In the Name of the Father (1993)

A man's coerced confession to an IRA 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 #187 | Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 34 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 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 IRA. 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, a known IRA member, admits to the bombing. Dubbed the Maguire Seven, seven others, primarily members of Gerry's extended family including his father Giuseppe, are accused of being accessories to the bombing. Following on the work initiated by Giuseppe, Gerry works on a campaign to ...

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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

Details

Country:

Ireland UK USA

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)

Gross USA:

$25,010,410

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$40,700,000, 31 December 1994

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hell's Kitchen Films, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo DTS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Jim Sheridan was heavily criticized for fictionalizing much of the story. For example, 'The Guildford 4' and the Maguire family had separate trials. "Joe McAndrew," the IRA man who befriends Gerry Conlon in prison, is entirely fictional. Gerry and Giuseppe Conlon were in different prisons for most of their sentences. Although solicitor Gareth Pierce was instrumental in investigating and preparing Gerry Conlon's case for the High Court of Appeal, she could not present the case in court because, due to British legal system rules, this could only be done by a trial barrister. MIchael Mansfield, a barrister and Q.C. (Queens Council) presented the case. Also, Pierce never represented or even met Giuseppe Conlon, who died in 1980, nine years before the appeal was heard.

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Goofs

When Gerry speaks with the attorney, the guard behind Gerry changes position in each shot.

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Quotes

Gerry Conlon: When can I go back to Belfast?
Detective: Next time you'll see Belfast, they'll be flying day trips to the moon.
Gerry Conlon: I always wanted to be an astronaut.

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Connections

Referenced in A Personal History of British Cinema by Stephen Frears (1995)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday
Written by Patty S. Hill (as Patty Hill) and Mildred J. Hill (as Mildred Hill)
Published by Keith Prowse Music Publishing Co. Ltd.

User Reviews

Perhaps a bit too black and white but still very impressive.

Even though this movie seems a bit too black and white from time to time I must say that it still is an impressive piece of cinema. Too black and white because I sometimes had the feeling that they had left out some parts to make it all a lot easier for the viewer. I can't help believing that Conlon and Hill weren't the nicest guys either, but the movie shows them almost as saints (except for the fact that they steal some lead from the roofs, they never really do anything wrong). Does that mean that this movie isn't any good? Certainly not! It still remains very impressive and the idea that injustice in the name of protecting the country should be allowed is awful and so it is good that at least some movie makers aren't afraid to protest against it.

The movie tells the story about Gerry Conlon and his old school friend Paul Hill. They both are small time criminals and because of their own safety they have to live in London for a while. Otherwise they might get shot by the IRA. In London they stay in a community of hippies, but aren't welcomed by everybody. As a bomb explodes in a pub, one of the members from the community goes to the police and accuses them of the crime. They are immediately apprehended, together with Conlon's father, his aunt and her family. What follows is a process full of corruption and false accusations, putting them in jail for many years even though they haven't done anything wrong.

The film is very good. It's well acted, well paced and well directed. The story is touching and I never got bored when watching it. Therefor I give it an 8/10.