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Each fall, studios scramble to release their most moving, most powerful films—the ones that will bring audiences to tears and inspire the Academy to start handing over the awards. Some of these films are truly noteworthy contenders. Others, on the other hand, are little more than blatantly melodramatic Oscar bait—like Hilary Swank’s latest drama, Conviction.
Based on a true story, Conviction follows Betty Anne Waters (Swank) on her single-minded quest to prove that her brother, Kenny (Sam Rockwell), is innocent. After he finds himself serving a life sentence for a brutal murder that he swears he didn’t commit, Kenny struggles to survive life behind bars while his sister sacrifices her own life to get him out. A college dropout, Betty Anne decides to go back to school to get her law degree, continuing to support herself and her two sons, even after her husband gives up and leaves her.
When scientific advancements offer a new possibility for proving Kenny’s innocence, Betty Anne seeks help from both her good friend, Abra (Minnie Driver), and an attorney who specializes in DNA cases (Peter Gallagher). But even as she faces yet another obstacle in the case, she refuses to give up on her brother.
True story or not, you’ve seen movies just like Conviction time and time again. The down-and-out hero (or heroine) tirelessly battles the system, refusing to give up, no matter what the odds. Often, they’re sappy made-for-TV movies—but sometimes (especially during the fall), they find their way to theaters, too. Admittedly, some of them (like Secretariat) actually manage to use the same old inspirational true story formula to produce an effective and charming drama. But others (like Conviction) are just long and dull and completely unnecessary.
With her role in Conviction, Swank is obviously setting her sights on another Oscar-winning performance—just like she was with 2009’s equally-dull Amelia. And why not? After all, the Academy just gave Sandra Bullock an Oscar for her role in another inspirational real-life drama. But, just like Betty Anne, Swank seems so unwavering in her objective that she’s completely oblivious to everything else—like the fact that her performance is just as bland and one-dimensional as her character.
Betty Anne is certainly determined, but her determination borders on blind obsession. You may admire her drive, but you’ll also question her single-mindedness—especially when she becomes so fanatical about getting her brother out of prison that she doesn’t seem to care if she loses her husband and her sons in the process. And Swank’s cool and monotonous performance doesn’t exactly help to make her a more sympathetic character.
Fortunately, not all of the performances are as flat as Swank’s. Rockwell gives yet another solid performance as Kenny, gradually transforming his character from a charming troublemaker to a broken man and, finally, to a hardened inmate. And Minnie Driver brings a little bit of life to an otherwise heavy film with her light-hearted performance as Betty Anne’s outspoken friend, Abra.
Other than a couple of commendable supporting performances, though, this dull, drawn-out drama doesn’t have a whole lot to offer. So if you’re in the mood for an against-all-odds true story, check out Secretariat instead.
