‘Won’t Back Down’: What actual film critics think
It’s no surprise that critics of modern education reform — including the so-called “parent trigger” laws — would give bad reviews to “Won’t Back Down,” a Hollywood treatment of parents taking over a failed school starring Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
The movie, which tells the story of two mothers who work together to transform their children’s failing urban school, is a production of Walden Media, which is owned by Philip Anschutz, a billionaire entrepreneur and Christian conservative whose foundation supports a number of right-wing causes. It opens in theaters Friday.
The film’s message is that “parent trigger” laws that set out rules that allow parents to take over a public school are a good way to effect