Conviction

I really wanted to enjoy this film, and I think that’s what made the truth tough to swallow. The story had so much potential and it seemed as though there weren’t many opportunities for it to fail.  In reality, Conviction made a number of mistakes, all of which worked together to prevent it from being anything near great.

Conviction is about Kenny and Betty Anne Waters, a real-life brother and sister. Kenny has been accused and sentenced to life in prison for murder and armed robbery. Though she is a high school dropout, Betty Anne promises him that she will go back to school, earn a law degree, and get him out.

Before I dive into the problems, it’s important to point out that Juliette Lewis gave an amazing performance as one of Kenny’s old lovers. Likewise, Minnie Driver appeared on screen in a way that felt like she had never left. Though the characters weren’t in the film for long, they used every moment to improve the scenes in which they were involved..

Conversely, I didn’t see much out of Hilary Swank as Betty Anne or Sam Rockwell as Kenny Waters to warrant much praise. Each is a fine actor, and performed well.  However, I expected much more from the pair and left the theater disappointed with their lack of impact on both the story and the inner strength of their characters.

Among other faults, I have to say that the timeline of the film was confusing, especially when flashbacks occurred. I eventually caught up, but in the time it took to do so, I think I missed a few key discoveries.  Additionally, Conviction didn’t provide much depth to its story. It simply presented a piece of information, and forced the audience to accept it, no questions asked.

Conviction was like a failed Erin Brockovich. The film is clearly vying for Oscar recognition, and it tried much too hard to fulfill that goal.  Furthermore, the film never remedied the obstacles that Betty Anne would have had to face in order to earn a law degree.  It made everything seem too easy for all involved.