In the Name of the Father (Widescreen): Amazon.ca: DVD: DVD

Frequently Bought Together

Product Description

From Amazon.com

Based on a true story, this rousing and tough-minded film details British overzealousness in prosecuting an IRA bombing in the 1970s. Grabbing up a pair of small-time thieves (Daniel Day-Lewis and John Lynch) and their families, the government concocts a conspiracy case against them and tosses them all in jail. Until then, Day-Lewis has been a ne'er-do-well, an apolitical goof looking for a quick score. But confronted with the toughness of his own father (Pete Postlethwaite) in the face of British torture, he begins to realize just what the stakes are. In the Name of the Father is at times grueling and never less than compelling, with a complex performance by Day-Lewis and a strong one by Emma Thompson, as the lawyer who finally cracks through the British obstructions to the truth. --Marshall Fine

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

50 Reviews

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Innocent?, May 31 2001

By

Richard Broghlin (Harrisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Name of the Father (VHS Tape)

This film will doubtless appeal to those naive enough to believe the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six are innocent and that the IRA are a loveable gang of carefree Gaelic rogues.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars In the Name of Daniel Day Lewis, May 26 2004

By

happyfeet "moviemaven" (Viera, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Name of the Father (Widescreen) (DVD)

Daniel Day-Lewis, in another brilliant, Oscar-nominated performance. In the Name of the Father is a gritty, gut wrenching drama by the talented Irish film maker Jim Sheridan. Daniel Day-Lewis proves why he is so respected and revered as an actor. Though his role as Gerard Conlon received less press than his turn as Christy Brown in My Left Foot, or Bill the Butcher, in Gangs of New York, he bristles with intensity as the troubled Conlon. Day-Lewis proves why he is one of the finest actors of his generation. A true method actor, Day-Lewis is said to have gone through interrogations from police to lend true authenticity to the role. He has a rare and unequaled fire in his eyes that made me an immediate fan.I could simply not take my eyes off of him. He is not just another pretty face...although, what a face...he is without a doubt a very gifted actor.
Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite are just riviting on screen together. Their portrayl of father and son sings and stings with realism and sincerity.
This film has somehow gone largely unnoticed, however, it is a must see for those of you who enjoy a dose of reality with your drama.
Based on the book of the same name, written by Gerard Conlon himself, the movie does not cast a favorable light on the British Judicial system and their need to place blame on someone, despite their innocence. Your heart will break as you watch Guisseppe and Gerard fight for their case to be heard.
The movie, while placing focus on Day-Lewis's character, is an excellent forum for the wonderful character actor that Postlethwaite is. Their moments together are powerful and passionate. To find a better suited pair for father and son, one would indeed be hard pressed.
This film does exactly what it intended to do. 1. It creates and maintains a realistic relationship between father and son. Gerard's reaction when his father is imprisioned with him is a classic.
2. It is engaging. From begining to end this film will keep even the most hard-core action enthusiast engaged in the story.
3. It is honest. It does not sugar coat the facts as recalled by Conlon and it does not pretend to give a balanced view of events. Instead, it boldly makes a statement about profiling and what can happen when parinoia strikes those who are supposed to be objective and seek truth.
This film is a triumph.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars heartbreaking and bittersweet, Dec 21 2003

By

Shelley Gammon "Geek" (Kaufman, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: In the Name of the Father (VHS Tape)

Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day Lewis) was a small-time petty thief in the early seventies and found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when IRA terrorists bombed a pub in 1974 - killing 4 people.

Totally innocent, Conlon is treated with contempt - even physically tortured and terrorized until he confesses only to make the torture stop.

Soon his father and most of his family are also convicted of bomb making and being part of larger conspiracies including being deeply entrenched in the IRA.

His father Giuseppe (played masterfully by Pete Postlethwaite) and most of his family are also rounded up and promptly convicted - from the youngest cousin to an elderly grandmother - all wrongly convicted and sent to bleak, dank prisons for very lengthy terms.

What makes this so compelling and tragic is that this is entirely a true story. Conlon really served 15 years in prison and thanks to his diligent attorney and the discovery of withheld evidence that freed him in 1989 - otherwise he may well still be languishing in jail, with little sympathy from the outside.

The only good side of this horrific twist of justice was the closeness Gerry ends up having with his father. Once somewhat distant, they find themselves as unwilling cellmates in prison. As miserable as they both are at the situation, the fact that they can keep each other company is a bittersweet comfort.

They grow closer than they likely would have ever gotten had they not been imprisoned together. Compounded by age and the damp, awful conditions of the prison, Giuseppe finds himself sicker and sicker until he is finally taken to the hospital all too late. Gerry is not permitted to be at his father's side as he is taken to the hospital, only to find out later that his father has died, leaving Gerry alone with no one to console his broken heart.

The injustice done to the "Guildford Four" in a small way was a necessary evil, in that it so shocked the conscience of British common man, that many reforms were put in to place to help prevent this sort of thing from happening again.

While Emma Thompson's character (Conlon's lawyer) doesn't make an appearance until near the end of the story, her presence is powerful and an important balance for the film.

Only someone with the stoniest of hearts will not feel at least a lump in their throat at many scenes of this well acted, compelling, real-life drama - nor will you finish watching it and not be changed in some way.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 50 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 74 reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Good everything about this movie. Too bad it had to happen in the first place. Lives devastated for no reason. "The Troubles" are not yet over.

Published 15 months ago by B. Montgomery

5.0 out of 5 stars FIND A DULL MOMENT IN THIS TERRIFIC DRAMA!
During a spate of IRA-triggered bombings in the early 1970s in the UK, the beleaguered British government created a haphazard "Prevention of Terrorism Act" which allowed... Read more

Published on April 13 2004 by Shashank Tripathi