Tony Goldwin‘s Conviction starring Sam Rockwell and Hillary Swank is sure to stimulate controversy amongst films goers and critics alike. The film follows the true life story of Betty Anne Waters, a single mother who spends ten years acquiring a law degree in order to represent her brother who has been convicted of murder. Recently the official movie poster has been released via In Contention. Check it out below.

The poster features what one can assume are Sam and Hillary’s characters side by side on a picnic table overlooking a lake. This is accompanied by a caption above that reads “An extraordinary journey of how far we go to fight for our family.”  The most apparent criticism would be the almost misleading contrast in subject matter between the poster and the film. Having watched the powerfully engaging trailer I feel that the poster does little to entice and more importantly, inform the perspective viewer of what they can expect from this film. It is clear that the movie poster appears to be almost the antithesis of the movie itself. I would like to pose the following question: Is this a marketing blunder or a display of subtle genius?

Conviction hits theaters on October 15th, 2010.