Jaime Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and teacher Nona Alberts (Viola Davis) are both parents who are tired of their failing inner city school. They battle union boss Evelyn Riske (Holly Hunter) and others to take save the school and their kids.

There's no doubt that there is a pedigree of Christian conservative roots in this movie. The big name in production is Walden Media and they have their roots in Christian conservative ownership. So is it propaganda? Probably, but it's still a good movie.

This is a movie where the labor union is made to be complete villains, and disconnected to the teachers on the ground. They lie and bribe to save their own jobs. The teachers are either good or evil. The one bad teacher can't be just incompetent. She's is literally Evil. Having said that. It is a well made film. There is good. There is evil. There are obstacles to overcome. The acting is good. The story is compelling. Other than a couple of hokey moments and some slow spots, the story flowed well. So on the film itself without taking sides, this is a definite 7. sides, this is a definite 7.

Filmed in Pittsburgh, the new Hollywood of the east, this film is more fictional than fact. It was inspired by a California law for failing schools. Pennsylvania does not have such a law as yet.

Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a working single mom with a dyslexic daughter (Emily Alyn Lind) who is not getting the attention she needs at school. Unable to move or pay for her child to go to a better school, Jamie joins with a teacher (Viola Davis) in an attempt to take over the school's charter. It is an uphill battle as she must convince apathetic parents. Teachers must also be convinced to give up their union security so they can eliminate substandard teachers with tenure.

The struggles portrayed in the film were light compared to reality. The film is an emotional roller coaster ride. The movie was well acted. Because of the topic, the film engages in some union bashing while trying not to look too anti-union (remember, actors and screen writers are union too).

Tom Petty's song finally comes in during the credit roll.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is a single mother whose pre-teen daughter is doing badly at her public school because of that daughter's dyslexia. Viola Davis is one of the few caring teachers who can relate to this mother because her son is similar. So they decide to team together to try to change the school. Based on actual events, this was quite a compelling drama about trying to get better lives for their children and the struggles they go through. I'm sure not everything depicted here was true but dramatically, it mostly was compellingly told as we see these two women hold on to whatever sanity they can muster. Also liked the supporting turns by Holly Hunter as a school administrator and Rosie Perez as a fellow teacher. So on that note, I recommend Won't Back Down.