Sins of the Father

TV-14

2002

1h 37m

Drama

List

50%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Based on true events, this film recounts the story of Bobby Frank Cherry (Richard Jenkins), who participated in the infamous 1963 bombing of a Birmingham, Ala., church that left four black girls dead. Decades later, the investigation is reopened and Bobby is the prime suspect. When Bobby's middle-aged son, Tom (Tom Sizemore), is confronted with difficult questions from the police, he must decide whether to protect his father from the law, or turn him in and finally let justice be served.

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Michael Speier

Variety

Perfs are aces all around, with both Sizemore and Jenkins showcasing genuinely pent-up hostility, rage and confusion.

Nov 6, 2018

Full Review

John Leonard

New York Magazine/Vulture

A remarkably nuanced and affecting TV movie.

Feb 2, 2018

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 11, 2005

Full Review

Jamie Gillies

Apollo Guide

Rated: 62/100

Dec 16, 2002

Full Review

Caffeinated Clint

Moviehole

Tom Sizemore comes front centre with the thought provoking and ultimately powerful "Sins of the Father", a highly charged family drama, co-starring Richard Jenkins and Ving Rhames, in which he's easily the jewel in the crown

Jun 7, 2002

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

Difficult to feel much sympathy... for any of the characters.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jun 4, 2002

Full Review

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Audience Member

interesting movie...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

well umn just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch...its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie....i think that tom sizemore, rochard jenkins, lachlan murdoch, ving rhames, aaryn doyle, brenda bazinet play good roles/parts throughout this movie...i think that the director of this thriller/real-life/drama movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie....its a really good thriller movie 2 watch n its enjoyable

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Mike M

A very TV-movie title, but otherwise a fairly tough, well-acted, honorable telefilm, produced for the FX network, which runs parallel to the events of Spike Lee's civil-rights doc "4 Little Girls"... Jenkins is as convincing as he almost always is, and director Dornhelm also pulls off some kind of first in casting Tom Sizemore as a conflicted voice of decency in a family gone to rot, though his final outpouring is soapier than the rest of the script (and inadvertently suggests Cherry Sr. was convicted on the grounds of being a bad dad).

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/09

Full Review

Audience Member

Nice movie, about the bombing of a Baptist Church in Alabama in 1965, that learned me something more about the Ku Klux Klan .

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

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Robert Dornhelm

Director

Tom Sizemore

Tom Cherry

Richard Jenkins

Bobby Frank Cherry

John Pielmeier

Writer

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Synopsis

Based on true events, this film recounts the story of Bobby Frank Cherry (Richard Jenkins), who participated in the infamous 1963 bombing of a Birmingham, Ala., church that left four black girls dead. Decades later, the investigation is reopened and Bobby is the prime suspect. When Bobby's middle-aged son, Tom (Tom Sizemore), is confronted with difficult questions from the police, he must decide whether to protect his father from the law, or turn him in and finally let justice be served.

Director: Robert Dornhelm
Screenwriter: John Pielmeier
Rating: TV-14
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 37m