Not Without My Daughter
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| Not Without My Daughter | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Brian Gilbert (Director) |
| Produced by | Harry J. Ufland |
| Written by | Betty Mahmoody William Hoffer David W. Rintels |
| Starring | Sally Field Alfred Molina Sheila Rosenthal Roshan Seth Sarah Badel Mony Rey Georges Corraface |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | Peter Hannan |
| Editing by | Terry Rawlings Ofer Bedarshi (video) |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | 1 August 1991 Australia |
| Running time | 116 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Persian |
Not Without My Daughter is a 1991 film depicting the real life escape of American citizen Betty Mahmoody and her daughter from her husband in Iran. It was filmed in the United States and Israel and the main characters are played by Sally Field and Alfred Molina. Sheila Rosenthal and Roshan Seth also co-star as Mahtob Mahmoody and Houssein the smuggler, respectively.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] Production
The movie was based on a book with the same title, written by Betty Mahmoody and William Hoffer and based on Betty's version of events. The screenplay was written by John W. Winters. It was directed by Brian Gilbert and filmed at GG Studios, Neve Ilan, Israel and in Atlanta, Georgia.\
[edit] Plot
A recently fired Iranian doctor (Moody) travels from his now hometown of the US with his US bred wife (Betty) and daughter (Mahtob). Once there Moody decides he wants to keep his family there, as he believes it would be a better place for the family. Betty disagrees and tries to leave with her daughter, although Moody is determined not to let that happen. Over the time, Moody gradually changes for the worse, taking advantage of Islamic laws and using violence towards Betty, who also discovers that she cannot divorce Moody because he would get sole custody of Mahtob. With no other choice, Betty crosses paths with a friendly smuggler, Houssein, who aids her in escaping back to America.
[edit] Controversy and criticism
| "Not Without My Daughter does not play fair with its Muslim characters. If a movie of such a vitriolic and spiteful nature were to be made in America about any other ethnic group, it would be denounced as racist and prejudiced." |
| — Film critic Roger Ebert[1] |
Not Without My Daughter has been criticized for its representation of Iranians and Iranian culture. [2] Caryn James of The New York Times, in a review, states that the movie "exploits the stereotype of the demonic Iranian...it is an utter artistic failure, and its reliance on cultural stereotype is a major cause". Moody, she writes, seems to be a "pure product of his culture, a mysterious, misogynist Easterner...the film views fanaticism as the Iranian national character".[3] A review in the Los Angeles Times described the movie as "unbalanced and distorted" which "fails to distinguish between the [Iranian] state and the people". [2] In his review, film critic Roger Ebert noted the film made "moral and racial assertions that are deeply troubling."[1]
In response to Not Without My Daughter, a Finnish documentary, titled Without My Daughter was made by Alexis Kouros, composed from interviews with Dr. Mahmoody about his life in Iran and attempts to contact his daughter Mahtob again. Kouros said that the aim of the 90-minute documentary was to "show the lies in the American film and present the real story behind" what turned into an acrimonious custody battle for Mahtob Mahmoody.[4]
The movie was released to generally mixed reviews. Sally Field was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress, while Sheila Rosenthal won the Young Artist Award for Best Actress. Many Iranians were upset with the tone of the film and have protested its depiction of Iranians.
[edit] See also
- Without My Daughter (documentary film)
- Anti-Iranian sentiment
- Midnight Express
[edit] References
- ^ a b Not Without My Daughter (review), rogerebert.com, January 11, 1991, Accessed August 15, 2009.
- ^ a b Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the Movies - by Margaret R. Miles, p71
- ^ Caryn James, Embrace the Stereotype; Kiss the Movie Goodbye, The New York Times, January 27, 1991, Accessed August 15, 2009.
- ^ Finnish documentary counters anti-Iran propaganda in US film
