In the Name of the Father (1993)
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A man is wrongfully convicted of a terrorist act and spends years in prison before a legal battle reveals the truth.
The story
In 1974, a Belfast burglar named Gerry Conlon is mistaken for an IRA sniper by British security forces and pursued until a riot breaks out. Gerry is sent to London by his father Giuseppe to discourage an IRA reprisal against him. While taking drugs in a park with his friend Paul Hill and homeless Irishman Charlie Burke, an explosion in Guildford kills four off-duty soldiers and a civilian and injures sixty-five more people. Gerry is later arrested in Belfast by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and charged with terrorism. He is flown to England and incarcerated with his friend Paul and two others.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows the 'Guildford Four,' who are tortured by police during interrogation. Gerry makes a forced confession after police threaten to kill his father, who is arrested with other members of the Conlon family, known as the 'Maguire Seven.' Despite inconsistencies in the investigation, the Guildford Four and Maguire Seven are sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975. While in prison, Gerry learns that another inmate, Joe McAndrew, admitted to the bombing but his confession was withheld by police. After his father dies in 1980, Gerry takes over his father's campaign for justice. His lawyer, Gareth Peirce, discovers vital evidence and a note marked 'Not to be shown to the defence.' In 1989, a statement by Charlie Burke exonerates the defendants. The film concludes by showing the lives of the released men and noting that the actual perpetrators were never prosecuted.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 133
- Production countries
- Ireland; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jim Sheridan
- Writers
- Terry George · screenplay; Jim Sheridan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Day-Lewis · Gerry Conlon; Emma Thompson; Pete Postlethwaite
- Genres
- biographical; crime; drama
- Themes
- miscarriage of justice; father-son relationship; terrorism; legal injustice
- Tone and mood
- serious; dramatic
- Setting
- Belfast and London, 1974-1989
- Premise and plot tags
- true story; prison; courtroom drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Proved Innocent by Gerry Conlon
- Reception
- The film received very positive reviews from most critics and was a significant commercial success in Ireland.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 94% · scale: percentage · review count: 49; Metacritic · score: 84 · scale: 100 · review count: 16
- Awards and nominations
- Oscar · Best Actor · 66th Academy Awards · nomination; Oscar · Best Supporting Actor · 66th Academy Awards · nomination; Oscar · Best Supporting Actress · 66th Academy Awards · nomination; Oscar · Best Director · 66th Academy Awards · nomination; Oscar · Best Picture · 66th Academy Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- Daniel Day-Lewis spent three days and nights in a jail cell to prepare for his role.; The film was the highest-grossing Irish film at the time of its release.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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