Won't Back Down

Jaime Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and teacher Nona Alberts (Viola Davis) are both parents who are tired of their failing inner city school. They battle union boss Evelyn Riske (Holly Hunter) and others to take save the school and their kids.

There's no doubt that there is a pedigree of Christian conservative roots in this movie. The big name in production is Walden Media and they have their roots in Christian conservative ownership. So is it propaganda? Probably, but it's still a good movie.

This is a movie where the labor union is made to be complete villains, and disconnected to the teachers on the ground. They lie and bribe to save their own jobs. The teachers are either good or evil. The one bad teacher can't be just incompetent. She's is literally Evil. Having said that. It is a well made film. There is good. There is evil. There are obstacles to overcome. The acting is good. The story is compelling. Other than a couple of hokey moments and some slow spots, the story flowed well. So on the film itself without taking sides, this is a definite 7. sides, this is a definite 7.

Won't Back Down is less a movie about living, breathing characters (with one exception) and more a political polemic about bad schools and bad unions. Viola Davis manages, as usual, to rise above surprisingly simplistic material and give a fine performance. But most of the characters were reduced to giving talking points, and some usually good actors gave surprisingly bad performances as a result. I know people worked very hard on this movie, and I'd like to be able to give it a more positive review...but I just can't.

This movie also made pretty good use of its Pittsburgh location, particularly nice use of the the incline. Points for the many sports-related T-shirts and the Giant Eagle bread.

If you have a child in school tomorrow, or plan to have a child in school in the next decade, go see "Won't Back Down". Not because the writing is good, or the acting is good, but because the story could be from your own backyard, your own child's school.

This isn't a summer blockbuster like the "Avengers", and audiences loved the "Avengers", but none of us are super-heroes, nor will we ever be. We are all capable of being the type of hero so well portrayed by Maggie Gyllenhall and Viola Davis - Parents. Every adult, that experiences this film will understand that it does not take super-powers and a shiny costume to be a hero to a child, or a community.

So, yes, educating the next generation does matter. Who's going to be your Doctor, your Lawyer, your CEO in 30 years...a child being born today. If that child doesn't get an adequate education...how will they be able to achieve their dreams? How will our country survive through a generation of D and C students?

Go and enjoy "Won't Back Down" for what it is - Sometimes funny, sometimes heartwarming, striving to make us all see that somethings are worth fighting for.

The opening scene suggests this could be a satisfying movie. Sadly, that is not the case. The problem is, Davis and Gyllenhaal lack chemistry, the characters are shallow, and while the movie isn't unbelievable, it's not believable either. There are some powerful moments, but nowhere near enough for a recommendation. It's also extremely low-key, and most of it feels like a filmed rehearsal. There's no real acting here, because everyone in the movie seems like they're just going through the motions and phoning it in. Because I didn't have high hopes for it, I can't really call it a disappointment. Reversing the two leads' roles, having stronger writing, and a stronger screenplay might have helped.

** out of ****

To Wont Back Down Critics: I am an Urban parent, so the question on the table is: "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't be afraid that the modern civil/human rights issue has hit the big screen and the Parent Empowerment Movement has begun!