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Won't Back Down

Play trailer Poster for Won't Back Down PG 2012 2h 1m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
34% Tomatometer 104 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Jamie Fitzpatrick and Nona Alberts are two women from opposite sides of the social and economic track, but they have one thing in common: a mission to fix their community's broken school and ensure a bright future for their children. The two women refuse to let any obstacles stand in their way as they battle a bureaucracy that's hopelessly mired in traditional thinking, and they seek to re-energize a faculty that has lost its passion for teaching.
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Won't Back Down

Won't Back Down

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Critics Consensus

Despite the best efforts of its talented leads, Won't Back Down fails to lend sufficient dramatic heft or sophistication to the hot-button issue of education reform.

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Critics Reviews

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Keith Uhlich Time Out Jul 9, 2026
1/5
The film point[s] a fanatically accusatory finger at teachers’ unions while using twisted Obama-esque sloganeering about "order" and "hope" to further its simplistically anticollectivist agenda. Go to Full Review London Evening Standard Jan 25, 2013
2/5
More anti-union propaganda masquerading as entertainment. Go to Full Review Joseph Walsh Little White Lies Jan 24, 2013
3/5
A straight-talking, partisan account about the failings of a broken system and a band of women who argued for better for their children. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 27, 2020
3.0/4.0
Focuses on solving problems rather than assigning blame. Go to Full Review Ellie Lucas From the Front Row Aug 6, 2019
1.5/4
A film of bumper sticker emotions, rather than ideas that might actually be helpful. Go to Full Review Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Examiner Dec 20, 2018
2.5/4
This is a gripping story, with only a few moments of awkwardness as policy details and pros and cons are explained. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jerod S @jeroduptown Apr 13, 2024 If you're a teacher, Won't Back Down might hit home...if not it might make you a little queasy. Maggie's schmaltzy and Viola plays her normal role. See more Aug 4, 2018 As a teacher highly recommend watching. See more Jul 20, 2016 Another movie that proves a stellar cast always comes out on top. I feel like movies like this have been told a million times & the subject matter here is fairly boring, but with leads like Maggie Gyllenhaal & Viola Davis - even I couldn't leave till it finished. See more Feb 23, 2016 The movie means well with decent performances but suffers from a bland script and bad direction. It isn't engaging at all. I seen a lot of good movies like this. Won't back down doesn't make the grade. See more Nov 11, 2015 This movie haded it's ups and downs, but it was good acted and was an angaging story. Sometimes it fell of topic, I did not know what was going on, and sometimes I think they take it over the limit for the school laws. As that being said I give " Won't Back Down " a Solid C-. See more Sep 17, 2015 Verklighetsbaserad och peppig story! See more Read all reviews
Won't Back Down

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Daniel Barnz

Director

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Jamie Fitzpatrick

Viola Davis

Nona Alberts

Holly Hunter

Evelyn Riske

Oscar Isaac

Michael Perry

Rosie Perez

Breena Harper

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Won't Back Down

Won't Back Down (2012) Won't Back Down (2012) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Jamie Fitzpatrick and Nona Alberts are two women from opposite sides of the social and economic track, but they have one thing in common: a mission to fix their community's broken school and ensure a bright future for their children. The two women refuse to let any obstacles stand in their way as they battle a bureaucracy that's hopelessly mired in traditional thinking, and they seek to re-energize a faculty that has lost its passion for teaching.
Director
Daniel Barnz
Producer
Mark Johnson
Screenwriter
Brin Hill, Daniel Barnz
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Gran Via
Rating
PG (Thematic Elements|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 28, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.2M
Runtime
2h 1m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, Datasat
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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