In the Name of the Father is based on the real-life story of the Guildford Four, four people wrongly convicted of bombings in the UK in the 1970s. The film follows Gerry Conlon (played by Daniel Day-Lewis), who is living in Belfast during the height of the Troubles when he is arrested in London and falsely accused of participating in an IRA bombing in Guildford that killed five people.
Despite there being no evidence linking him to the crime, Gerry is convicted along with three other members of his family and a friend. His father, Giuseppe (played by Pete Postlethwaite), is also arrested and accused of being involved in the bombing. The film follows Gerry's struggle to prove his innocence, including his efforts to get access to the evidence used in his trial and his eventual release from prison after 15 years behind bars.
Throughout the film, we see the stark contrast between the British judicial system, which is depicted as corrupt and prejudiced against Irish people, and the IRA, which is portrayed as equally brutal and callous. The relationship between Gerry and his father is a major theme, with Giuseppe providing a strong moral center for his son and refusing to abandon him despite the many years of hardship they both endure.
In the Name of the Father was a critical and commercial success at the time of its release and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It is widely considered to be one of the best films of the 1990s and remains a powerful indictment of miscarriages of justice perpetrated by governments and law enforcement agencies.