"Would you give up your life for someone else..."

It's been quite a long time since I have watched a substantially compelling film that kept my attention and did not bore me to tears. The one film that has stood out above the rest is an independent film titled "Conviction" starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell. The film centers around the life of Betty Anne Waters and her relationship with her older brother Kenny Waters. The film begins with moving shots of a bloody crime scene, yet no body is shown. Kenny has been tried and convicted of the murder of Katherine Brow in Ayer, Massachusetts in 1980. Betty Anne seems to be the only person who believes her brother's innocence and obsesses with exonerating him. She gets her GED, attends college, and even gets her law degree to become her brother's attorney and find new evidence to set him free. The story revolves around Betty Anne and her past with her older brother and why she has decided to devote her life to fulfilling the innocence of her brother. Swank and Rockwell give commanding performances in the film and truly show the love and admiration that siblings have for one another. Waters' determination and perseverance eventually pays off, however not without the ups and downs that constantly drive her away from her husband, and her sons. The case consumes her life and she can no longer commit to a full-time normal family life until her brother is set free. This entire movie was quite moving for me, as it made me think of my relationships with my siblings and my parents. What made me think is the question that Betty Anne's younger son asks his older brother: "Would you give up your life for me?" It is a question that cannot be answered until the situation presents itself. We all would like to say that we would, yet, would we do the devoted thing?