Two-time Oscar-winner Hilary Swank visited Prison Fellowship’s Virginia headquarters in October for a special screening of her new film, Conviction. Following the sneak preview, Swank chatted with Prison Fellowship and a live audience about wrongful convictions and the role churches can play in advocating for reform.
For Conviction, a Hollywood adaptation of a true life struggle, Fox Searchlight Pictures tapped top-notch talents Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, and Minnie Driver. Swank, who also produced the film, plays Betty Anne Waters, a high school dropout who surmounted incredible odds to complete law school and overturn the wrongful murder conviction of her brother, Kenny (Rockwell). Driver plays Waters’s best friend, Abra Rice, who shores up her courage during the long struggle for justice.
Conviction offers high drama, touching family devotion, and compelling performances. Oscar buzz has already begun to hover around the film. But for those in attendance, no part of Swank’s visit was more compelling than the presence of the real Betty Anne Waters, the reticent, ordinary heroine whose sacrificial love set her brother free. Waters, as well as her friend Abra Rice, participated in the panel discussion with Hilary Swank, Rev. Lee Earl, and myself.
Swank’s Real-Life Hero
Swank was drawn to the project by Waters’s inspiring example. “When I read this script, I thought it was a great story of faith,” she told us. “Faith in this other person, the faith that Kenny had in his sister that made her feel loved, to continue on.”
Swank believes so deeply in the film’s story—and in the issues it raises—that she came up with the idea behind the gathering at Prison Fellowship. “I have seen how important faith can be in helping prisoners through difficult times,” she explained. “I wanted to share the film, Conviction, with other faith-minded people to remind them of the important role they play in reforming our justice system and helping prisoners and their families.”“Betty Anne is my real-life hero,” she added. “I am here to play this kind of story. This is why I am an actor.”
Why the Church Must Advocate
The subject of wrongful convictions is certainly a timely topic in need of more passionate advocates, and the stakes are high. Since 1989, 259 inmates have been exonerated because of DNA evidence; 17 of those exonerees were on death row. For each of those people unjustly convicted there is another person who is guilty who still walks free and continues to pose a threat to all of us. The true suspects and/or perpetrators have been identified in 113 of the DNA exoneration cases.
Recently the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Henry Skinner, a Texas death row inmate who is requesting DNA tests on blood, fingernail scrapings, and hair found at the scene where his girlfriend and her two sons were murdered in 1993. In March, less than an hour before he was scheduled to die by lethal injection, the Supreme Court granted a stay of execution to consider taking up the matter of the untested evidence. While the outcome may hinge on procedural formalities, the core of the case involves the significant issue of whether prosecutors should be able to selectively test some DNA evidence but not all in a capital murder case. If the government is seeking the truth about who committed a crime, shouldn’t all the evidence be tested?
Steps You Can Take
Such instances of injustice need to be discussed. That is why Conviction is such a blessing. Not only is it great entertainment, it is also a good jumping off point for discussions. I hope that you will go to see this excellent movie. Then, take advantage of all the Oscar hype and use the movie as an opening to discuss the injustice of imprisoning innocent people. There are reasonable procedural safeguards that would substantially reduce these false convictions, and the Church has an obligation to work for those reforms. Encourage your friends to join Justice Fellowship’s work to reform the system that allows such injustices to occur.
Here is a link to help you find where Conviction is playing near you.