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Maggie Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Oscar Isaac, Holly Hunter, Rosie Perez ... see more see more... , Emily Alyn Lind , Dante Brown , Lance Reddick , Ving Rhames , Bill Nunn , Ned Eisenberg , Marianne Jean-Baptiste , Liza Colon-Zayas , Nancy Bach , Keith Flippen , Robert Haley , Lucia Forte , Sarab Kamoo , Teri Clark Linden , Joe Coyle , Jennifer Massey , Jane Mowder , Reavis Graham , Anthony Marino Jr. , Richard Barlow , Rebecca Harris , Kevin Jiggets , Patricia Cray , Juan Veza , Franklin Ojeda Smith , Sara Lindsey , Sue Jin Song , Ted Russell , Carmella Gioio , Kurt Yue , Gabrielle McClinton , Elisa Perry , Dionne Audain , Becky Meister , Toni Romano , Stephen Weigand , Landri Shannan , Paige Nelson , Kyler Norton , Jack Walz , Ivanna Eubanks , Rick Applegate , Julius Tennon

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis play two determined mothers, one a teacher, who will stop at nothing to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureau... read more read more...cracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children. This powerful story of parenthood, friendship and courage mirrors events that are making headlines daily. -- (C) 20th Century Fox

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62% liked it

16,744 ratings

Critics

32% liked it

96 critics

PG, 2 hr. 1 min.

Directed by: Daniel Barnz

Release Date: September 28, 2012

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DVD Release Date: January 15, 2013

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Flixster Reviews (496)

  • fb100000145236770
    January 26, 2013
    fb100000145236770
    "Won't Back Down" is a movie about two mothers(Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis) who are fed up with their children's failing school. They decide to risk everything to make a difference by going against the teacher unions and set out to do a school take over with the other pare... read morents and change things for the better for the kids. It's an inspirational movie, even though it runs a tad long and some of the background plot doesn't really go anywhere and just bogs the movie down some. Gyllenhaal does ok, but Viola Davis is fantastic. She is one of the best actresses today without a doubt. Whether your for or against unions it doesn't matter, because this movie is about making a difference for children. Emily liked and it made it all the way through, so if that happens I can almost guarantee all women will like it. Guys, probably not, but it's okay for a one time watch.
  • fb7817787
    February 27, 2013
    fb7817787
    Won't Back Down is a prime example of a movie that suffers from a weak script and average direction, but is saved by excellent and noteworthy performances. Having grand aspirations regarding the failing education system in urban public schools, it ultimately gives no solid solut... read moreions and overgeneralizes the myriad problems regarding said topic. Quite obviously, the movie leans heavily toward the right politically. (Damn those corrupt Teacher's Unions! If only everything ran like a business! That would fix urban blight!) Nevertheless, the performances given by Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal and the supporting cast keep the whole venture afloat. And it holds together better than "white savior" schlock like The Help. But when compared to other movies in its particular sub-genre such as Stand and Deliver and Lean on Me, or when its message is seriously analyzed, it doesn't quite make the grade.
  • fb1025970122
    January 22, 2013
    fb1025970122
    I somewhat expected to be let down by the Viola Davis/Maggie Gyllenhaal vehicle that seemed to be purely inspirational for the purposes of honorable performances hoping to get noticed by Oscar. Though Won't Back Down is anything but subtle about its purpose and wears its heart on... read more its sleeve proudly, it isn't anywhere near deserving of the fate it suffered at the box office. In fact, it is a rather affirming film that succeeds in large part to its strong lead performances that aren't as showy or as cheesy as I expected. Though Gyllenhaal certainly has the flashier role, she is able to subdue much of the typical aspects of what one might expect from her type of character by allowing the most important factor to never be forgotten, that she is in fact a mother first. Letting that sink in allows us to go along with the story written and directed by Daniel Barnz (who's had similar failure with Beastly) but knows as a writer how to navigate his way through a ton of information and streamline it into what the audience needs to grasp in order to maintain the main points of the story. He does that well here considering the difficult processes and massive amount of details likely required to do what these women decide to take on. The negative aspect to this though is his inability to pace his final product better. By the time we get to the halfway mark it feels like it should be drawing to a close. Viola Davis displays her strong instincts here but adds layers of uncertainty and regret for good measure. Despite glancing at my watch a few times throughout I still rather enjoyed the film for what it was and what it was trying to say. There is also the charming supporting cast that features Oscar Isaac and Rosie Perez that add nothing if not a little forgiveness for the overall films shortcomings.
  • fb677587177
    April 8, 2013
    fb677587177
    There are about a million movies that are completely identical to this one, but that doesn't stop it from being good. Of course I'm a sucker for all those inspirational teacher movies, so I'm probably biased. But the acting is good, it's appropriate for people of all ages, and it... read more's really kind of refreshing to see a film about hope and change rather than death and destruction. I really enjoyed this.
  • kansai2kansas
    February 2, 2013
    kansai2kansas
    "Won't Back Down" is a true-story-inspired social drama played by duo actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis... It is interesting to see how the movie turned out.
  • ThomasJayWilliams
    January 14, 2013
    ThomasJayWilliams
    A poorly-made film which believes itself to be something ground-breaking and important but its own attempts at self-importance make it nearly unbearable to watch (that and Maggie Gyllenhaal's uber-annoying, outspoken bartender mother who thinks she's God's gift to everything that... read more breathes). Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart, The Dark Knight) plays Jamie, a mother of a child with a learning disability which has a bad teacher with no patience for children who don't learn at her teaching pace. Viola Davis (Doubt, The Help) is another teacher whose own child is suffering in school and together the unlikely pair decide to take on a system of failing teacher unions (which are 100% of the problem according to the film) to reform their floundering inner-city school. By turning a blind-eye to all other contributors, the film isn't fully honest or truthful and as the film is supposed to be all about integrity it is actually somewhat hypocritical. Gyllenhaal's Jamie is one of the most-annoying characters I have seen in years -- she sauters about flaunting her sexuality to beguile male teachers into doing what she wishes while also luring them to bars so she can poor them free drinks on the house; but she does care about her child so her stealing liquor from her employer isn't even supposed to register. Won't Back Down is simply a stubborn message-movie that denies anything it doesn't want to acknowledge. It is like living in a bubble.
  • filmscum
    October 2, 2012
    filmscum
    A movie about Pittsburgh public schools that criticizes unions and their affect on children's education? I didn't think Hollywood was allowed to make movies like this? A bit refreshing in that regard, but otherwise not really worth seeing. Both Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davi... read mores were great, but the storyline was full of clichés and the director simplified a very difficult topic into black and white- where more grey was needed.
  • sayblack
    September 30, 2012
    sayblack
    Hope is a dangerous thing. Who knows that line? While it may have been used in an entirely different setting in 1994's The Shawshank Redemption, that classic film line applies perfectly in 20th Century Fox's new movie that's at least one part Stand and Deliver. The story prese... read morented in this new work focuses on two single mothers--played by Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal--who are fed up with the way in which the public school system in their city is handling their kids...or rather not handling them. Fittingly, the movie is set against the backdrop of one of America's most famed cities, Pittsburgh. As much as people may dislike Pittsburgh's sports teams, Jamie's (Maggie Gyllenhaal) allegiance to the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates is a statement in itself. It all combines to make for a movie that while it may not be an Oscar contender, is a movie that will hopefully have other parents and teachers across the country taking notice and reacting.

    The primary story of Won't Back Down is much more real than people might want to believe. Despite what other critic may believe, Won't Back Down is not an attack on unions. Rather, it's an unbiased work that does take into account both the side of the teachers and parents, and that of the unions. What so many audiences fail to understand with this work is that it attempts not to attack unions but to show that unions and many teachers within unions have lost sight of what's really important. That's not to say that all teachers within unions are like this. Do not take that wrongly. But many teachers really have lost sight of what's important. So many have become just as jaded and focused more on seniority and tenure than on the kids because the system has crushed their hopes. There's that word again. Hope. Teachers have lost hope and given up, leading to the situation presented in this story.

    It may come across as totally unnoticeable to some, but having the story set against the backdrop of Pittsburgh makes it that much more hard hitting. Pittsburgh was built on the backs of hard working Americans. But then something changed, destroying businesses and jobs in the city. When that happened, the trickle down effect from that was pretty clear. The state of that one school was a reflection of what had happened to the city. What's more, as much as people may want to deny it, Adams Elementary could be any school in the country. So many cities have been decimated for economic reasons. And the effect of that has trickled down to those cities' schools.

    Something else that viewers should take into account in watching Won't Back Down is that it is not just some dream of Ron Clark. However, it does show that what he created for his Ron Clark Academy can work in the public school system. But to effect that change, parents and teachers have to take a stand for a change. Otherwise they, along with their children and entire school systems will have no hope.
  • fb562609825
    September 27, 2012
    fb562609825
    Great storyline based on true occurrences. Great acting and quite inspiring. In theatres Fri. 9/28.

View All Won't Back Down Reviews

Critic Reviews

Peter Rainer
September 28, 2012
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Social-issue movies can have real societal impact. That's why Won't Back Down, which presses a lot of hot buttons, deserves to be taken seriously, and criticized seriously, on its own terms. Full Review

Bruce Demara
September 28, 2012
Bruce Demara, Toronto Star

Won't Back Down doesn't wholly make the grade. Full Review

Connie Ogle
September 28, 2012
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald

Americans desperately need to have some difficult conversations about the state of public education, but Won't Back Down goes about the task too awkwardly to be helpful or interesting. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
September 28, 2012
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

"Won't Back Down" details a bureaucratic process, and yet it plays more like an intense, emotional movie about parents and children. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
September 28, 2012
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

So didactic that viewers are likely to feel less uplifted than lectured. Full Review

Kyle Smith
September 28, 2012
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The film makes a serious effort to present the other side's points. Full Review

Tom Long
September 28, 2012
Tom Long, Detroit News

[Barns] pours on the corn syrup pretty heavy in parts and it's pretty obvious the film has a clear agenda ... Full Review

Liam Lacey
September 28, 2012
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

A drama that's as intellectually crude as it is emotionally calculated. Full Review

Claudia Puig
September 27, 2012
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Even terrific casting and a well-intentioned story don't add up to a wholehearted cinematic win. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
September 27, 2012
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

So shamelessly manipulative and hopelessly bogus it will make you bite your tongue in regret and despair. Full Review

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    • Nona Alberts: Dare to think!
    • Malia Fitzpatrick: Hope.
    • Jamie Fitzpatrick: You know those mothers that can lift 1-ton trucks? They're nothing compared to me.
    • Jamie Fitzpatrick: I can tell you being poor sucks, and my kid can't read!
    • Nona Alberts: What are you gonna do with your one and only life?
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