An interesting aspect to the film is the communities change in attitude towards Delbert. While they had previously shunned him and his brothers they now supported Delbert as they felt that he has been wrongfully accused by the authorities. They also believed that he had been bulled and forced to sign. An interesting insight that the film provides is that the community rallied behind Delbert largely as the result of the intrusion of outside forces into their community. As one critic notes, "It's not that they believe that he's innocent, it's simply that he is one of "theirs." (Movies: Brother's Keeper)

From as criminological point-of-view the film has some interesting aspects. In the first instance the directors are very even-handed when it comes to the central issue of Delbert's guilt or innocence. "…Berlinger and Sinofsky firmly refuse to sugarcoat their subject; their glimpses of the & #8230;brothers and their bizarre lifestyle might be unsettling to some." (Canby) This also refers to the possible motives for the murder and the alleged sexual relationship between the brothers.

More importantly, the film examines the complexities and problems that occur when a crime is attributed to an individual who is less able to defend himself. The fact that Delbert and his brothers are not intellectually competent and are to some extent 'backward' mentally and socially is central to the drama and criminological dimensions of the film.

This also poses important questions related to law and criminal procedure. These involve the complexity of dealing with possible suspects who are illiterate and who do not understand aspects of the legal and criminal process. The film makes it clear that it is highly likely that Delbert was coerced...

As one commentator on the film notes, "No evidence points to murder, in fact the autopsy shows death by natural causes. A confession is squeezed out of Delbert anyway and his brother Lyman signs a statement that the murder was discussed before hand." ( Polly Staffle: Brother's Keeper).
In fact Delbert later claims he did not murder his brother. He says that he can barely read and had no idea of what he signed. He says that he was promised to be freed if he signed. His brother is also shown to be an unreliable witness. He even retracts his statement that there was a conspiracy.

In conclusion, from a criminological perspective this film examines the possibly of police coercion of suspects and ambiguities that may exist in accepting signed confessions as a proof of guilt. The fact that the accused is illiterate and not socially competent places a question mark behind his alleged guilt. Another aspect to this film is that the directors take pains to show how social and media factors can influence criminal trial and investigative proceedings. As one commentator notes, "Berlinger and Sinofsky also demonstrates in a non-judgmental fashion how the media can manipulate public opinion, both positively and adversely." (Movies: Brother's Keeper) This adds a further dimension to the film as an exploration of the relationships between the social and criminological aspect of the case.