Review

Won't Back Down

  • Review Date: September 27, 2012
  • PG
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2012

Common Sense Media says

Inspiring tale of a mom's quest to better her kid's school.
Age
9
Quality
 
  • Positive messages3
    Plenty of positive messages in this feel-good drama, particularly that all it takes is one or two people to galvanize a community and enact change. Jamie and Nona have nothing in common when the movie starts, but against all odds they join together to help create a better school, even though that means exposing themselves to gossip and ridicule. Pro-union families should know that the depiction of the teachers' union is negative, even though a teacher explains all the good the union does as well.
  • Positive role models4
    Jamie will stop at nothing to help secure a better education for her daughter. Even though she isn't that educated herself, she has a fiery spirit and refuses to back down even in the face of overwhelming bureaucracy. Nona joins Jamie's mission and in the process becomes a better teacher.
  • Violence0
    Not necessarily violent, but very upsetting: A teacher purposely keeps a student from going to the bathroom, so she has an accident in front of the class.
  • Sex2
    Jamie dresses suggestively (tight jeans, midriff-baring tops) and basically seduces a teacher who becomes her boyfriend. There's kissing, and it's clear he spends the night at her house, but there aren't any love scenes.
  • Language2
    Insulting language such as "stupid," "idiot," "retard," "slow," "sucks," "dumb," "uneducated." One or two uses of "ass" and "Jesus" (as an exclamation).
  • Consumerism1
    Malia has a Le Sportsac backpack that her mother says cost a fortune, and Jamie buys Dunkin Donuts coffee.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Adults drink several times at a bar. A mother relates a harrowing tale about what happened when she drove under the influence when her child was a baby.
CloseExpand to see more details

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Won't Back Down, which is based on actual events, follows a mother's journey to turn her daughter's failing elementary school around. There's some insulting language ("idiot," "retard," as well as "ass") and bullying -- a teacher does nothing as a student rips another student's backpack, and the same teacher purposely keeps a kid from leaving class to use the bathroom. Jamie, the protagonist mom, wears tight clothes and flirts with pretty much everyone -- culminating in a romantic relationship with a teacher at her child's school. Adults drink at a bar and restaurant, but there's no drunkenness. Parents and kids will be reminded of the difference that just one or two people can make in a community.

This review of Won't Back Down was written by

Most useful reviews by all members

Parent
September 28, 2012
16
Not for kids & under
 
Propaganda film
This film is produced by a right-wing guy with an anti-union agenda. It is a right-wing propaganda film.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
Helped me decide (29) | Had useful details (17) | Read my mind (19)
Teen, 14 years old
September 29, 2012
12
OK for kids & up
 
A+ movie hits your sensitive spots
Lack of education is an issue in our country, and has been for over thirty years, so basically were stuck in a huge public fight because nobody can compromise. There has been discussion, which I like. But everyone has very diverse ideas about what to do about it, so coming down to one thing to do is quite difficult. So everyone is frustrated because it seems like people are doing nothing, like how the frustrated moms felt in this movie. It's true, they weren't doing nothing, because nobody had any idea what to do. The main mom (Maggie Gyllenhaal) had a daughter with dyslexia, which made it difficult for her to read. A lot more kids these days have learning disabilities and mental health issues (like myself) and that makes school very difficult. There is a lot of bullying in the movie, sometimes by teachers, and bullying is also a controversial issue with diverse ideas on how to solve it. I feel like sometimes there is a connection between the kid's mental health and the kid's behavior. And that's why I feel like the characters in this movie were very interesting.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
Helped me decide (18) | Had useful details (17) | Read my mind (24)
Parent of 12 and 12 year old
October 7, 2012
9
OK for kids & up
 
Won't Back Down is a great movie for families
As an advocate for kids with StudentsFirst, I was able to see this movie at a few screenings ahead of release. This movie is a heartwarming, uplifting story about what happens when parents and teachers come together for students. It took a complex subject and made it relevant for so many families in a way that documentaries can't always accomplish. A new "Norma Rae" story for our time - two moms, one a teacher, who rise up against the status quo to improve a school and give their kids a better future. Highly recommend!
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
Helped me decide (15) | Had useful details (12) | Read my mind (18)
See all user reviews

Lean on Me

(PG-13, 1989)
Inspirational movie about a controversial teacher.
AGE
15
 

Stand and Deliver

(PG, 1988)

Intensely watchable movie based on a true story.
AGE
13
 

Dead Poets Society

(PG, 2002)

Inspiring, intense story of a teacher and his students.
AGE
13