In the Name of the Father (1993)

Man's coerced confession to an IRA bombing he didn't do imprisons his father as well; a British lawyer helps fight for their freedom.

Director:

Jim Sheridan

Writers:

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

Stars:

Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Alison Crosbie

Top 250 #212 | Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 15 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

A small time thief from Belfast, Gerry Conlon, is falsely implicated in the IRA bombing of a pub that kills several people while he is in London. Bullied by the British police, he and four of his friends are coerced into confessing their guilt. Gerry's father and other relatives in London are also implicated in the crime. He spends 15 years in prison with his father trying to prove his innocence with the help of a British attorney, Gareth Peirce. Based on a true story.

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Plot Keywords:

Prison | Violence | 1970s | Northern Ireland | Belfast Northern Ireland | 

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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 | Thriller

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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:

En el nombre del padre

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$25,010,410 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hell's Kitchen Films, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby DTS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bono was offered the role of Paul Hill but his busy touring schedule with U2 prevented him from accepting.

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Goofs

In the relatively short scene where Gerry is speaking with their Atty., the guard behind Gerry alternates position and stance in each shot - head down (and looking asleep) and then moved to the side and alert in other shots.

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Quotes

Giuseppe Conlon: I'm going to die.
Gerry Conlon: Don't be saying that.
Giuseppe Conlon: I'm scared.
Gerry Conlon: There's no reason to be scared. You have nothing to be scared about.
Giuseppe Conlon: Don't you be comforting me when I can see the truth staring me in the face. I'm scared I'm gonna die here.
Gerry Conlon: You're not dying alright?
Giuseppe Conlon: Can I not say a thing without you contradicting me? I'm scared to leave your mother behind.
Gerry Conlon: Look, you are not going to die alright? If you do, sure I can look after Ma alright.
Giuseppe Conlon: You think I'd leave Sara in your care?
Gerry Conlon: What do you mean?
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in A Personal History of British Cinema by Stephen Frears (1997)
Poster of this movie is shown.

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Soundtracks

"In the Name of the Blues"
Performed by Pete Cummins & John Fitzgibbon
Writers Pete Cummins (as Cummins) / John Fitzgibbon (as Fitzgibbon)

User Reviews

Powerful and Touching

Name of the Father came out one year before The Shawshank Redemption and is bar none the better film. Shawshank is a great film but Name of the Father has more of human story to it. Daniel Day Lewis is a great actor with more potential now than he did when he won his first Oscar for My Left Foot and since then he has never starred in a film which he has acted badly in. Some of the stories have not been amazing but his acting makes up for it. This was the second time That Daniel Day Lewis and Jim Sheridan have come together to make a film. In all they have done three but Name of the father is by far the best. Pete Postlethwaite is another example of fine acting as he is the best actor in England since who ever was the last greatest actor.

Daniel Day Lewis plays Gerry Conlon who is a seventies hippie who doesn't want to grow up. He has had so many troubles at home his father

Giuseppe played by Postlethwaite decides to pack him off to London for his own safety and not become a lost soul amongst the troubles in Belfast. But when Gerry gets there he might as well wish he never went there in the first place as the trouble from Belfast follows him and before you know it a bomb goes off in a pub near to where he is staying and is not long arrested for the bomb along with his friends and family including his father.

From there we are taken into this grieving story of strength, hope, tragedy and family. The story between father and son in jail is more touching and compelling than any love story you will ever see because these two men who have never really seen eye to eye are forced to confront each other's feeling and face up to where they stand in the world. Also Pete Postlewaite reminds me of my own father and my grandfather and yours two. He plays Giuseppe so well so would have thought he was the old guy living next door to you or the man you look up to as a father and spend time with as a granddad. What you have to remind yourself is that the movie is a true story of the Guilford Bombing and the men who paid the price for it. Whether or not you believe Gerry and Giuseppe were guilty of the Guilford Bomb is not the case in the film as it's more about the characters and there trials and tribulations.

One film that will always be remembered in my mind about making a difference with your life not matter where you are in the world.