In the Name of the Father (1993)

A man's coerced confession to an I.R.A. bombing he did not commit results in the imprisonment of his father as well. An English lawyer fights to free them.

Director:

Jim Sheridan

Writers:

Gerry Conlon (autobiographical book "Proved Innocent"), Terry George (screenplay)

Stars:

Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Alison Crosbie

Top Rated Movies #185 | Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 35 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alison Crosbie	...	Girl in Pub
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Gerry Conlon
Philip King	...	Guildford Soldier
Emma Thompson	...	Gareth Peirce
Nye Heron	...	IRA Man 1
Anthony Brophy	...	Danny
Frankie McCafferty	...	Tommo
Paul Warriner	...	Soldier
Julian Walsh	...	Soldier
Stuart Wolfenden	...	Soldier (as Stuart Wolvenden)
Jo Connor	...	Bin Lady
Karen Carlisle	...	Female Rioter
Seamus Moran	...	IRA Man 2
Billy Byrne	...	IRA Man 3
Maureen McBride	...	Mother

Storyline

Young Belfastian Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis) admits that he was in London at the time of the incident. He also admits that he is not a model citizen, having committed a petty robbery while in London. He does however profess his innocence when it comes to the bombing of the Guildford Pub in London in 1974, the event which killed several people inside. A self-professed non-political person, he and his three co-accused, dubbed the Guildford Four, are thought to be provisional members of the I.R.A. Their self-professed innocence is despite each having signed a statement of guilt which they claim were signed under duress. Their case includes having provable alibis for the time frame of the bombing. And eventually, Joe McAndrew (Don Baker), a known I.R.A. member, admits to the bombing. Dubbed the Maguire Seven, seven others, primarily members of Gerry's extended family including his father Giuseppe (Pete Postlethwaite), are accused of being accessories to the bombing. Following on the ...

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Plot Keywords:

prison | father son relationship | based on true story | anti irish bias | psychological manipulation | 

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Taglines:

Falsely accused. Wrongly imprisoned. He fought for justice to clear his father's name.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and politically-geneRated violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite appeared in The Last of the Mohicans (1992).

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Goofs

In the Belfast apartment, Mr. Conlon throws some CDs in his case as he prepares to go to London to help Gerry.

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Quotes

Gerry Conlon: What I remember most about my childhood is holding your hand. My wee hand in your big hand, and the smell of tobacco. I remember, I could smell the tobacco in the palm of your hand. When I want to feel happy, I try to remember the smell of tobacco.
Giuseppe Conlon: Hold my hand.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Daniel Day-Lewis Performances (2014)

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Soundtracks

Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Performed by The Kinks
Written and Composed by Ray Davies
Used by kind permission of Davray Music Ltd. and Carlin Music Corp.
Courtesy of Castle Copyrights Ltd.

User Reviews

Disquieting great film

The movie is based on a true story. Belfast guy Gerry Conlon is suspected of being one of the IRA terrorists responsible for a bomb in Guilford, London, in 1974, which killed several people. He spends 15 years in jail, fighting for his innocence and for truth.

After working with Daniel Day Lewis in "My left foot", director Jim Sheridan teams again with the actor for this drama. The strong cast is completed by Emma Thomson and Pete Postlewaite. The result is a brilliant, passionate feature which tells about injustice. It's a disquieting film.

This is doubtless the most achieved collaboration between the director and the main star. The other pictures as well are very good, but here we have a film of accusation -the story is more involving. Day Lewis performance in "My left foot" was awarded with an Oscar, but the actor could have been given the same prize for his play of Gerry Conlon.

Strong screenplay, actors and soundtrack -with music of Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer and songs of Irish stars Bono and Sinead O'Connor.

Details

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

In the Name of the Father

Filming Locations:

Upper Thames Street, City of London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$109,805, 2 January 1994

Gross USA:

$25,096,862

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$65,796,862

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hell's Kitchen Films, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1