Won't Back Down

There is so much that I can discuss about the film Won't Back Down. So I feel like I won't be able to give any one point too much justice. So this is just a little list of the feelings I had about this film.

1. Parent Trigger Laws -- While in the context of the film Trigger Laws seem great, I think they are frightning. I have seen otherwise amazing teachers brought down by one or a few parents who didn't like them for one reason or another -- usually not for any legitimate, educational reason. It all has to do with politics. What if I walked into a hospital where I was recently treated and said, "Okay, people, I have this petition, and I'm firing all the doctors and nurses here and replacing them with new ones!" It would never happen in a hospital, so why should it in a school?

2. Heart-Wrenching Mommy Guilt -- Thoughout most of the film we see Nona struggling to help her obviously struggling son with his homework. It is not until later in the film that we learn that Nona drove drunk to bring her colicky infant son to the doctor without properly buckling him in his seat, and most likely caused some kind of brain damage when she subsequently crashes the car. Though I have not and would not put myself or my family in such a situation, as a mother of a once-colicky baby, I can 100% understand the desire to somehow dull one's emotions and senses with something like alcohol. It was difficult not to burst into tears in front of all of my classmates when Nona's son says that despite the accident, his brain is okay.

3. Depictions of the Poor -- If being poor is the way that Maggie Gyllenhaal makes it appear, then I don't think it's half bad! While I, personally, would not be caught dead in a belly-shirt, Maggie's character's wardrobe was far more expansive than my own. She had a new outfit on in every scene, and most looked pretty up to date. The newest item of clothing I own is a pair of materinty jeans that I bought out of necessity in October 2011. Most of my clothes are washed and worn weekly. I think the wardrobe department working on this film failed to make the character look authentic because of this.

4. Is this real life? -- Well, it was inspired by a true story, but I could not find evidence of a parent trigger petition ever being enacted upon. Especially under the circumstances we find in the film. Of course, it's all drama, but we are led to believe that the red tape would be cut and the petition and application would be brought to a vote on the same day it was rejected for having errors in it. And lo and behold the parents are successful!!! And they all lived happily ever after! Hurrah!