Not Without My Daughter

I'm so touched by this.....what a beautiful happy ending 🥺🥺😭😭😭 I'm so happy they were able to leave

We had to watch this movie in law class a while back, and I remember it was a sexist, racist piece of trash. OK, I understand that women are treated unfairly in Iran, sometimes even harshly. And I understand that this was based on a true story. But this movie is so exaggerated, so completely ridiculous in it's portrayal of another culture that it is impossible to recommend. The main character doesn't even TRY to accept the cultural differences, in fact she risks her life just to get back to her soulless suburban homeland of America. Absolutely sickening to see her walk up to the American flag and go "we're home". And yes, this movie does seem to say that all men are evil. I give it a 3/10.

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I'm sorry that some people feel that a true story is some sort of Iran bashing. I'm also sorry that so many middle eastern countries are primitive and have little respect for women or their right to equality. Sally Field did a great job in this movie, and yes since it's a true story - it actually happened - how about that? Yes it made me hate Moody and his family - and why not it portrayed their evil. And evil is exactly what they were so the movie did exactly what it should have. I think this movie is another great insight as to what goes on in the middle east and certainly doesn't deserve any of the criticism found in these forums.

Leaving aside for a moment the poor story, plot, credibility as based on a true story, etc. -- the movie comes off as sheer anti-Islam propaganda. Apparently based on a "true" story (whatever that means), the movie completely ignores the point that whatever truth there is to it would simply be that this woman's husband was a psycho with a mental illness. His religion, culture, country of origin are completely irrelevant to this -- and yet in the movie they are made out to be the root causes of his behaviour. As some of the comments on imdb show, this (and the whole anti-Islam tone of the movie that shows Islam and Iranians as a sinister, unfriendly threat) leaves some people with a misguided and foolish view of Islam and/or Iran. (For those people, I sincerely encourage you to look to more credible sources for your cultural & religious education.) Thus, the movie is worse than a waste of time. It's unfortunate that this kind of blatant misinformation (for want of a better word) in the form of entertainment is becoming so common. Oh yeah, the storyline is vaguely absurd (you telling me they had a fairytale marriage for so many years, the wife never noticed anything odd about him, and then the air in Iran suddenly turns him into a nasty monster?) & the direction extremely poor. In short, only see this if you like being slapped in the face.

I don't understand the rather low ratings of this film, although it drags quite a bit in the middle, it is a gripping true story, well scripted and well acted. Alfred Molina as the Iranian husband and Sally Field as the American wife are perfectly cast and each does a great job in their respective roles. I give it "8" of 10. First, we need to accept that part of the reason this film was made, and part of why it drags a bit in the middle, was the producers' desire to expose the mistreatment of women in certain Arab countries. This one was set in Iran, but presumably thousands of American women married to men in these countries are virtually imprisoned, not allowed basic freedoms, including the freedom to return to the USA. Or perhaps other "western" countries. I was in one of the Arab countries for a week in 1991 and what is depicted in this film is very accurate. The story - SPOILERS FOLLOW - it is 1984 and Betty is happily married to an Iranian-born doctor, and they have a 5-year-old daughter. We see them as a typical well-off American family, fishing in the lake in Michigan (filmed in Georgia) and having a family outing with the in-laws. At the hospital fellow doctors are making uncomplimentary remarks about Iranian doctors, and kids at school to the daughter. Plus, his large extended family back in Iran (formerly Prussia) are putting pressure on him to return. Betty is afraid to go for a short visit, but her husband swears on the Koran that he will see that they remain safe, and they will return home in the US after a two-week visit. When they arrive in Iran, the large family celebration looks more like a grand homecoming, which is what it was. After two weeks he told Betty they weren't going back, in Iran she is his property and she has no independent rights. When she argued, he hit her in the face with his fist. At one point, when her father was ill back in the states, and she wanted to travel to visit him, she would not be allowed to bring her daughter. She said, "Not without my daughter" will I leave, thus the title. Betty and her daughter were there for almost two years before they finally escaped, taking a dangerous route across one border, risking their lives for freedom. She had spent most of that two-year period constantly trying to find a way to escape. Angered by her attempts at one point he told her, "Try this again and I will kill you." That coming from her husband with whom she lived such a normal life just months earlier. All in the name of his religious beliefs. The DVD is relatively sharp, but not "reference" quality. There is only one short "extra" of note, and it is a "making of" which also includes some comments from the real Betty. Good film, still can't figure out why it has a relatively low IMDb rating.