In the Name of the Father

‘In the Name of the Father’ is based on the true story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the IRA’s Guildford pub bombing which killed four off-duty British soldiers and a civilian. 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.

The screenplay was adapted by Terry George and Jim Sheridan from Gerry Conlon’s autobiography: ‘Proved Innocent’ by Gerry Conlon (Penguin Books) ISBN-10: 0140143920 ISBN-13: 978-0140143928 133 min, colour, cert 15

In the Name of the Father was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Pete Postlethwaite), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Emma Thompson), Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. However, the film won none of these awards.