Based on a true story, Conviction is about a woman who was a wife, a mother and a sister who gave up her life to help her brother. This film is an inspiring, melodramatic story of a brother and sister who rely on each other at a very young age and who are very much dedicated to each other. To have someone put their life on hold and give up everything for another person, whether it is a friend or family, is difficult to do and many cannot. But Betty Anne Waters did just that.
Kenny Waters (Sam Rockwell) has had run-ins with the law since he was a young boy. He has a reputation of getting in to trouble and that reputation ends up sending him to prison. After a brutal murder, Kenny Waters becomes the prime suspect and Officer Nancy Taylor (Melissa Leo) is going to bring him down one way or another. Now Kenny is not a charming, sweet guy by any stretch of the imagination. But is he guilty of committing a horrific murder involving a woman being stabbed over 10 times? His sister, Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank) does not think so.
Kenny is wrongfully convicted and sent to prison. This ignites Betty’s journey in to becoming his lawyer and one day setting her innocent brother free. It only takes almost two decades to do it. She gets her GED and then her degree and gets in to law school. And that is only half the battle. There are several obstacles involving evidence and the court system, but more personal issues as well: the loss of her family. She gets divorced and can barely keep up with her kids, so they go live with their father. Now that cannot be easy for any mother, but she is a determined sister who will not give up until her brother comes home.
Tony Goldwyn is the director that brings this story to the big screen and he does a very nice job getting the main points across without letting the film drag. There is a lot to cover obviously. Trying to tell a 20 year-long fight in 2 hours is hard to do, but the audience is given enough to show the hardships that Betty goes through and the sacrifices she has to make. He also reveals the strong bond and love shared by Kenny and Betty at such a young age by throwing in some nice flashback scenes to when they were kids.
Conviction is a film where the actresses rule the land. There are four actresses in this film that play each role with such precision and brilliance. Juliette Lewis has two scenes but she plays a different woman in each. Well the same woman just in two different parts of her life. And she is fun to watch. A little scary and sometimes crazy, but Lewis’s character plays an important part to saving Kenny. And Leo plays an officer with a dirty past and the woman who teaches Kenny the ultimate lesson. Leo has not been able to get a good, fascinating role since Frozen River, but she does what she can with the material that is in front of her.
Minnie Driver plays Aba Rice, Betty’s friend from law school, who keeps Betty honest and grounded. But sticks right with her through it all. I love Driver and have not seen her in a role like this since Good Will Hunting. Aba has attitude and is very outspoken, but has a good heart and made some sacrifices of her own for Betty.
Now we get to Swank who was born to play Betty Anne Waters. Betty is a fighter and will risk it all for her brother. In Swank’s past roles, we have seen her portray strong women who have to deal with adversity and the difficulties of life (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby, Amelia). Betty is a working-class, single mother who tries to juggle too many things in her life and some of them will be dropped to the ground.
But the heart and courage of this woman cannot be doubted for one second. To go through school and get into law school and graduate and do what you set out to do is unbelievable. And I would not be surprised to see Swank get an Oscar nomination for her role. Just like Betty herself, Swank is amazing at what she does.
Speaking of Oscar nominations, could Rockwell please get one? Please! Rockwell is a great, versatile actor who plays a broken-down man who you root for even if he isn’t the best catch in town. Physically and mentally, we see the toll prison takes on Kenny and if it was not for his sister, he would have given up and died in prison. Never being able to be a free man and never seeing his daughter again.
Rockwell and Swank share excellent scenes together in Conviction, and there is nothing but strong performances and raw emotion being displayed in all of them. This film is woeful and heart-breaking at times, yet always exhilarating to see the fight in Betty Anne Waters and the rest of her family. It is a great story of an ordinary woman doing an extraordinary thing. Add that with potent performances by Swank and Rockwell, you have a driven, well-crafted film on your hands.
Everyone would hope that someone would fight for them but for how long and at what cost? Kenny Waters probably did not know the answers to these questions, but his sister did. There was never a doubt in Betty Anne Water’s mind.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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