I just saw the movie in a movie complex with only about 6 other people in the theater. What a shame. The movie was compelling. The acting by all and especially Hillary Swank was excellent. I gave Swank a 10 out of a possible 10 points. The true story is about a man wrongfully convicted of murder and his sister's 16 year struggle to overturn the conviction which included getting her High school Equivalency Certificate, a college education, and a law degree, all for the sole purpose of getting her brother's conviction overturned.
The real story though is a love story between the brother and sister and between the brother and his daughter.
I like those courtroom drama movies, if that's what it is. One of my favorites that had my palms sweating was "The Verdict" with Paul Newman, if I remember right.
Sounds like a good one. Was it worth full price or would it be OK to wait for DVD or??
along the same lines...
I recommend a classic but little known Hitchcock film, The Wrong Man (1956) starring Henry Fonda. This is a very realistic portrayal of how the police actually operate along with the D.A. to convict people. The high tech cop shows that are common today are not all that real.
Do not give up your Fifth Amendment rights.
Angel
I am not a spendthrift. In fact my family considers me a tightwad. The movie is well worth seeing in a movie theater. The final scene actually choked me up and I thought that was impossible. 🙂
along the same lines...
Exactly David. In this case the guy was framed by the cops. They coerced two purported witnesses with threats of taking their children away if they didn't lie. The guy got out by DNA evidence that wasn't available at the time of his conviction.
Justice for poor people is like health care. If you have a lot of money you get a decent defense. If you don't have any money you get just enough representation to make the process legal and nothing more.
If their was capital punishment in MA, then he would have never had the chance to be exonerated.
along the same lines...
In The Wrong Man they start out with a pre-conceived notion that Henry Fonda's character did it. They pick him up and take him to the station. Of course he has nothing to hide and knows he is innocent so he cooperates with the police. The police aren't evil, just mistaken and misguided. The culture of the police organization is what mostly drives them. That is what is insidious about this kind of thing; it isn't black and white like on the TV. For example, the bad guy the Law and Order guys are after is obviously evil and needs to be put away. Henry Fonda's character is convicted and sent to prison. The movie ends happily when the real culprit is caught but I would bet in real life not too many innocent convicts get out before their time.
"The Wrong Man".......
...was based on a real case, herein Queens, and told in a book by Maxwell Anderson titled "The True Story of Christopher Emmanuel Balestrero".
The movie basically follows the real-life facts, and the case made a name for a politician (Frank O'Connor, who later became Queens DA and then City Council President) who took up Balestrero's defense.
Angel
> I am not a spendthrift. In fact my family considers me a tightwad. The movie is well worth seeing in a movie theater. The final scene actually choked me up and I thought that was impossible. 🙂
Sounds worthy of seeing, then. Cause I am a tightwad too!! hehehe so if one tightwad says it's worth it then it probably is. 😉
