Conviction (Fox Searchlight)
Brother Love
Conviction is the true story of two siblings and the long path they took to try to prove the brothers innocence of a crime for which he was convicted. The film is full of twists and turns that would be absolutely unbelievable were it not true. Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell head a strong cast of actors and they should be on the receiving end of award nominations next year.
Kenny (Rockwell) and Betty Anne (Swank) Waters were two kids who grew up the hard way. They were in and out of foster homes, stole from stores and broke into homes. Eventually Betty Anne got married and had two sons while Kenny had a daughter by a girlfriend. Although he was prone to some wild acts Kenny was devoted to his daughter.
In 1983 Kenny was arrested for the murder of an elderly woman in his neighborhood. Betty Anne never once thought he was guilty. Still Kenny was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. In order to fight for him Betty Anne got a GED, attended college and eventually law school. She was determined to do everything she could to free Kenny.
The movie covers all of this in detail, including Betty Annes friendship with a fellow law student, Abra Rice (Minnie Driver), who encouraged her in her quest to free Kenny. It also shows her involvement with the Innocence Project which was headed up by Barry Scheck (Peter Gallagher).
The determination and true grit it took for Betty Anne to pursue an education with one goal in mind is amazing. Her dedication to her brother and her desire to prove his innocence costs her her marriage and possibly even her two sons. It was an obsession with her, but a noble one.
Swank delivers another award worthy performance as Betty Anne, but it is Rockwell who steals the film. He has the most physical transitions and personality changes. Rockwell also lets us see Kennys exuberance and bad boy persona from beginning to end. Melissa Leo is provides a solid performance as the police officer who arrests Kenny.
The film is rated R for profanity and violence.
The movie covers such a long period of time and is so complex in its twists and turns that sometimes the emotions of the piece are lost. The audience can relate to Betty Anne and Kenny but this empathy is tested as the story draws out. Still the impact of this love between siblings is an amazing one, and the movie is one that is well worth seeing.
The story in Conviction would be scoffed at were it not all true. It defies logic and credibility but it is as it is shown to be. In the end it is nice to know such devotion exists.
I scored Conviction an overturned 7 out of 10.
