Conviction (2010) had a lot going for it. The movie is a compelling true story and an inspiring tale about family love. It features a murder mystery. One of the characters is a real-life famous lawyer. It has outstanding actors. Why was the movie not even mentioned at Oscar time? Why did it flop at the box office, ranking 150th in box office for 2010 after its October release?
Movie marketers often face a dilemma. To get people to see their movie, they have to tell potential viewers enough about the movie to create interest (or in the case of comedies, the best or only laugh lines — as I recently experienced while watching Cedar Rapids (2011)). But then, potential viewers may feel they do not need to see the movie unless there are other compelling reasons to see it. Plus, true stories are often already familiar. One recent excellent movie that had the familiarity challenge was Conviction (2010), starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell. But the movie is still worthwhile viewing.
Conviction follows the true story of Kenny Waters, who was sentenced to life in prison for a murder. His sister Betty Anne Waters believed in him so much that to prove him innocent, she earned her G.E.D., graduated from college, went to law school, passed the bar exam, and became a lawyer. It is an amazing story featuring hard work and a lot of luck.
The reason that Conviction did not do better at the box office may have been that the story was too predictable (although 127 Hours faced a similar challenge), or maybe the story was too conventional. Or maybe the fascinating story lost something when converted to a 107-minute movie. The story is incredible because of the years the sister labored to free her brother while he was in prison. But it is hard to convey time in a movie, and to do so may have required a longer movie. Would it have been a better movie if it were longer, and would people have gone to see a longer movie?
Or maybe the movie was just cursed. There is a tragic ending to the story not shown in the movie. Other actors (Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly) dropped out of the lead male role, and sixteen hours of crucial footage was ruined by an airport x-ray. Meanwhile, some family members were not happy with the final movie.
But even if you know the story, should you see the movie? It is still entertaining, due largely to the fine acting by Swank and Rockwell. The movie also features Melissa Leo, who recently won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work The Fighter, and an excellent performance in a small role by Julliette Lewis. It is unfortunate that more people did not see Conviction because the story shows something that happens in the criminal justice system more often than we would like to believe.
Conclusion? Although this review points out some problems, these criticisms are an attempt to determine why such a compelling story with great acting did not translate into a big box office or a more perfect film. Conviction still is very good and worth viewing. But if you plan to see it, do not watch the trailer below. Conviction is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
You may know how the story ends, but in case you do not, I will not ruin it. If you want more information, you may watch a local news story about the case and the release of the movie. Also, see the Chimesfreedom review of 127 Hours about how another movie faced the familiarity problem.
(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)