Tony Goldwyn's deceptively rote telling of one woman's 18-year effort to exonerate and free her brother from prison for a murder he didn't commit, packs more of an emotional punch than expected. Sam Rockwell is believable as Kenny Waters, a small-town roustabout indicted in 1980 for the murder a woman in Ayer, Massachusetts.
Kenny's sister Betty Anne (Hilary Swank) sacrifices everything to study law and become an attorney for the sole purpose of getting her brother released. Cheesy flashback sequences reveal the childhood bond between the siblings who can only meet in the cold discomfort of a prison visiting cell.
Minnie Driver plays Betty Anne's law student pal Abra whose assistance becomes important in discovering the truth about Kenny's mishandled case at the hands of a corrupt police officer played by Melissa Leo. While "Conviction" is far from a refined real-life drama, it does pay off on its emotional promise via Rockwell's portrayal of a wrongfully imprisoned man.
Rated R. 106 mins.
