In the Name of the Father (film)
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | Jim Sheridan |
|---|---|
| Distributor | Universal Studios |
| Honors | |
| Based on a true story, this rousing and tough-minded film details British overzealousness in prosecuting an IRA bombing in the 1970s. Grabbing up a pair of small-time thieves (Daniel Day-Lewis and John Lynch) and their families, the government concocts a conspiracy case against them and tosses them all in jail. Until then, Day-Lewis has been a ne’er-do-well, an apolitical goof looking for a quick score. But confronted with the toughness of his own father (Pete Postlethwaite) in the face of British torture, he begins to realize just what the stakes are.… | |
Reviews
Amazon.com
Based on a true story, this rousing and tough-minded film details British overzealousness in prosecuting an IRA bombing in the 1970s. Grabbing up a pair of small-time thieves (Daniel Day-Lewis and John Lynch) and their families, the government concocts a conspiracy case against them and tosses them all in jail. Until then, Day-Lewis has been a ne’er-do-well, an apolitical goof looking for a quick score. But confronted with the toughness of his own father (Pete Postlethwaite) in the face of British torture, he begins to realize just what the stakes are. In the Name of the Father is at times grueling and never less than compelling, with a complex performance by Day-Lewis and a strong one by Emma Thompson, as the lawyer who finally cracks through the British obstructions to the truth. —Marshall Fine
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If it had been written as a piece of fiction no one would have believed it, but In the Name of the Father is the true story of one of the most shocking episodes in British legal history. Dealing with the events surrounding the Guildford pub bombing in 1974 and the subsequent 15-year fight for justice, the film portrays a nation in the grip of an anti-system, desperate to find culprits at any cost, however immoral, illegal or brutal. By playing out the drama in personal as well as political terms—the relationship between Gerry Conlon (Day-Lewis) and his father (Pete Postlethwaite) becomes the story’s centrepiece—the film works on numerous levels, but the events are no less shameful for it. The court case that ultimately freed the three men and one woman only takes centre stage for the last 20 minutes but despite that—and the fact that the outcome is no secret—it is high drama and completely gripping. This is an unmissable example of genuinely courageous cinema. —Phil Udell
