One Minute Movie Review: Won't Back Down

Never has a film angered, inspired, and entertained me like this fact based drama featuring authentic performances and a truly compelling story.    Based on the Parent Trigger Law, worth a Google search, if by the end of this film you refuse to see how larger government stifles any real growth whether it is educational or anything else, you are not only drinking from the fountain of denial,  you are skinny dipping in it.   This is an absolute triumph for director Daniel Barnz who has remarkably few films to his credit, with his most notable flick being the disappointing tween fantasy Beastly.  Viola Davis, Aibileen Clark from The Help, delivers another exquisite performance as Nona Alberts, a teacher struggling to reach her students within a failing education system and her own personal family trials.  Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a non slutty Erin Brokovich style character that instantly connects with the audience and the remaining players.  In fact, the entire cast excels making you feel every moment of this film.   As far as the plot, it is engaging and fluid, with a strong message about the evolving irrelevance of unions with their strong arm tactics and agenda driven ideologies which have resulted in their continual self destruction among public opinion.  It is sad to note this exceptionally well crafted picture was eclipsed at the box office.  This is unquestionably a much needed work for our times.   4 out of 5 Kernels; an unfortunate law of the Hollyweird universe; if you make a movie about truth, don't expect it to make any money at the box office.