Grace's age with conflicting claims about whether she was a child or an adult when adopted.
- Hulu Streaming: 'Good American Family' is available for streaming on Hulu.
- Based on a Docuseries: The series draws from the Investigation Discovery docuseries 'The Curious Case of Natalia Grace' which brought the story to public attention.
- Explores Abuse Allegations: The series delves into the allegations of abuse and mistreatment from both the Barnetts and Natalia Grace.
- Ongoing Mystery: Even with the series and real-life trials the full truth of the Natalia Grace case remains unclear.
Still Unraveling the Mystery: Is 'Good American Family' Worth Watching? Absolutely.
So is 'Good American Family' worth checking out? If you are into true crime stories that are complex and leave you guessing then definitely yes. It is not an easy watch it deals with some really heavy and disturbing stuff but it is absolutely fascinating. The acting is great the storytelling is smart and the real-life case it is based on is just mind-boggling. Prepare to be hooked and probably have a lot of questions swirling in your head long after you finish watching.