Conviction (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Raymond W

  
  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… More
  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 tell 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.

• paul s

  
  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… More
  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 original 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.

• Mark H

  
  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… More
  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 Katharina 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.

• Pedro H

  
  <i> An extraordinary journey of how far we go to fight for our family. </i> <b>Convincing</b> This is one of those movies that is worth watching for the performances. The acting in this movie is <b>phenomenal</b>, the story itself is rather dull… More
  <i> An extraordinary journey of how far we go to fight for our family. </i> <b>Convincing</b> This is one of those movies that is worth watching for the performances. The acting in this movie is <b>phenomenal</b>, the story itself is rather dull like nothing that a episode of Cold 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 <b>spectacular</b> 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. <u>Betty Anne Waters:</u> <i>"You do it, or I'll kill you. That's your sister and your lawyer talking."</i>

• Dean M

  
  What an extraordinary true story of siblings Betty Anne and Kenny Waters has all the prize-winning promise and mouth-watering appeal of <i>Erin Brockovich</i> meets <I>Dead Man Walking</i>, with Hilary Swank's feisty working-class woman taking on the legal… More
  What an extraordinary true story of siblings Betty Anne and Kenny Waters has all the prize-winning promise and mouth-watering appeal of <i>Erin Brockovich</i> meets <I>Dead Man Walking</i>, with Hilary Swank's feisty working-class woman taking on the legal establishment while Sam 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 <i>Boys Don't Cry</i>, to aviatrix Amelia Earhart in <i>Amelia</i>) 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.

• Cynthia S

  
  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… More
  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 work well for me.

• Jeff "

  
  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… More
  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 are 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.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  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 incompetently… More
  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 incompetently 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."

• Bruce B

  
  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 become the… More
  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 become the lawyer who will prove her brother is innocent. A very touching story. Have to toss 5 stars out to this one. Enjoy

• Nadira I

  
  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. The… More
  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. 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.

• Mike S

  
  What kind of justice system let's an innocent man rot in jail for 18 years, without a single day's parole? It's upsetting that this film was based on a true story, but that's also one of the reasons as to what makes it so compelling. It's a little ironic also… More
  What kind of justice system let's an innocent man rot in jail for 18 years, without a single day's parole? It's upsetting that this film was based on a true story, but that's also one of the reasons as to what makes it so compelling. It's a little ironic also that Sam Rockwell, who played a detestable murderer in <i>The Green Mile</i>, here has the role of someone wrongfully accused of the same type of crime. Irony aside though, this is quite a powerful piece of film-making. Beautiful performances by its cast members, and with a plotline that engages the heart and mind alike. If you have a brother or a sister whom you're very close with, then this movie will hold even deeper meaning for you.

• Shawn E

  
  excellent story and cast, but the directing could have been much better.

• Chris W

  
  If it weren't for the fact that this film is based on a true story, it would seem like such schmaltzy sentimental crap. But it is a true story, but more than that, it is a great testament to the power of determination, beliefs, and the bond between siblings. This is a mostly… More
  If it weren't for the fact that this film is based on a true story, it would seem like such schmaltzy sentimental crap. But it is a true story, but more than that, it is a great testament to the power of determination, beliefs, and the bond between siblings. This is a mostly good film, but, based on truth or not, it can't quite rise above the cliches of "this type" of film. I mostly blame the script which is fairly bland and formulaic. The direction is okay, but not really all that remarkable or anyting. Where this film really works, and where you'd expect it to (especially given the cast) is the acting. There's some really strong work from everyone all around. This is exactly the type of thing Swank is good at, because like many of her past roles, this one is challenging and not really glamorous. Rockwell is also amazing, adding another amazing role to his resume. In smaller, yet still crucial roles are Melissa Leo, Clea Duvall, and Juliette Lewis (the latter two each being nearly unrecognizable). Minnie Driver is also good, but I felt like she was underused. This is the type of movie that usually has "awards season contender" written all over it. That didn't end up coming true, but still, this is a decent enough fact-based character study with some great acting that merits at least one viewing.

• Saskia D

  
  I love movies about siblings. And in this movie the sister devotes her life to getting her brother out of prison. Hillary Swank and Sam Rockwell were great, Minnie Driver fantastic (she's so sassy!!). There's also a small role for Juliette Lewis, she remains one of my… More
  I love movies about siblings. And in this movie the sister devotes her life to getting her brother out of prison. Hillary Swank and Sam Rockwell were great, Minnie Driver fantastic (she's so sassy!!). There's also a small role for Juliette Lewis, she remains one of my favorite actresses.

• Everett J

  
  Well done drama that hasn't seemed to get the recognition it deserved. Surprised this didn't get much award buzz as it's definately an "award" type of drama. Hilary Swank turns in another terrific performance,as does Sam Rockwell(who is usually awesome). If… More
  Well done drama that hasn't seemed to get the recognition it deserved. Surprised this didn't get much award buzz as it's definately an "award" type of drama. Hilary Swank turns in another terrific performance,as does Sam Rockwell(who is usually awesome). If you give the movie a chance, you'll be glad you did.

• KJ P

  
  A true story of strong emotion-filled pursuit. This is the story of a man who is convicted of a murder and sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of early parol. When his sister finds out that he cannot get out, she makes it her mission to attend law school and become… More
  A true story of strong emotion-filled pursuit. This is the story of a man who is convicted of a murder and sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of early parol. When his sister finds out that he cannot get out, she makes it her mission to attend law school and become her brothers lawyer. Beautifully scripted and filmed, Conviction really takes the prison genre to new heights. At times it drags on a bit, and there are points where you don't really care about the secondary characters, but overall it's a great film. The plot twist is something I didn't see coming, and the realistic low-budget filming style is what truly makes this movie shine. Conviction is definitely worth it!

• Lady D

  
  An intesting true story of a wrongful conviction and a fight for freedom. A good solid performance from Sam Rockwell and a small yet impressive role from Juliette Lewis. This film is an interesting Drama based on facts, but like many true stories is quite flat and one dimensional… More
  An intesting true story of a wrongful conviction and a fight for freedom. A good solid performance from Sam Rockwell and a small yet impressive role from Juliette Lewis. This film is an interesting Drama based on facts, but like many true stories is quite flat and one dimensional at times.

• Sophie B

  
  A great and inspiring movie. It kept me interested and fascinated throughout. Good cast. However some things I do find hard to believe (even though it's based on a true story!) for example conviently finding the evidence box despite the fact it was supposed to be destroyed long… More
  A great and inspiring movie. It kept me interested and fascinated throughout. Good cast. However some things I do find hard to believe (even though it's based on a true story!) for example conviently finding the evidence box despite the fact it was supposed to be destroyed long ago. Now if this actually happened then great but it's not believable. Also I would have liked to have known what happened to Kenny at the end.

• Unknown H

  
  Another in a recent spell of "based on a true story" movies that seem to be flooding the market at the moment, this film was not as good as I had hoped it would be. Rockwell's performance as the out of control and naturally innocent convict, reminded me all to much (in… More
  Another in a recent spell of "based on a true story" movies that seem to be flooding the market at the moment, this film was not as good as I had hoped it would be. Rockwell's performance as the out of control and naturally innocent convict, reminded me all to much (in very damaging ways) to his portrayal of "Billy the Kid" in the Green Mile. I am a huge fan of Hilary Swank but do not think that this role suited her, the exhausted sister of a man wrongly convicted for a murder whom she spends 18 years trying to free. It was a watchable movie and did not drag but still I thought it would be more dramatic and although their relationship was believable, it still seemed too forced on the screen. The accents deserve a nine out of ten simply because its a hard one to master and Swank in particular had the Massachusetts drawl down.

• Sanjaya &

  
  It's a great story of a woman name Betty Anne Waters that sacrifice her 18 years of life for studying law and become an attorney just to prove her brother -who is now in jail- is innocent... The cast they have in here were also great : Hilary Swank, Minnie Driver, Sam Rockwell,… More
  It's a great story of a woman name Betty Anne Waters that sacrifice her 18 years of life for studying law and become an attorney just to prove her brother -who is now in jail- is innocent... The cast they have in here were also great : Hilary Swank, Minnie Driver, Sam Rockwell, Peter Gallagher, Melissa Leo, and Juliette Lewis, most of them were Academy Award nominee and their performance were really good... But the one who stealing my attention is Sam Rockwell who played Kenny Waters, the innocent one who was convicted as the murder... His performance in here was great, and I thought he really deserve an Oscar nominee for his role in this movie... Hilary Swank performance was not bad, but not that great too in my eyes... If she want to eye another Oscar nominee, I thought she had a long way to go... The story wasn't bad, but I bet it could be rewritten into a more interesting story... Overall, it's a great and inspirational story with a brilliant performance from Sam Rockwell...

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