In the Name of the Father
Jim Sheridan
© D.R.
Belfast, 1975. Gerry Conlon unwittingly causes a riot that leads to him being sought by both the British and the IRA. He decides it would be safer to move to London with his friend Paul Hill. While the two young men are busy nearby, a bomb explodes at a Guildford Pub. Under anti-terrorism legislation, Paul, Gerry and his family are thrown into prison after Gerry is forced to sign a false confession by the authorities.
Cast : Daniel Day-Lewis, Emma Thompson, Pete Postlethwaite, Alison Crosbie, Corin Redgrave, John Lynch, Beatie Edney
Scenario : Terry George, Jim Sheridan
Cinematography : Peter Biziou
Editing : Gerry Hambling
Music : Trevor Jones
Scenario : Terry George, Jim Sheridan
Cinematography : Peter Biziou
Editing : Gerry Hambling
Music : Trevor Jones
Production : Hell's Kitchen Films, Universal Pictures
Distribution : Park Circus
Distribution : Park Circus
Four years after the success of My Left Foot (1989), director Jim Sheridan reunited with Daniel Day-Lewis for a new adaptation based on a true story. In the Name of the Father is inspired by the trial of the "Guildford Four", four young people wrongfully convicted of murder and conspiracy and sentenced to life imprisonment. Just four years after the case ended, Sheridan and his screenwriter Terry George drew inspiration from Gerry Conlon’s autobiographical book, Proved Innocent, and shot a film that won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 1994. Behind the edifying drama lies a moving portrait of a father and son, accompanied by intoxicating music (with collaborations from Bono, Gavin Friday and Sinead O’Connor). The British judicial system and its colonial violence are called into question in this indictment of injustice. On its release, the film was heavily criticised by the British press.