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Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo, Peter Gallagher ... see more see more... , Ari Graynor , Loren Dean , Conor Donovan , Owen Campbell , Tobias Campbell , Bailee Madison , Clea DuVall , Karen Young , Talia Balsam , John Pyper-Ferguson , Juliette Lewis , Thomas Mahard , Laurie Brown , Ele Bardha , Rusty Mewha , Marc Macaulay , Frank Zieger , J. David Moeller , Scott Philyaw , Tobiasz Daszkiewicz , Iris Ingram , John Lepard , Jake Andolina , Wallace Bridges , Marty Bufalini , Doug Hamilton , Sarab Kamoo , Hugh McGuire , Michele Messmer , Annabel Armour , Toya Brazell , Heather Kozlakowski , Matthew Hollerbach , Zack Fealk , Linda Hurd , Frank Michael Liu , Paul Burt , York Griffith , Gordon Michaels , Alana Jo Beckman , Ethan Cutkowsky , Eddie Hurch , Jane Alderman , Janet Ulrich Brooks , Gary Davis , Rick LeFevour , Jennifer Roberts , Linda Boston , Kam Carman , Julio Ho , Peter Carey , Melissa Bickerton

CONVICTION is the inspirational true story of a sister's unwavering devotion to her brother. When Betty Anne Waters' (two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank) older brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is ... read more read more...arrested for murder and sentenced to life in 1983, Betty Anne, a Massachusetts wife and mother of two, dedicates her life to overturning the murder conviction. Convinced that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne puts herself through high school, college and, finally, law school in an 18 year quest to free Kenny. With the help of best friend Abra Rice (Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver), Betty Anne pores through suspicious evidence mounted by small town cop Nancy Taylor (Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo), meticulously retracing the steps that led to Kenny's arrest. Belief in her brother - and her quest for the truth - pushes Betty Anne and her team to uncover the facts and utilize DNA evidence with the hope of exonerating Kenny. -- (C) Fox Searchlight

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174 critics

R, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Tony Goldwyn

Release Date: October 15, 2010

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DVD Release Date: February 1, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (1,961)

  • fb701560354
    January 5, 2012
    fb701560354
    Conviction could have been a compelling, extremely moving, and heat-warming story, but the way Tony Goldwyn and the cast of Conviction tell it, it's not so gripping (boring even at parts) and compelling, but it tries to manipulate the audience to care, to cry, to cheer. But to t... read moreell the truth, it got about half-way. There is almost no history to these characters, and there are a lot of people to remember the names of, and we are supposed to hate, or love these people, but we don't know much about them, nor have we seen much of them either. The performances by Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo, Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis, Baliee Madison, and Tobias Campbell are what keep this film above water. See this film for the extraordinary performances, if for nothing else.
  • paulsandberg
    September 29, 2011
    paulsandberg
    Sometimes you swear that you've seen a film before - Conviction is like that... where have you seen this type of plot boiler before? The kind of film that preaches rather than educates and tries to get by on the "true story" aspect instead of giving us something riveting and or... read moreiginal to chew on. Not that the story itself isn't compelling, but the whole "woman forsakes all (including her family) to attempt to free her brother" (umm, isn't he family... ok, so she forsakes her husband and neglects her kids (who still love and cherish her as portrayed in several Hallmark moments) in favor of her brother (who is ying to her yang as shown in several childhood flashbacks) is simply so unbelievable and trite that it makes your teeth hurt.

    Did I mention that this film also tries to rely on star power? Hillary Swank takes the lead as the sister of a convicted murderer. Sadly she doesn't do a lot of heavy lifting here, but I suppose she is sincere enough, though hemmed in by the aforementioned plodding and overripe plot. She does well at setting her jaw and showing the dogged, against all odds determination that the role requires. However, Sam Rockwell is the real deal in the film, demanding your attention in every scene he's in, as he plays the "bad boy" who gets tabbed for the in home robbery and murder of an elderly neighbor.

    The film attempts to heighten the drama by playing cat and mouse with the "did he do it?" question, but later fall flat as it glosses over some of the police procedural aspects, while dwelling too long on others. The courtroom scenes in which the prosecution parades a series of damning testimonies is almost laughable - I was just waiting for his attorney to object or drill holes into the flimsy narratives, but it never came - yet another example of how the film tries to manipulate and ram "the facts" down your throat, with no regard to how the hole thing plays.

    The wonderful Mellissa Leo is miscast and underused as the female cop (another faux pas as she is somehow the lead investigator and isn't even a detective... oops), and Minnie Driver as the "buddy" of the film is also underused - what a waste of two fine acting talents.

    The film seemed as if it couldn't decide whether it was a police procedural mystery, or a human character study - and as is usually the case when a film can't decide - it failed at both.

    Still, there is enough to chew on here to give this a marginal passing grade. I was nodding in agreement at the inferred bit of human nature as the prosecuting attorney, now a high powered political wheeler dealer, tries to block the investigation - not wanting to admit that perhaps they convicted the wrong man, she'd rather defy the basic tenants of her profession "let justice be served".

    The film adds a final tag that tells us that over 700 convictions have been overturned due to the reopening of cases to allow for DNA evidence. That's just swell, unless you're aware that there is a backlog of over 100,000 cases waiting DNA testing.
  • hobster1
    August 30, 2011
    hobster1
    Based on fact, this is the true story of one Betty Anne Waters who decides to get her GED, then complete college and law school in an effort to exonerate her brother who has been condemned to life in prison. Kenny Waters was convicted and sentenced in 1983 for the 1980 murder of ... read moreKatharina Brow in Ayer, Massachusetts.

    What ultimately raises Conviction beyond your conventional "triumph over adversity" account, is the acting. Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell are Betty Anne and Kenny, respectively. As siblings they convey a deep bond as family who have grown up together and remained close into adulthood. We see them as kids and then as adults, willingly supporting each other at various points throughout. Their portrayals are genuine and engaging. Betty Anne's devotion to her brother is the emotional connection that causes the viewer to be invested in this material.

    Director Tony Goldwyn will always be best remembered as playing the villain, Carl Bruner, in Ghost. But he has also directed a significant number of TV shows including The L Word, Grey's Anatomy and Dexter. He's a workmanlike director and his comfortableness with TV often pushes the proceedings here into Lifetime movie territory . At times the plot can appear a bit simplistic in the way it unfolds. Great performances are what elevates the melodramatic script to something much more powerful. Impressive depictions from a talented cast make Conviction a film to believe in.
  • PedroPauloA
    August 27, 2011
    PedroPauloA
    An extraordinary journey of how far we go to fight for our family.

    Convincing

    This is one of those movies that is worth watching for the performances. The acting in this movie is phenomenal, the story itself is rather dull like nothing that a episode of C... read moreold Case wouldn't provide you with.

    The true story of Betty Anne (Swank) who gets a lawyers degree to free her brother whom she claim is innocent from perpetual jail sentence. The story shows Betty Annes dedication and brings forth themes of family and justice.

    I only truly highly recommend this movie for the cast and the acting in it. Hillary Swank is spectacular she really is. However, Minnie Driver, Sam Rockwell, Peter Gallagher, and Melissa Leo are too great. Overall this is a movie that I recommend going at your own risk, personally I found it rather good.

    Betty Anne Waters: "You do it, or I'll kill you. That's your sister and your lawyer talking."
  • deano
    August 4, 2011
    deano
    What an extraordinary true story of siblings Betty Anne and Kenny Waters has all the prize-winning promise and mouth-watering appeal of Erin Brockovich meets Dead Man Walking, with Hilary Swank's feisty working-class woman taking on the legal establishment while Sam... read more Rockwell paces the prison cell, going berserk.
    The roles should be ideal glory bids for Swank - whose transformations playing real people (from androgynous Brandon Teena in her Oscar-winning Boys Don't Cry, to aviatrix Amelia Earhart in Amelia) continue to impress - and Rockwell, whose range apparently has no bounds.
    Despite everything going for it as a suspense thriller and inspirational drama, the screenplay and direction muff a rich dramatic situation by underfunding it with incident. The structure is trying, with flashbacks to Betty Anne and Kenny's tough, troubled childhood, and events leading to Kenny's arrest for the robbery-murder of an elderly woman are dropping in, with seeming randomness, to enliven things.
    Director Tony Goldwyn, who has done some fine work, fumbles what should be huge, emotionally charged moments, such as the hunt for the original physical evidence and Kenny's climactic emergence from the courthouse.
    Performances are uniformly good. Minnie Driver is at her most engaging in years, bringing much-needed humorous energy as Betty Anne's wisecracking sidekick. Juliette Lewis does a blow-year-socks-off turn as a wasted tramp whose testimony goes a long way to cooking Kenny's goose. Only appearing in a few scenes, Lewis is so memorable that if anyone is going to walk away from this with an Oscar, it is she.
  • itsjustme2004
    July 20, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    A well done, tenderly paced true saga about a woman who puts herself through law school to help her brother out of a life sentence. Hilary Swank, and Sam Rockwell are excellent, as usual. This movie doesn't move at the fastest pace, but it is, afterall, a drama....so it seemed to... read more work well for me.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 30, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Tony Goldwyn's Conviction is the true story of Kenny Waters, a man who was wrongfully convicted of murder. His Sister, Betty Anne Waters decides to go to law school in order to free her brother. Hilary Swank plays Bette Anne and Sam Rockwell plays her brother Kenny. Both actors a... read morere two of my favorite and their chemistry on screen is very good. I thought that Conviction was a phenomenal film with a great cast starring alongside Rockwell and Swank. The story is poignant, at times a bit humourous and it's a powerful film about the lengths a sibling would go to free her brother. Sam Rockwell was phenomenal, and Hilary Swank was a great choice to play Betty Anne. I love director Tony Goldwyn's eye for talent, and in Conviction he has assembled an incredible, talented cast. Even the very mediocre Melissa Leo was fairly good in this, as I find her very overrated. But the most talented actors here for me, are Sam Rockwell and Hilary Swank. They steal every scene they're in. This is one of the most powerful films that I have seen in quite some time, and it shouldn't be overlooked. A really powerful story, it's one of hope and love. A story that everyone can connect too. A well made drama film.
  • LWOODS04
    April 15, 2011
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo, Clea DuVall, Peter Gallagher, Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis, Bailee Madison, Loren Dean

    Director: Tony Goldwyn

    Summary: Convinced that her brother, Kenneth (Sam Rockwell), has been unjustly convicted of murder and incompetentl... read morey defended by court-ordered attorneys, high school dropout Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank) puts herself through law school in order to represent him in his appeal. Inspired by a true story.

    My Thoughts: "One of the better true story movies that have been made. Great performances by all. I really liked Minnie Driver in this. The story is just so inspiring and touching. Love the relationship between the brother and sister. Truly special. A must see."
  • bbcfloridabound
    April 10, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    One of the best films of 2010 that got so little billing. Hilary Swank will make you wish you had a sister this wonderful. As she plays Betty Anne Waters Sister to Kenny Waters who is wrongly convicted of murder and sent to prison. Betty gets her GED then goes to college to becom... read moree the lawyer who will prove her brother is innocent. A very touching story. Have to toss 5 stars out to this one. Enjoy
  • nadirairdiana
    March 23, 2011
    nadirairdiana
    Very relatable film for close siblings that comes from a true story about the Waters. Brother and sister are faithful to each other, to some extent the sister want to do something hard (studying law for years to become an attorney) for her brother and sacrifices her life for him.... read more The film shows how cruel the law system in the past was, letting innocent man in the jail for years without justice. Hillary Swank, as always, deliver her compelling performance along with Sam Rockwell, who plays Kenny Waters, the accused murder. A wonderfully powerful movie. Love it.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
October 27, 2010
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Goldwyn proclaims himself an "actor's director" with this film, giving his stellar cast and even the bit players close-ups that let them register emotion, confusion, anger and pain. Full Review

Tom Long
October 22, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

It's a solid if somewhat straightforward story of sacrifice and allegiance. Full Review

J. R. Jones
October 22, 2010
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Tony Goldwyn directed a cast that ranges from the excellent (Minnie Driver as a fellow attorney, Melissa Leo as a crooked cop) to the laughable (Juliette Lewis as a trashy woman whose perjured testimo... Full Review

Peter Rainer
October 22, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

What makes Conviction worth seeing is its depiction of a self-immolating crusader. Full Review

Anthony Kaufman
October 22, 2010
Anthony Kaufman, Dallas Morning News

In the hands of Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell and a strong supporting cast, this earnest film manages to tug a few heartstrings and say something important in the process. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
October 22, 2010
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

[Swank] fails to ever really make us care about, let alone buy into, Betty Anne as a human being. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
October 21, 2010
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Swank's purity of essence is nicely paired with Rockwell, who is more arch and complicated and would look guilty doing mission work in Mumbai. It's a special quality Rockwell has. Full Review

Colin Covert
October 21, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

It's better than OK, a worthy, well-told story, but less than brilliantly entertaining. Full Review

Steven Rea
October 21, 2010
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

It's a noble enterprise, and a remarkable story, but it's not a movie that will set you free. Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz
October 21, 2010
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

The acting certainly elevates the movie -- Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Melissa Leo are also quite good -- but Conviction remains a good movie that should have been better. Full Review

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