“trial by fire” movie review

If current events aren’t enough to outrage you daily, go see Trial By Fire, and add the death penalty to your list of what’s wrong with the world.

The true story of a man put to death by the state of Texas for allegedly setting the house fire that killed his three young daughters, the movie is devastating and thought-provoking and often hard to watch — although you should.

Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O’Connell) was definitely guilty of being a ne’er-do-well, a bully and a pretty unlikeable stereotype of poor and uneducated, and that’s what caused a jury to convict him in an hour.

It sure wasn’t the evidence — which was made up and grossly misinterpreted.

Willingham was sentenced to death and, in prison, was beaten by both inmates and guards for being a “baby killer.”

As audience members, we’re not quite sure who’s telling the truth or who really set the fire until Laura Dern steps into the picture as Elizabeth Gilbert, a compassionate volunteer who corresponds with Willingham through a prison outreach program.

As she gets to know him, she begins to research the trial, studying transcripts and talking to witnesses. The glaring inconsistencies, well, light a fire under her. She brings in a world-renowned fire investigator who shows that the fire couldn’t have been arson and, in fact, was probably a tragic accident caused by a faulty space heater.

But no one cares. And you, like Gilbert, will burn with anger and frustration at the blatant injustice.

Although she’s convinced that this new evidence will save Willingham, he warns that hope is a dangerous thing that he can’t afford. And, unfortunately, he’s right.

Director Edward Zwick makes it pretty clear that governor Rick Perry and his cronies knowingly and callously put an innocent man to death.

What will really fire you up is the actual footage of Perry, over the credits, boasting that there were more executions under his time in office than under any other governor. The GOP crowd roars its approval.

And you will vow to light up the polls in 2020 and vote out every single Republican.