R, 1 hr. 47 min. Directed by: Tony Goldwyn. Release Date: October 15, 2010. DVD Release Date: February 1, 2011.
Conviction is a reference to two aspects of the film. The first is, of course, the conviction that sends Kenny Waters, played by Sam Rockwell, to jail for the rest of his life for the murder of an old woman. The second is the conviction that Kenny's sister, played by Hilary Swank, has that her brother is innocent of the crimes that he has been accused of committing. Over the course of the movie, Betty Ann Waters gives up her entire life: her marriage, to a certain extent her children, and her friends so that she can pursue her law degree and pass the bar exam. The only people who don't seem to realize this are Betty Anne herself and her brother, Kenny, who accepts it as his due.
There are some uncomfortable moments in the film that have their epicenter around the relationship between Kenny and Betty Anne Waters. There are no outright statements of impropriety, although the average viewer of this movie might come to that conclusion easily. There is a closeness between these siblings that might be the response to an absent mother who parented poorly even when she was around. The tale is brief, but it is almost the textbook horror story of growing up in the inner city, filled with allegations of abuse, violence and poverty. There are some who might see their codependency as a natural outgrowth, but it is odd that one sibling would expect, or even want, his sibling to sacrifice everything she had to make up for yet another of his mistakes.
Hilary Swank has a habit of staring in these late-year, emotionally-gripping biopics in what has been called an obvious grab at the Oscar, since many of the awards go to films that are released closer to when the Academy begins its selection process. It's a mixed bag. She always performs beautifully, but her films tend to be dull, and Ms. Swank has only two Oscars to show for her efforts, which is more than other actors who limit themselves in similar ways can claim. Sam Rockwell was amazing, a beautiful performance of a man who has so many emotional issues that he could carry them around with him on the bed of a truck. The supporting cast included some big names such as Melissa Leo, Minne Driver, and Juliette Lewis, but their parts were so small that the skill of these women is not allowed to come through.
The best thing about the movie is the complete uncertainty whether or not Kenny Waters was a killer. He certainly provides enough reasons for the audience to doubt him, between his violent temper and frequently used fists. Even if he was wrongly accused, there would have been the question as to whether or not he hadn't earned his place in prison.
Conviction is interesting, but the audience will feel every minute of its hour and forty-seven minute run time. For many, the characters' rationale for their actions will be hard to understand. There are some wonderful performances from some great actors, but at the end of the day, that may not be enough to keep this movie afloat.
