The crime drama is one of those genres that seems to have an endless supply of juicy intrigue. We love the mystery and the high stakes. Even better if what we're watching is based on a true story. So, when I saw the trailer for Conviction from director Tony Goldwin (Dexter, Law & Order, and also the slimy best friend in Ghost), I was on board. This thing looked like a traditional Law & Order premise sprinkled with a dash of Erin Brokovich. Bring on the junior mints.
Conviction is based on the incarceration of Kenny Waters (Sam Rockwell) in 1983 for first degree murder. His sister, Betty Anne (Swank), dropped everything in her life to immediately pursue her GED, a bachelors, a masters, and eventually law school with the sole aim of exonerating her brother from life in prison. (Actually practicing law beyond that was not something she was interested in.)
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2010.