written by: Pamela Gray
produced by: Andrew Sugerman, Andrew Karsch & Tony Goldwyn
directed by: Tony Goldwyn
rated R (for language and some violent images)
107 min.
U.S. release date: October 15, 2010
The title of actor/director Tony Goldwyn’s latest film has a double meaning that refers to a brother and sister that share an impenetrable bond through a life of harrowing events. The story is based on the life of Betty Anne Waters and her brother Kenny. He is serving a conviction for a murder he didn’t commit and she holds to a steadfast conviction of his innocence. What could’ve easily been a Lifetime movie-of-the-week is elevated here by actors who surrender to their roles, from the two leads to the supporting players that surround them with lived-in characters. As a result, material that would typically suffocate viewers with overwrought sappiness instead shows a heart and soul that communicates an inspiring amount of loyalty.
This is a film where the impressive performances and confident direction, make you forget about the familiar clichés often associated with this type of story. There won’t be any award nominations coming for “Conviction” but that doesn’t matter. Unlike other movies with similar storylines and random Oscar moments, this film was made just to tell what happened in an unglossed manner.
It’s actually no surprise that in 1983, Kenny (Sam Rockwell), wound up arrested since the odds were always stacked against him and his volatile behavior. He and Betty Anne (Hilary Swank) had endured a variety of childhood neglect and abuse, always providing for each other and relying on each other to endure any pain or hardship. Kenny is now alone, sent away for a gruesome crime and this time Betty Anne is going to work harder than ever to help her brother. Little does she know just how much her life will change in the process.
Unemployed and single, Betty Anne devotes herself to Kenny’s exoneration while trying to raise two boys. She earns her GED, and struggles her way through law school, while maintaining the goal of representing her brother, in order to free him. Years pass with others attempting to dissuade her and encourage Betty Anne to give up (even Kenny tells her to at one point), one fellow law student friend, Abra (Minnie Driver, displaying deadpan wit), helps her stay on track. Through Betty Anne’s tenacious resolve, the two come across some critical DNA evidence that could free Kenny, long assumed destroyed.
With the help of big-time lawyer Barry Scheck (Peter Gallagher) and his legal team at The Innocence Project, designed to specifically help the wrongfully convicted, Betty Anne inches closer to her goal. But first, they must find new evidence against Kenny’s guilt which connects viewers with some of the conflicted hanger-ons from Kenny’s past. There’s the deplorable Nancy Taylor (a brilliant Melissa Leo), the cop who pinned him for the murder, a couple of former flames (Clea DuVall and Juliette Lewis), both haggard and emotionally stunted) and estranged daughter (Ari Graynor), who was told all her life that her father was a killer. The supporting work here really bring these roles to life, giving the film a resonance that would be difficult to arrive at on its own.
Pamela Gray’s screenplay has the expected legal red tape and emotional weight yet does well to focus on Betty Anne’s tenacity and Kenny’s broken spirits. Thankfully far from pretentious, it’s a tender examination of exhaustion, stamina and dejection.
Now, many will look at the ads for this film or see a trailer and think here is yet again another Swank role, based on an inspiring true story. To that I say, here is a two-time Oscar-winning actress who has found a niche and does well with it. Nothing wrong with that. I appreciated that Betty Anne was often shown as a meek yet determined woman trying to do anything she can to help her brother. She struggles in law school, often tackling material that doesn’t come naturally. There’s no show-stopping “Ah-ha!” moments here, even when that evidence is finally found, it’s more quiet emotional elation than a high-five moment in the courtroom hallway (although that’s there too). Everyone here is significantly glammed down, fitting their low-income down-trodden roles well. Goldwyn must have saved a significant amount of money on make-up on these characters.
Just as Swank is perfectly cast as the crusading sibling, the same can be said for Sam Rockwell, who crafts a realized character in both his body language and attitude. Rockwell brings his comic timing and expected wily charm and injects consistent bursts of frustration and exasperation. He’s a misunderstood man, who has forever been labeled as trouble. It’s no wonder he feels like everyone has it in for him. Rockwell would’ve easily gone over-the-top with the role, but his scenes with Swank ground them both in a reality that portrays believable sibling chemistry. Kenny can’t help but to be moved by his sister’s determination and love. Neither of them are giving up on each other and you get the idea that both of them wind up inspiring each other.
Goldwyn (“The Last Kiss” & “A Walk on the Moon”) does the audience a service by focusing themes of devotion and loyalty instead of courtroom hysteria. He successfully navigates through the various doubts toward Kenny’s innocence, focusing on the inseparable relationship between Kenny and Betty Anne. Their single-minded devotion to each other is a highlight in a film that is littered with engaging and memorable characters.
