Not Without My Daughter (1991)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Brian Gilbert

Writers:

Betty Mahmoody (book) and
William Hoffer (book) ...

Release Date:

11 January 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In 1984, Betty Mahmoody's husband took his wife and daughter to meet his family in Iran. He swore they would be safe. They would be happy. They would be free to leave. He lied.

Plot:

An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Doctor | Marital Abuse | Social Control | Dowry

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Sally Field	...	Betty Mahmoody
Alfred Molina	...	Moody
Sheila Rosenthal	...	Mahtob
Roshan Seth	...	Houssein
Sarah Badel	...	Nicole
Mony Rey	...	Ameh Bozorg
Georges Corraface	...	Mohsen
Mary Nell Santacroce	...	Grandma
Ed Grady	...	Grandpa
Marc Gowan	...	Doctor
Bruce Evers	...	Doctor
Jonathan Cherchi	...	Mammal
Soudabeh Farrokhnia	...	Nasserine
Michael Morim	...	Zia
Gili Ben-Ozilio	...	Fereshte

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Persian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12/9 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Ankara, Turkey

Company:

Pathé Entertainment

Trivia:

In the book, Betty Mahmoody and Mahtob escaped Iran thru the northern mountain regions in the dead of winter with severe ice and snow. The producers,planned to film the escape scene in the Eilat Mountain in Southern Israel. However, there was no snow that winter and the escape scene was going to scrapped. Many protests arose because they felt the scene was essential. Sally Field even threatened to quit the project. The producers looked for other locations but either they were too expensive or unsafe for the actors and the crew. Finally, the scene was re written to have Betty Mahmoodey and Mahtob traveling thru the desert in searing heat.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In this movie they are celebrating Christmas, but Iranians celebrate Noruz as New Year (22nd March).

Quotes:

[referring to Ellen's husband]
Betty Mahmoody: Was he violent?
Ellen: No, not in the States, never. They're not supposed to, you know. It's not Islamic.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Futurama: The Luck of the Fryrish (#3.10)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

VISSI D'ARTE

This Movie

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.