X
- 2012
- PG
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 1 m
- 2012
- PG
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 1 m
Summary A fictional story inspired by actual events, the film chronicles the journey of two women, a struggling mother played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, and a veteran teacher played by Viola Davis, who embark on a mission to turn around their kids' failing school. Against all odds and countless obstacles, they persevere and ultimately succeed, provid...
Directed By: Daniel Barnz
Written By: Brin Hill, Daniel Barnz
- 2012
- PG
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 1 m
- 2012
- PG
- Twentieth Century Fox
- 2 h 1 m
Won't Back Down
42
6.9
Where to Watch
Summary A fictional story inspired by actual events, the film chronicles the journey of two women, a struggling mother played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, and a veteran teacher played by Viola Davis, who embark on a mission to turn around their kids' failing school. Against all odds and countless obstacles, they persevere and ultimately succeed, provid...
Directed By: Daniel Barnz
Written By: Brin Hill, Daniel Barnz
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
42
24% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
53% Mixed
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
24% Negative
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
42
24% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
53% Mixed
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
24% Negative
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
Won't Back Down says that whatever your feelings about the subject, lack of change cannot be the answer to our public-education crisis. Trying to cram an informational exposé and a vintage inspirational awards-bait weeper into one movie, Won't Back Down is awkward at times, yet it's also passionate in a surprisingly smart way. It makes a genuine drama out of impossible issues.
Barnz tries, at least a bit, to acknowledge the heroic and historic legacy of the union movement and its rightful place in the contemporary labor landscape. But much of the blame for the sorry state of Adams Elementary, and the school system at large, is placed at the union's feet.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 User Ratings
6.9
65% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
24% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
12% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 User Ratings
6.9
65% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
24% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
12% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
To Wont Back Down Critics: I am an Urban parent, so the question on the table: "Are parents suppose to sit back and continue to allow education systems to continue to fail to effectively educate and keep safe millions of children because the defenders of "failure as an option" are not ready to embrace change in how we deliver education to children? The Bottom line: if parents don't protect their children who will? FYI the fictional parent Maggie was the actual "trigger" not some law! She saw a problem in the school and it "triggered" her into action! Don
Report
I give the premise of the film and the acting a solid 9. Topics about education are extremely important for our society to grasp. The film itself was heavy-handed but it had to be. You cannot be subtle or make plot twists more important that the purpose of your film. While it doesn't make for the most compelling overall story possible, it does the trick that it needs to do. As a film, it wasn't perfect by any means but I would still recommend it as a viewing to anyone who cares about the state of our educational system which should be everyone. I do not think that the teacher's union portrayal was entirely accurate but like I said before, this film was from a particular point-of-view, and a passionate one that is worth viewing.
Report
If you want your movie to blow up the right way, you have to do better than the paint-by-numbers story and characters presented here.
The movie addresses timely issues but eschews shading in favor of blunt black and white. It's old-school Lifetime fodder dressed up in Hollywood trappings.
If "Waiting for Superman" was intended to make audiences think, Won't Back Down is supposed to make them feel. It made me feel more annoyed than outraged.
For all its strenuous feints at fair play, though, Won't Back Down is something less honorable - a propaganda piece with blame on its mind.
This poor film is so shamelessly manipulative and hopelessly bogus it will make you bite your tongue in regret and despair.
"Won't Back Down" 10 Scale Rating: 5.0 (Mediocre) ...
The Good: A hot topic that deserves attention and certainly is a good idea for a film. Viola Davis was great, which is starting be expected from her in every performance. There are some very good dramatic scenes in the film. It could have used more, but the few that it did have were well done.
The Bad: Maggie Gyllenhaal almost single-handedly ruined the film. Her character was supposed to be the tough as nails mom trying to get a better education for her daughter. Instead she grated on me and was extremely annoying. Sadly, the film as a whole also falls flat and misses the mark. It mostly glosses over the real issues and over simplifies it.
Report
To me, "Won't Back Down" is a disappointment just like "Good Deeds." I love Viola Davis. Her Oscar performance in The Help was incredible. But why are you starring in a film that is led with some heated outrage over to promote a parent trigger movement and critics are baffled on identical vehicle to billionaire Philip Anschutz, who is the founder of Major League Soccer and worked for films like "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." "Won't Back Down" is a paltry movie. The cast looks good, but the script and the story looks too boring. Sending a message won't help the audiences that much. And I think it's gonna cost them at the box office.
Report
If you thought The Impossible was a shameless film aimed directly at your tear ducts then you should watch Won't Back Down because you ain't seen nothing yet. Won't Back Down follows Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a single mother with a child who is struggling to read and how she joins force with a teacher, Nona Alberts (Viola Davis) to try and turn around their failing school, the failing school both their children attend. They must do so while going up against a combative bureaucracy trying to hide the schools failing grades under the metaphorical rug. Won't Back Down is manipulative film making at its very worse as the film tries to force you to care about a cause that is led by one of the most unpleasant people. Jamie is an in your face offensive women who finds this cause and instead of doing what any normal person would do, talk to people about it she rams statistics down their throats making the central story of the film a cause I honestly could not care about. The worst aspect is that Won't Back Down is based on a true story and a real mother doing the best for her child but this film turns her into a reprehensible attention seeker and the film spends so much time telling the story of this supposedly courageous woman that it almost forgets that there's even a kid driving everything this character is doing. Despite all that the film also shows Nona's life and as a character Nona is a believable and entertaining woman who is by far the best thing about the film. She is realistic, often caustic but for good reason and she is beautifully portrayed by Viola Davis. If anything Maggie Gyllenhaal gets a bad deal as she is stuck with an emotionless character with no redeeming features at all, even her concern for her child turns into some kind of search for attention. A disappointing film about something real and wonderful that's ruined by bad characterization and a truly awful script that makes people out to be ad men as they constantly speak in slogans, speeches and sales pitches, its shameless viewer manipulation that makes me physically sick.
Report
This movie was just not good, bottom line. I went in watching it because I was curious about it, but I could barely stay in the theatre. It was your stereotypical feel-good movie, which does not include strong acting performances. The story itself is inspiring, but the screenwriting and overall production of the movie was simply sub-par. Also, it was about 97% propaganda against unions. Not that I'm pro-union or anti-union, but having a movie that demonizes some organization in real life, or insinuates a false pretext about something makes the movie suffer in my opinion. It almost puts the "focus" of the film ahead of its actual production and the fundamental aspects of the film such as acting suffer as a result of it.
Report
Production Company
Walden Media,
Gran Via Productions,
Lemodeln Model & Talent Agency
Release Date Sep 28, 2012
Duration 2 h 1 m
Rating PG
Genres
Tagline If you can't beat the system... change it
Awards
MovieGuide Awards
• 2 Nominations
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Black Reel Awards
• 1 Nomination
