"In the Name of the Father" is a film based on the true story of a group of young people called the "Guilford Four" who were accused and jailed for the bombing of the Guildford Pub. Gerry Conlon, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, starts out as a young, unemployed thief who steals lead from neighborhood roofs. After being caught for a final time he is forced to leave Belfast because of the IRA's disapproval of his stealing. So Gerry and his friend Paul Hill (John Lynch) moved to London where they stayed at a "hippie" house with a group of friends. But they soon have to leave because of tensions in the house with one of the guys. So Paul and Gerry left out on the streets, find themselves on a park bench the night the Guilford pub was bombed.
This is when things started going downhill for the two. The boyfriend of the girl in the house goes to the police and points Gerry and Paul out. This is too good of news for Inspector Pavis, who is under pressure to find the bombers. Before you know it, Gerry, three of his friends, and some of his family are being arrested for the bombing. With no real evidence, they are mentally tortured to get a statement out of them. The whole court scene was a circus of lies in which they were tried and jailed for the bombing.
After some years in prison with his father Giuseppe (Pete Postlethwaite), a new lawyer, Gareth Peirce (Emma Thompson), comes along and is eager to get a retrial for them. However, Gerry had such hatred for the English justice that he needed more encouragement to do this. For the remainder of the movie, you see Gareth uncovering all the deceptions and lies that were brought up in the original sentencing. From the false evidence and witnesses, forced confessions, and even the confession of the real bomber. All of this is brought out in the second trial but not before Gerry's dad passes away. Even after their attempt for an early release for him.
This movie was more than just about ho...