Kenny is a lifelong screw-up, with a hot temper and a violent rowdy streak. But through childhood flashbacks, we witness the bond shared by brother and sister, always partners in youthful trespassing and shenanigans. We're shown that this relationship has legitimate roots, and that Kenny has a good heart in there somewhere- but still - is he capable of murder? Betty Anne believes he's not. She so absolutely believes that that she goes to some of the most extreme lengths one could go to in order to personally fight for his freedom. Unable to secure the professional legal help necessary, she opts to put herself through law school to become a lawyer for the express purpose of freeing her brother from his sentence. The drive behind this decision costs her deeply, affecting her marriage, her children, her finances, and her reputation. Hence, you see that the "conviction" of the title applies not only to the imprisoned Kenny, but of course to Betty Anne as well.
That little double meaning is as clever or "layered" as this straightforward film gets. And as it turns out, that's perfectly fine. "Conviction" is the type of straight-ahead crusading hero movie that Hollywood has been making since the earliest days of narrative filmmaking. For many, that alone is a strike against the film. (I must admit my own ambivalence at the prospect of seeing it.) But "Conviction" is what it is, and never wrongfully strives to be more. Like "The Blind Side" and "Blow", this is a true-life story that ends with an unlabeled still photo of true-life people who inspired the film. Such as the case with all those films, the actors only resemble the corresponding people in passing, the latter always being more world-weary, and fatter.
My only beef comes in the form of a prolonged sequence in the middle of the film in which a crucial box of evidence that cannot be found simply MUST be located. We are told over and over again that if the box cannot be found - if it has in fact been destroyed, as standard procedure would dictate - Betty Anne's crusade is finished. The end. Five seconds of applied logic dictates that the film is simply manufacturing prolonged transparent suspense. Perhaps this aspect is true to life, but it feels contrived nonetheless. After all, if the all-important box is never found, the film goes to end credits at the one-hour mark. Not to be spoilery, but you do the math. Aside from this detour, "Conviction" moves along well.
The film asks the question, how far should one go to fight for another's innocence. Is a brother's freedom worth sabotaging nearly every other aspect of one's life? Even after the ending, the answers to those questions are not obvious, despite the legal resolution of the plot. "Conviction", rooted in east coast grit, is unglamorous to be sure. Maybe just unglamorous enough net a few Oscar noms, particularly for Sam Rockwell, who with his chameleon skill and redneck antics steals every scene he's in. Along the way, we also have Peter Gallagher as an altruistic lawyer, and Juliette Lewis back to the kind of white trash glory she does so well. But make no mistake, this is Swank's film to carry, and she does it well - even if her accent is transparent at times. If she were any less of a box office draw, "Conviction" would be a premium cable or made-for-TV affair. As it stands, the film is a crowd pleaser that's not afraid to ask a few hard questions.
- Jim Tudor