Movie Review Sins of the Father

Sins of the Father Movie Review (2.5 Stars)

An Artisan Pictures Production Directed by Emmy Nominated ROBERT DORNHELM

Featuring an all-star cast headlined by Tom Sizemore, Ving Rhames, Richard Jenkins and Colm Feore, the FX original movie, Sins of the Father, is based on the true story of the emotional and complex relationship between Tom Cherry (Sizemore) and his father Bobby Frank Cherry (Jenkins). A lifelong member of the Ku Klux Klan, the elder Cherry was indicted for his participation in one of the most notorious hate crimes in this nation's history: the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that killed four young girls-11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley.

Had it not been for the grand jury testimony of Tom Cherry, Bobby Frank Cherry would most probably be a free man today. Because of his friend Garrick Jones (Ving Rhames), Tom Cherry found the strength to tell the truth which helped bring his father to justice. 'Sins' also recognizes the unwavering drive of the FBI in its 37-year pursuit to bring Cherry to justice, as dramatized by FBI Agent Dalton Strong (Colm Feore). Cherry was indicted in April of 2000. The case is pending and a Birmingham Court recently remanded Bobby Frank Cherry to a state mental institution to be evaluated by a board of psychiatrists to determine if is he mentally fit to stand trial. A ruling is expected on Monday, December 3, 2001.

Said Executive Producer Robert Cooper, "What's truly extraordinary about this project is the juxtaposition of a father's indictment, along with a child's search for affection and approval, between a personal life tragedy and one of the most infamous hate crimes in the modern history of our nation."

The esteemed cast of 'Sins' delivers powerful performances befitting their outstanding résumés. Sizemore stars in the upcoming, highly anticipated film from Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down. In addition to his roles in Pearl Harbor and Saving Private Ryan, Sizemore has starred in such films as Enemy of the State, Natural Born Killers, Heat, Witness To The Mob, and Red Planet. Rhames, who turned in a memorable performance in Pulp Fiction, has been featured in such films as Mission Impossible, MI2, Con Air, Out of Sight, Entrapment, and won the Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Don King in Don King: Only In America.Jenkins is a regular in the hit HBO series Six Feet Under, playing the deceased family patriarch Nathaniel Fisher. He has been seen in more than 30 feature films including Me, Myself & Irene, Random Hearts, Snow Falling on Cedars, There's Something About Mary, and Absolute Power. Feore received critical praise for his portrayal of Rudolf Hoess in the miniseries Nuremberg. He has also been seen in Pearl Harbor, The Insider, The Perfect Son and City of Angels.

This is the first cable telefilm produced under Robert Cooper as the new CEO of Artisan Pictures and the first under the company's multi-picture deal with FX. Tracey Alexander is serving as executive producer, with Barbara Bloom as co-executive producer, and Judy Ranan as supervising producer.

Sins of the Father is directed by Robert Dornhelm who received critical raves and captured an Emmy nomination for Best Director for the ABC miniseries Anne Frank. It was written by John Pielmeier (Agnes of God, Submerged, Dodson's Journey). The script was based on an article by Pamela Colloff in the award-winning magazine, Texas Monthly, "The Sins of the Father." Dornhelm is coming off the critically acclaimed and highly rated success of ABC mini-series Anne Frank. Other television credits include Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald. Some of his feature film directorial credits include Digital Dreams, She Dances Alone, The Children of Theatre Street, Echo Park, The Break, Der Unfisch, and The Venice Project.

"It's a great challenge and responsibility to deal with racism and hatred in a medium that must, by definition, entertain," said Dornhelm. "It's a risky journey that I gladly undertake, just like the real character we portray who finally extricated himself from the destructive influences of his father."

ENTERTAINMENT