Trial by Fire

2018
R
2h 7m

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

13K

YOUR RATING

Laura Dern and Jack O'Connell in Trial by Fire (2018)

'Trial by Fire' stars Laura Dern and Jack O'Connell.

Play trailer2:25

11 Videos

99+ Photos

Biography Drama

The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstere... Read allThe tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstered his claims of innocence.The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was sentenced to death in Texas for killing his three children even after scientific evidence and expert testimony bolstered his claims of innocence.

Director
- Edward Zwick
Writers
- Geoffrey Fletcher
- David Grann
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

13K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Edward Zwick
Writers
- Geoffrey Fletcher
- David Grann
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos11

Trailer 2:25

Trial by Fire Official Trailer

Trailer 2:32

Trial by Fire

Photos117

+ 110

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Despite undeniable proof provided by well-regarded scientists and experts - specifically Dr Hurst who is considered one of the foremost experts on arson in the world - Todd's ex-wife, Stacey (Willingham) Kuykendall, believes he is guilty of the murders of Amber, Karmon, and Kameron. As recently as 2018 she continues to deny the evidence and objects to her portrayal as a "villain" in this film.

Goofs
When the detectives are at Todd's house and are taking pictures of the crime scene, there are two posters of metal albums on the wall. One is the cover of the album 'Prevail' by Canadian death metal band Kataklysm, released in 2008, and the other is the cover of the album 'Abrahadabra' by Norwegian black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released in 2010, while the movie takes place in 1991.

Quotes
Hurst: What's Your sign?
Elizabeth Gilbert: Excuse Me?
Hurst: Under what sign of the zodiac were you born?
Elizabeth Gilbert: Aries
Hurst: And your horoscope, do you read it?
Elizabeth Gilbert: Sometimes, I guess.
Hurst: Sometimes It's right and sometimes its wrong
Elizabeth Gilbert: Well, all that stuff is just...
Hurst: People have always been fascinated by the stars, they chartered their movements. They could tell when Mercury was retrograde or when Mars was aligned with Venus. They made predictions based on these observations. These people were called Astrologers. They were the experts on the Solar System. Until the science of Astronomy came along and proved their ideas to be nothing but bullpucky. I've studied the report their experts wrote.

Connections
Referenced in Talking Dead: Do Not Send Us Astray (2018)

Soundtracks
I Believe In Country Radio
Written by Daniel Braunstein
Administered by PFM, Inc.

User reviews116

Review

Featured review

8/10

Emotional

If you were to read the plot of Trial by Fire without context you would think it was too bleak to be believable which makes it all the more surprising that it's based on real events! Trial by Fire is the story of Todd Willingham, a man who is incarcerated following the death of his young daughters in a house fire. It is an emotional watch, not only because of the fire itself which happens in the first few minutes of the movie but because we see the aftermath of the event in Willingham's life. This is compounded by some very emotionally rending flashback scenes showing better times. The line between before and after the fire is distinct. In one of the most harrowing moments in the movie, he shouts "My babies!" as his house burns. Jack O'Connell does a great job portraying these scenes.

The latter part of the movie focuses almost entirely on Willingham's time in prison and you really feel the isolation. He struggles to come to terms with his new life and frequently has visions of his eldest daughter. These visions stay with him throughout the movie through his development as a character. Regardless of the viewer's opinion on Willingham, this is difficult to watch.