Conviction
Short description
Conviction tells the true story of Betty Anne Waters, a Massachusetts mother of two whose older brother Kenny is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in 1983. Certain that he is innocent, she sets out to overturn the verdict, working her way through high school, college and law school over roughly eighteen years until she can represent him herself. Alongside her close friend Abra Rice, she studies the case built by local police officer Nancy Taylor and pursues DNA evidence, while her marriage and family life bear the strain of the long campaign.
Tony Goldwyn directed the film, his fourth feature after A Walk on the Moon, Someone Like You... and The Last Kiss. Pamela Gray wrote the screenplay, and Goldwyn produced with Andrew Sugerman and Andrew S. Karsch. Hilary Swank plays Betty Anne, with Sam Rockwell as Kenny, Minnie Driver as Abra Rice, Melissa Leo as Nancy Taylor, Peter Gallagher as Barry Scheck and Ari Graynor as Mandy Marsh; around sixty performers are credited.
Made for about 13 million dollars, the film took in roughly 12 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.2 out of 10 from about 48,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.1 from 667 votes, while the critics' rating stands lower at 6.3 from 189 reviews, so audiences rated it noticeably higher than reviewers did.
What's left behind the scenes
- Screenwriter Pamela Gray worked on the project for 8 years. Initially, the project was launched, but in 2004, Universal dropped it. In 2007, independent funding was found, and Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, and Minnie Driver agreed to work for a small fee.
- Hilary Swank did not meet the real-life counterpart of her character, Betty Ann Waters, until the very beginning of filming. She explained this by saying that she wanted to truly understand her character, rather than simply copying mannerisms.
- Naomi Watts was initially considered for the role of Betty Waters.
- The impetus for the film came from a segment on '60 Minutes' that aired in 2002. Following the broadcast, there was a huge rush for the film rights.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
