Not Without My Daughter (1991) User Reviews (147)

Intense and well acted, not completely sure on accuracy though

[spenrh · 7/10 · 30 May 2019]

This movie definitely kept me interested, that's one thing that I have absolutely no complaints about. Sally Field outdid herself as the American wife Betty of Alfred Miloni who plays her Iranian husband Moody who seems to change into a very different kind of person once on his soil.

Moody's character transformation from loving husband to pcychotic wife abuser in my belief may have been something more like this: Moody already had temperamental issues which he just suppressed more back in the states. He was a doctor, educated, and he was aware of the laws in America and knew that while still there, he would've never gotten away with physically beating up Betty and refusing to let her use the phone or leave the house. He knew that he could get away of doing those things once they were in a country free of those laws, and he then did so. Moody already had underlying qualities about him from the start, he lied to his wife while holding the Koran and told her that they were going to Iran on a 2 week vacation. The reason is obvious that she would've refused to go if he told her the truth of his intentions back in the states, and if he'd hit her and ordered her around tyrannically there, Betty could've easily of gotten the police, gotten her family involved, and filed for a divorce and gotten custody of their daughter Matoff because he abused her. But in Iran, he knew that he'd get custody of Matoff if they divorced. Also, later in the film when Betty's dad is deathly ill back in the states, Moody allows her to go back to America to see her dad, but refuses to let her take Matoff, the simple reason being that Moody knew that she wouldn't return if they both went back. Moody wasn't stupid, he knew that inspite of her desperate desire to leave Iran, the one thing that would garuntee her return would be if Matoff was still there. He knew that she wouldn't be able to cope anywhere without her daughter, hence the title of this movie.

Moody's Iranian family is huge, his greeting at the airport looked almost like a crowd of fans welcoming a celebrity. They drive to his family's house, and there's a disturbing moment on screen of their arrival of a sheep being slaughtered in front of the house while Matoff is understandably upser by seeing that, and Moody telling Betty to step over it for Islamic reasons. It was a sacrificial animal slaughter which still happens in Islamic countries. While staying there, Betty notices how Moody's family doesn't make her feel welcome, and she also notices the loud verbal arguments between Moody and his family, which Moody then tells Betty that it's over him having become Americanized, him having been away from them so long, and falling away of the Islamic faith. That factor makes it seem that his decision to stay was based on that. However, like earlier mentioned, Moody planned to move there all along.

There are several Iranians Betty meets who are decent people. One of the younger women of Moody's family does show a sympathetic spot for Betty. That's seen a few times, including a scene where the whole family starts yelling at Betty, except the younger woman who sits there quietly looking like she feels sorry for Betty over what's happening. The other members of Moody's family are clearly on his side and are also constantly watching her under Moody's request. The other nicer Iranians work for a private organization who feel for Betty and help her make plans to escape Iran. These Iranians, of course, are not part of the typical fundamentalist Iranians like Moody's family, and are in fact not only betraying Islamic culture but seriously breaking Iranian laws. But, they are the good guys to Betty and Matoff and the fundamentalists aren't.

Moody's outbursts get worse over the duration of the film and Betty's beatings keep getting more severe. It starts becoming very easy to root for Betty. I've read debates on the accuracy of this movie, and honestly, I'm not sure what's the truth on what really happened. But I do know that this is Betty's side of the story. If the movie isn't completely accurate, then this movie can be seen as an attack on Iranians. That's the main thing which hurt an otherwise intriguing and interesting movie.

Good Film

[pahaake · 7/10 · 24 April 2009]

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.

Loved the book!

[NutzieFagin · 7/10 · 4 November 2008]

I can't understand why this movie was called racist! It happened and there is a prevalent problem with some child custody cases involving parents from different countries. I did read Betty Mahmoody's sequel book entitled "For the Love of a Child" . It basically deals with the aftermath of her escape from Iran with Mahtoob, but she also writes about other cases where children from such marriages (one parent from a foreign country) who use the international system to hold their children hostage against the other parent. I recommend this book more than "Not Without My Daughter" It shows the nightmare of losing your child to international courts in nasty child custody battles. I had no idea it was such heartache.

Okay movie, disturbing comments

[jash-1 · 10 October 2004]

While I was re-watching bits of this movie a few weeks ago, I read the user comments here at IMDb and was very disturbed. Since it is still bothering me, I decided to write my own comments on the movie and on what has been said here.

First, the movie. It is about an international custody battle. That is a very real problem in this day and age. When couples from different countries break up they often each want the children to live with them and grow up in the country (and culture) in which they were raised. Each naturally thinks the way he or she was raised is better for their children.

This movie is Betty Mahmoody's story. And the culture clash is between the United States and Iran. It takes place in 1984. The Ayatollah Khomeini was still very much the leader Iran and the Iran-Iraq war had been going on for 4 years and would continue for another 4. Iran was quite isolated from much of the world at that time.

And 'Moody' Mahmoody, an Iranian-born doctor practicing in the U.S., brings his American wife, Betty, and their daughter, Mahtob, to Iran for a visit. When they arrive, Moody is dismayed at the changes in Iran, especially the breakdown of the education system and the resulting shortage of doctors. Then he becomes an ultra, ultra fundamentalist Muslim – so reactionary he makes suicide bombers look moderate. He demands that Betty dress and behave how he thinks a good Muslim wife should and wants their daughter to be raised to do the same. He becomes physically abusive to Betty. If she wants to return to America, it is fine with him, but Mahtob will remain with him in Iran. So Betty plans a dangerous escape for herself and her daughter.

Does the movie work? Somewhat. 'Women in peril' movies are always a guilty pleasure and Sally Field is a good actress. The biggest problem is with Moody's character. Alfred Molina is a wonderful actor, but it's hard to do much with a character that undergoes such a radical change in his basic character in a matter of weeks. I kept expecting to learn that he had once been diagnosed as psychotic or schizophrenic.

Is the movie unfair to the Iranian people? Again, somewhat. Virtually all the characters in the movie except Betty and Mahtob are Iranian. Some are good. Some are bad. But you can't have a 'woman in peril' with no peril. And that is provided by Moody and his family. But the people who help Betty escape are also Iranian. What unfairness there is lies not in maligning the Iranian people (it doesn't do that) but in implying (and sometimes saying explicitly) that the Iranian culture is inferior just because it is not westernized. As a free American woman I would not want to live in any fundamentalist society, regardless of which religion was in control. But post-revolution Iran is no more representative of thousands of years of Persian culture than Italy under Mussolini was representative of a land that produced the Roman Empire and Michelangelo.

Is the movie unfair to Moody? No, because this is BETTY's story. Talk to anyone in a bitter custody battle and they'll tell you all about why their ex is evil. And they wouldn't be lying. They are giving you their point of view. That doesn't mean Moody doesn't have a different point of view which is equally true and equally untrue (and which, I gather from the comments, was explored in another movie.) But 'Not Without My Daughter' doesn't pretend to be a sociological examination into the two sides of a dispute. Let me repeat for the third time, this is BETTY's story.

That brings me to why some of the comments disturb me so much. I would fully understand if some viewers thought the movie was silly or inaccurate or biased. But several writers have used their reviews as an excuse to joyfully bash the United States. My favorite was 'Who died and made Americans god to do movies about other countries??' That writer is from Sweden but doesn't seem to have a problem with Jan Troell making 'The New Land' (Nybyggarna) about America. And, were we to listen to her, we wouldn't have 'An American in Paris' or 'The Killing Fields' or 'Out of Africa' or 'Amadeus' (all of which are much better films than 'Not Without My Daughter.') But in the United States we have freedom of speech. That means that movie producers are free to make any movie to which they think they can sell tickets. And, as a member of the viewing public, when I disagree with what they are saying I have a very simple remedy. I don't buy a ticket.

Not Propaganda

[laura-mckeever · 7/10 · 6 February 2009]

If I were to review the book, I would give a clear 10/10 as the content shows Betty Mahmoodys lack of bias and gives more of an idea as to how the Muslim religion is etc.

I would lie to begin by saying that like others I am disturbed by these film reviews. It does not portray ALL Iranians to be violent and inhospitable, it portrays Moody in this light and his family.

Those of you who believe Betty Mahmoody is a liar, racist, prejudiced or all of the above need to take the time to move away from your TV screens and read her books 'Not Without My Daughter' and 'For The Love Of A Child'.

In 'Not Without My Daughter' she expresses gratitude to the Iranian people and speaks of the oppression that reaches Iranian women. She only seeks to highlight her treatment at the hands of Moody and his family. She finds solace in the Muslim religion and respects it.

In 'For The Love Of A Child' Betty explores how this story is familiar to couples of all cultures. Such stories feature a South African woman taking her children from her Libyan husband, a German woman kidnapping her American husbands daughter, Algerians taking French children...Betty does not seek to paint the Middle East in a bad light and this can be seen in the way she explores what she clearly sees as a world wide issue of parents being 'left behind'. This book also shows how she counsels Mathob in remembering her Persian roots and not holding her father in contempt. At many points she tells Mahtob that it is okay to still love her father and remains within their Iranian, Pakistani and Iraqi social circles in America. She also highlights how the climate between America and Iran created bias around the film and how she personally along with Sally Fields attempted to illustrate that the Iranians were kind.

I know it has been mentioned that the Iraniabs are more hospitable than Americans. At the time of Mathob and Bettys plight that was most likely not the case. You must bear in mind that Betty simply couldn't fabricate this story, that is why we have laws against libel in most corners of the world. If the details of this film were untrue why has Dr Moody not successfully sued Betty? In addition to this friends of Dr Moody who were based in Tehran at the time of the story occurring confirmed the details. What reason would they have to lie? I think when watching a film like this its important to bear in mind that your bias' will come in to play and that seeking the facts is a better route to take than ranting like a maniac.

Islam can be hard on women

[themoviewatcher · 7/10 · 21 October 2003]

First, I would like to say that this movie pulled me in.. Akin to "Midnight Run" without the drugs.. they replaced the drugs with subservience.. Overall I thought it was a good movie!

If this movie is a true reflection of (Iran's version) Islam, I can't comprehend how any 'supreme being' can allow the total dominance of one human being over another!! We (as westerners) live (supposedly) in a world of equality and I have a hard time understanding how anyone can follow a religion that suppresses someone's freedom, to the point of slavery!!

This movie hit a cord with me, knowing what has transpired in the last number of years. With religions and beliefs all over the world battling against each other, (Jews/Muslims, Christians/Muslims, Hindus/Muslims, BinLaden/Freeworld)

I have nothing against Muslims, I have lots of friends that are Muslims. What I don't understand is how these 'radical' factions get away with what they do, without being castigated from their peers!!

"Can't we all just get along"

Cheers TheMovieWatcher..

Pessimistic and Biased

[armin_shams · 1/10 · 24 February 2005]

It will not give you a realistic view of Iranians, but a pessimistic one based on Betty's version of the story.

I have also heard her husband's interview who tells the story in a different way, which seems more rational. The film lies. MGM has left a bad record by producing this film.

I generally and sometimes in a different way agree with one of the people who had leaved comments that despite what the film says directly/indirectly:

1) Tehran does not have sheep roaming its streets. Its a sprawling metropolis, with smog clogging up its streets, and it hasn't had sheep since about 1890. Why the hell the filmmakers have chosen a street in rural Occupied Palestine (so called Israel) to film this movie, and use this village to represent Tehran is beyond all reasonable cognition. They wanted people to think Iran is a backward country.

2) Iranian women are stronger and empowered than in many other countries in the world.

3) Why are almost all Iranians in this film brimming with animosity and anger? Iranians are warm, ESPECIALLY to FOREIGNERS!

How come looking at the credits there is not a single Iranian in the main cast? All religious and political divisions of Iranians can be united by the racism and propaganda that this film portrays against them.

I Should Like to Know Where "Some People" are Getting Their Information...

[ScottAmundsen · 10/10 · 5 May 2018]

The story told in NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER is a straightforward tale of an abusive man who traps his wife and daughter in a place from which there is no escape unless the wife agrees to go home by herself. Which naturally she refuses to do.

I read the book; there was nothing in it to make me doubt Betty Mahmoody's story one iota. Those of you who are screaming "bigotry, racism, and lies" would do well to look inside your own hearts because I suspect there's plenty of duplicity in there.

Sally Field delivers her usual powerhouse performance as the mother and Alfred Molina is surprisingly sympathetic as her husband. He's abusive, yes, but he is also a man caught between two completely different value systems and in the end one can't help but empathize with his inability to reconcile his love for his wife and daughter (read the book; there was plenty of love there in the beginning) and the loyalty he cannot help but feel towards his family in Tehran.

"People! Take your meds!" ~ Judge Elizabeth Donnelly (Judith Light), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit;" episode titled "Zebras."

An eye-opener

[paulclaassen · 7/10 · 13 June 2018]

Wow, this was an eye-opener. Really good script with a solid performance by Alfred Molina. I didn't find Sally Field strong enough for the role, although she wasn't all that bad either. I was so anxious during some scenes rooting for Betty (Sally Field) hoping she can finally escape. Based on a true story, it is nerve wrecking to think there are women trapped in similar situations, and how horrible it must be for them coming from a free world. I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

this movie is awful in many ways...

[mefisto37 · 1/10 · 8 September 2004]

I think this movie is awful in many ways.

First of all it's filmed in the most deserted and horrifying areas around Kabul (Afghanistan) and we are supposed to think its Tehran, the capitol of Iran. That gives a wrong impression of this beautiful city.

Second, the Persian family that is presented here in this lousy American propaganda movie is a very unusual family. I'm a Persian myself and I've never come across meeting or even heard of such a family. I think this movie gives a completely wrong and distorted picture of what a Persian family is like.

I live in Denmark, and a lot of my friends asked me after watching this movie, is it really like this in Iran. And of course I said 'NO'. Because it isn't. It's not Paradise either, but it's not that bad, as we see it here in this picture. I've noticed how this movie has affected people's vision of Iran in a wrong way.

Third, it doesn't make sense to me at all. Moody is a loving father, a man that has been living in America for many years, suddenly when he comes back to Iran he's transformed into a tyrannical, cold-hearted beast. It's not logic…..He must be a very disturbed man.

This movie among many others is used for making a commercial for U.S.A. A politically propaganda movie. We are supposed to conclude that America is the perfect country, and every time there is something wrong in other areas of the world, America is there like an angel, and America will save us from all evil. I'm sick of this Americanisation. America is NOT the world……and I'm extremely happy about that!!!!

I've seen other people comment on how good and factual this movie is!!! To those I would say, unless you are Persian or Iranian, you should not comment on this film at all. This movie has only been made for propaganda.

Can you tell me about an American movie that has been made about (Iran) that is positive?

Please write back to me and name some movies!!! Surprise me please!!!

The wicked moments of Islamic fundamentalism in post-revolution of Iran

[MehdiTaba · 8/10 · 22 October 2022]

You have no idea how much I'm thankful of this team of filmmakers who captured the wicked moments of Islamic fundamentalism in post-revolution of Iran.

Forget about all the negative reviews. If anyone thinks this film is showing Muslim Iranians who are on the side of Islamic Republic of Iran badly, they should come and live here for sometime. They simply haven't got a clue how Iran is and how living under this regime is. Iran is running by an Islamic fundamentalist totalitarian regime.

I'm sure nowadays if people and critics watch this film again will react to it extremely different. These days almost everyone knows about us. On 1991 lots of people didn't even know where Iran was on the map so they couldn't judge this film precisely.

For example, Argo which was released in 2012 was received very positively and had a similar story and I think Argo was even a bit weaker than this in terms of showing the horrors of living under Islamic regimes. Maybe not to cause Islamophobia which is a total fallacy that these days people use to justify their actions and stay center.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a perfect film and it has its own flaws. But its strength are many. The way it portraits the face of Islam in the family, those lies, hypocrisy, domestic violence, akhondism, kid soldiers for throwing on mines... these are unique to this film and history. We are living them everyday.

Betty Lover ''Mahmoody'' tried to capture the things she witnessed on her book. I haven't read it but I think they could adapt it in a good way. Because things that we are seeing on this film are true.

Iran after the revolution was and is a very dark country esp. In 1984-1986, in the middle of Iran-Iraq war.

7.5/10.

Good intentions

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 6/10 · 22 March 2014]

When Betty(Field, determined) go with Moody(Molina, transforming from loving to cruel) and their daughter Mahtob(Rosenthal, cute, devoted to her mother) back to his home country of Iran for a two week vacation, they find it very different from last time he was there. Since the revolution, the laws are more strict. And when the fortnight is up, he tells them that they will be staying. It's a dangerous place to be, women have few rights, and a divorce would just mean he gets custody. But she knows she has to get out, and her girl is coming with her. One way or another.

I don't know enough about the period to say how realistic this is, but it comes across as credible. We see some of the local customs, and the choice to keep it entirely from their perspective was smart - as long as they are in that country, so are we. The acting is good for all concerned, including children. Some of the dialog and cinematography are odd, taking you out of the experience, when they easily could have been better. Other than that, this is fairly well-produced. This is 108 minutes without the credits, or 111 with.

There is some solid tension, albeit these sequences tend to be over too quickly, and removed from any greater context. The pacing is decent at best. This stops and stalls, and it's one of the "based on a true story" pictures that focuses so much on being accurate, it forgets that it's also, ultimately a piece of fiction(not a documentary), and as such, has to entertain. There are plot strands that end up going nowhere, and this is easily 20 minutes too long. By the end, you've simply stopped caring.

There is some violent and disturbing content. I recommend this to those who badly want a film about these events. 6/10

A Big Lie

[neoermia · 1/10 · 8 August 2011]

I have never written anything for any movie because both my English and my knowledge about cinema are not good enough. However, last night after watching this movie I decided to write my idea about it. I am an atheist and I hate the Islamic Regime in Iran. I am also by no means a nationalist. But after watching this movie I was so angry that had to walk a few minutes to cool down. The Iranian society even today has lots of problems. In 1980s after the Islamic Revolution the situation was much worse. But the situation pictured in this movie is so exaggerated that you can't believe it is just a misunderstanding about Iran. This movie has certainly been made for a political purpose. Anybody who has been to Iran even for a few hours will agree with me. There are lots of things I can mention here that are not (and have never been) true about Iran and you can see them in this movie. For example in this movie all Iranian women are wearing chador (a kind of Islamic cover). There are lots of women in Iran without chador who use scarves to cover their hair and they don't even cover it completely as was shown in this movie. There are a few cases of asking women to cover their hair and it is never done as it is shown in this movie. They are often asked politely to cover their hair. The other point about chador is that it is not common for Iranian women to wear it at home and they definitely don't wear black chadors for praying at home. In this movie all women are wearing chador, even at home and even when they are praying. It was obviously tried to show everything about Iran dirty, ugly, primitive and savage. The houses and streets are dirty and destroyed, the women are ugly (which is actually the opposite!), men act like wild animals, etc. There are pictures of Khomeini and the logo of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards everywhere (even inside the house!). No woman wears make up. And I have no idea why there are soldiers and military cars in the streets! If you haven't been to Iran, please do not believe what you see in this movie. Although the Islamic regime is not what most of us want in Iran, it has never made our country as it is shown in this movie.

This Movie

[LisaAsh2002 · 22 August 2004]

I have seen this movie a few times and in my opinion, I enjoyed it and didn't find it racist at all. This is what happened to Betty and her story.

Is she saying that this is how ALL Iranians are? No, just what happened to her. The movie didn't give Iranians all a bad name because who were the people who helped her to escape from Iran? They were Iranians. It was not like every single person she met in Iran was rude to her. She is just talking about her husband's family and the way they treated her.

Also remember this happened in 1984, twenty years ago. For people to compare Iran now to the Iran in the movie, it's totally different. The country has changed in the pass 20 years.

I fully enjoyed this movie and admire the real Betty's courage. As a mother myself, I totally understand her not wanting to leave without her daughter. I would fight to the ends of the world for my child and that is what Betty did for her child as well.

American mother & daughter 'imprisoned' in an alien culture of a strict Muslim country

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 19 April 2021]

In 1984, an Iranian doctor in Michigan (Alfred Molina) insists on visiting his family back home after ten years and insists that his wife (Sally Field) & daughter come along for a 2-week trip. They are horrified to discover that the doctor has no intention of going back to America and holds them hostage in Tehran with his family, abusing the wife. To make matters worse, Iran was at war with Iraq at the time and bombing raids on Tehran were not uncommon. Can they make it back alive?

"Not Without My Daughter" (1991) is based on Betty Mahmoody's real-life account of the same name, co-written by William Hoffer and published in 1987. The movie reminded me of "Midnight Express" (1978), which is interesting since Hoffer also co-authored the book that movie was based on, published in 1977. Both stories are about Americans trapped in Muslim nations. Everyone knows Turkey isn't so religiously strict, but Billy Hayes in "Midnight Express" was stuck in prison there and it was a harrowing experience (read the book as it's naturally more factual than the movie). Betty wasn't in prison in Iran yet she was still very much a prisoner and the experience was just as harrowing.

The movie doesn't paint all Iranians as evil, as some criticize. It just shows how the rights of women are seriously limited in such a legalistic patriarchal society. It also effectively shows how an otherwise good person can become an altogether different one under the influence of a dubious communal spirit. This happens all the time. Have you ever had a friend who acted one way in private, but very differently in a social situation with questionable peer pressure? Perhaps you yourself have done this; I have. It's the same principle in this movie except that the "community spirit" and corresponding peer pressure involves male-dominated Islamic culture and the mistreatment of women.

The daughter wrote her account of what happened in her 2015 book "My Name is Mahtob," which basically corroborates her mother's version of events while trying to be sympathetic to her father. She became a Christian and essentially points out how genuine Christians (as opposed to nominal ones) are persecuted in America by the secular religion of LIEberalism, which is ironic since America is supposed to champion religious & ideological freedom. It's just a different kind of persecution than what Mahtob & her mother experienced in Iran.

The film runs 1 hour, 55 minutes, and was shot mainly in Neve Ilan, Isreal, but also Ankara, Turkey (the closing scenes) and Atlanta, Georgia (the Michigan scenes).

GRADE: B.

I liked it...

[darkangelkinu · 6/10 · 8 February 2006]

I'm 15 years old, in the US. I saw the second half of this movie in my History class, as part of learning about the Islamic religion. My teacher said afterwards that this movie is very good, and I agree.

However, I know for a fact that it is not completely true, in all actuality. A nice movie, of course, but it would have been better if it had more... Fact... In it.

This is Betty's story, told as Betty saw it... And, to be perfectly honest, if I were in her situation, I might not be able to see the good in the country at that time.

Overall, I liked the movie as a regular movie- not one that you were supposed to learn from.

Good drama but the film doesn't play fair with Iranians, or for what it's worth, the father...

[ElMaruecan82 · 6/10 · 24 March 2016]

In that scary black-clad Iranian crowd covered by gigantic Khomeyni portraits (I've seen jollier pictures), a redeemable Muslim person is actually more difficult to spot than Waldo. Indeed, there have been movies where a whole town or a group of people have played the bad-guy role, but for the sake of fair play and objectivity, they were always given a chance to raise their voices and give their side of the story. But "Not Without My Daughter" gives the mother's side, and only the mother's side. Her name is Betty Mahmoodi and she's played by Sally Field.

Surely a woman of such intelligence could go beyond the trauma of her experience and expect that such a story wouldn't improve the general opinion about Islam. But what one can say about the cry of a mother who, apparently, didn't find any ally among the people who surrounded her during two nightmarish years… apart from those who helped her to leave the country? And even then, you have a primitive guy trying to abuse her in her sleep. It's very revealing when there's no attempt whatsoever to shine not one single positive light on a Muslim, except if he explicitly speaks against Islam. No one would ever believe after watching the film, that what happened in Iran was perceived as a regression, even from a Muslim standpoint, even for Iranians.

Look at today's Iran, look at the Iran of "A Separation", look at any documentary and you'll see women wearing make-up and showing hair, you'll and see how far it is from the one-dimensional depiction in "Not Without My Daughter", where even women seem to approve the aggressive behavior of Betty's husband. I don't think it is possible to accept that a human group can be that brainwashed, so lacking in empathy everybody would act with the same level of blind hatred. The film is efficient on that level, because we see the family from Betty's eyes and we all despise them, and as soon as Betty sets foot in Iran, we just want her (and her daughter) to get the hell out of it. And this is the most infuriating and frustrating aspect of the film, because our persuasion can only lead to contempt. And if the drama involving Betty's separation from her country and the risk of losing her daughter Mathob, the interaction of Sally Field and her daughter, are efficient, I wish the screenplay wasn't so abrupt in the husband's reversal.

Alfred Molina is a great actor, and when the film begins, you can feel the love and tenderness he has for Betty and Mathob, we feel his pain when he's teased by his colleagues, mocking Iran's ignorance and primitiveness, and we love the genuine interactions with Mathob when he tells her that Iran used to be Persia, a rich and civilized country. But when he goes to Iran, he becomes a caricature, illustrating the very negative archetypes he was fighting against. A flawed and tormented character suddenly turns into a one-dimensional villain à la "Mommie Dearest". Yes, he lied to his wife and she had the right to be angry at him, but one should go beyond emotions. It wouldn't have hurt the film to have a few words about the Iran-Iraq war, to highlight the way it affected the husband, even more because USA was indeed giving weapons to Iraq at that time. But no, Moodi had to be a 'regular' wife-beater.

And "Not Without My Daughter" exploits a terrifying experience (if only because Betty's goes from a steady idyllic setting to a country in War) to display every possible archetype against Islam. She's welcomed by the sight of a bleeding sheep, men react like hysterical hyenas when she lets her hair loose, there are mentions of girls being married at nine, or women being considered as totally disposable and so forth. The film was directed in 1991, 2 years after the Cold War ended, and in the midst of a war against Iraq, the Green scare had efficiently replaced the Red ones and movies didn't have to wait too long Ironically, when "Not Without My Daughter" was released, Iraq became the enemy, so in the eyes of people, whatever was Muslim or Arabic, belonged to the darkest side of humanity. And the fatwa against Salman Rushdie didn't improve the publicity.

Sometimes, I remember what I said about "Midnight Express", one of my favorite movies, and I said that the film wasn't a cry against Turkey but a hymn for hope and perseverance against adversity. One can say the same about "Not Without My Daughter", except that the bars that make the prison are cultural barriers that reassemble all the negative imagery one has about Islam. And while I love to see the ending as the triumph of a mother who saved her daughter, I bet many viewers would look at it as the triumph of civilization over primitive. Now people not only fear Islam, but they think they have good reasons to do so. I was just watching a "South Park" episode recently (and I love "South Park") and an Iraqi guy shot Santa Claus and talked with ugly bark-sounding gibberish, with Bagdad looking as primitive as Kabul or Iran. I laughed at the satire but I knew some people would see this as the proof that there is something inherently evil in Muslim people.

And that's not the right mindset, not for Muslims, not any people in the world. Typically, "Not Without My Daughter" is the kind of films loved for the wrong reasons. And it could have been a poignant multi-layered drama, it chose to be a one-sided view of reality, one that overshadowed the inspiring story of a courageous mother, as we never got the side of Iranian people, or, for what it's worth, the side of the father.

Bigoted, Racist, Inaccurate, Wrong

[kknai · 1/10 · 20 August 2001]

This is by far, one of the most inaccurate and racist films I have ever seen in my life. It portrays the Iranian people in a cruel manner. Never will a woman be threatened with a machine gun for letting out a few strands of hair. Those of you who believe you are learning about Iranian culture by watching this film are totally mistaken. These types of movies do nothing but imprint biased images in the minds of many. It is true that the United States is the best country that one can live in, but there is no need to portray any country, and especially its people, in such a manner. All those involved should be ashamed of themselves for making such a movie.

Powerful And Disturbing

[sddavis63 · 9/10 · 21 February 2011]

The story of Betty Mahmoody is a truly frightening one. The book she wrote and this movie based on it are controversial (many see it as little more than a racist slam against Iranian culture) but to me this movie came across as both believable and balanced. There's no doubt that life in Iran isn't presented as paradise, but the story really isn't about life in Iran; it's about one woman's experience of being forced to remain in Iran against her will after she and her daughter accompany her Iranian born doctor husband back to his homeland to visit his family, and about her subsequent efforts to escape Iran with her daughter. It also does a great job of depicting the almost complete lack of rights and freedoms women possess in Iran - having a status as little more than property to their husbands, and subject to their complete control.

Sally Field was excellent in the role of Betty and Alfred Molina was also disturbingly believable as "Moody" - her husband. As the story opens, the family are living a comfortable life in Michigan and Moody is a completely Americanized doctor working in a local hospital - a loving husband and father. Against her better judgement, Betty agrees to visit his family in Iran - a family more radically Islamic than Moody who from the moment they arrive begin to pressure him to stay and adopt their ways. Molina did a good job of showing the gradual changes in Moody's character and as he becomes more and more abusive and controlling toward Betty. Field superbly portrays Betty's growing desperation and her feelings of helplessness (and hopelessness) as every opportunity for her to escape with her daughter seems to close. Finally, with the help of some sympathetic Iranians, Betty and daughter Mahtoub make a mad escape attempt toward Turkey.

Whether all aspects of Iranian life and culture are accurately portrayed here seems somewhat beside the point to me. This isn't, after all, a documentary about life in Iran. This is Betty's own story as she experienced it and remembered it - and it's a story that makes the viewer ache for her as she tries to figure out a way to escape this nightmare she's caught up in. I found her story completely believable and brilliantly portrayed.

Plays out like a Lifetime movie

[SusieSalmonLikeTheFish · 6/10 · 12 December 2014]

I honestly don't know all that much about the Muslim religion or the conflicts going on in Iran during the time this movie was made. Does it portray the Iranian people in a bad light? Maybe it does. But don't forget, Not Without My Daughter is a highly dramatized movie, the seemingly sadistic nature of Moody and the primitive conditions in the setting chances are have been exaggerated to make the movie more exciting to viewers. It's also told from the POV of an American woman who traveled to another country, not used to the culture, during a conflict in the country, so her view on the subject might be different from the other people involved. This is why I'd highly recommend not taking this movie too seriously. Yes it was based on true events, but it's all dramatized.

It doesn't matter if you're from Iran or America or any other place in the world, an abusive husband is an abusive husband. And the movie never went to say that all Iranian men are wife-beating creeps, in fact most of the Muslim people shown in the movie were very nice and caring people, trapped under the thumb of strict religion and laws. They were obeying orders to protect themselves and their loved ones, just like we would do, like anyone would do. In fact it wasn't America that brought Betty and her daughter home, it was a very understanding Iranian shopkeeper and his partner (and by the way Betty leaves her baby son there, no idea why).

Stereotypes are often in the media, where countries portray other countries in stereotypical ways. For example, Canada and the United States have a back and forth game. In movies and TV, The States portrays Canadians as environmental hippie, eh-saying do-gooders who love eating moose and seals (we're not at all like that, none of the people in my town anyway). Canada portrays Americans as gun-loving, obese idiots (they're not). Unfortunately stereotypes are always going to be there. I recently noticed a plot similar to Not Without My Daughter in the 2012 Lifetime movie Left to Die, which portrays South America as a poverty-stricken world of thieves and liars. An American woman gets arrested and put in prison there. I found it to be very inaccurate, but it was only a movie.

Not Without My Daughter is much like a Lifetime movie, don't expect it to be the most accurate thing in the world. For what it's worth, the acting and soundtrack wasn't bad at all. It's not the best movie I've ever seen, but for entertainment alone it manages to keep you watching 'till the end, so you've gotta give it credit for that. Just don't watch it in place of reading a textbook or accurate information. If I were you I'd read up on the Muslim religion and the conflicts taking place at the time of the movie to get a better understanding of the reality behind the Hollywood drama.

A Weak film

[leia_ferdossi · 1/10 · 28 December 2006]

First off, i'm a fan of Sally Fields and so I rented this to see what she was like in a film about Persians, my own background. To say the least, I was disappointed. The film was blatantly Iranophobic in most aspects. First off, to those 'morals police' (yeah the ugly fanatics with the machine gun) bring their truck around to nab at every opportunity some poor American woman whose bangs fall out of her scarf: what the hell? I think the gov't, in a state of war, would have better ways to allocate funds than to have crazy men and women driving around in morals trucks, fully armed, to tuck someone's hair in. Secondly, when they showed the young boys being kidnapped to fight in a war, and the Iranian man tells Betty that they'll be given "plastic keys to paradise, made in Taiwan", i don't even understand what that's supposed to signify. Children were never kidnapped and the plastic key bit made absolutely no sense. Perhaps they were trying to demean the sacrifices of the men and youth who fought in the war, which, need I remind us, was fought against Saddam Hussein (on the gallows presently), who was outright supported by the U.S. But, of course, that's never shown. I could write so much more but I think anyone who has seen it won't need any further explanations. Yes, it's a good story in the sense that international custody conflicts do happen, but the overacting was ridiculous, and the script even more so. Some say its not racist because 'there is no Iranian race', so its definitely anti-Iranian.

And about the Israeli comments; do you honestly not think there's an implicit bias in having a film about Islamic Iran filmed in Israel with Israeli actors? think how you'd feel if the Iranians made a film about a Muslim woman in Israel who has her son shot, filmed in Iran, portrayed by Iranian actors? don't you think there'd be a huge outcry of bias, unfairness, racism, and *gasp* anti-semitism? It's unfair both ways.

Not without my daughter

[BlakeRsanchez83 · 10/10 · 17 March 2019]

This is a Great movie a powerful one. A lot of People are saying that this never happend. I have seen a lot of interviews with Betty and i do believe her. You all should see the interviews she clearly says you cannot blame all Iranians not everyone is like this. But this family was like that, please do some research before you write a comments the movie is not about iranians or muslims its simplely about this family I have no hate for muslims a lot of them are good People like the rest of the world.

Holds its own

[gcd70 · 6/10 · 1 August 2007]

This moving drama from director Brian Gilbert seems to be more about the recent revolution in Iran rather than the story of a mother desperate to escape her violent husband and get back to the U.S. with her daughter. Both Sally Field and Alfred Molina are in good form as the couple whose lives are turned upside down by the visit to Moody's home country.

"Not Without My Daughter" is at its most effective when portraying the frighteningly fanatical lifestyle of the Iranians. It succeeds in being disturbing, and dramatically holds its own, although it does little more. Also starred Roshan Seth.

Sunday, August 11, 1991 - Knox District Centre

Nothing but Propaganda

[jfeghhi · 1/10 · 15 October 2001]

No doubt Mrs. Mahmoody's experience in Iran was not pleasant, but the portrayal of Iran and Iranians in this movie is an appalling propaganda to exploit differences between the cultures and to spread seeds of hatred. Anyone who thinks this movie will provide them with an opportunity to learn about Iran is sadly mistaken. If you really like to learn about Iran or any other country for that matter, visit your public library. If you like propaganda and sensationalism then watch this movie or what is on television.