Rating: 
Summary: Pathetic glorification of a kidnappper
Review: This is the rhird worst big budget film I have ever seen ( but unlike in the others that rate so low the acting was not really an issue.) Just imagin, for a moment, if you can pry open those tiny little minds, if things were the other way around and a person from other culture was trying to kidnapp thier child to take them 'home' to china, irano, or whereever. It is a crime, pure and simple. Take a glance at an I-485 sometime (application for adjustment of status to legal permanent residency in the U.S) and you will see that the U.S. ( other than hollywood when the victim is from another country) does not take such crime lightly no matter how much a mindless audience may cheer.
Rating:
Summary: Kidnapped
Review: Since when do we make heros out of kidnappers. Besides, her actions would be just as illegal in the United States. First, one has to go to court to obtain sole custody of a child. Another reason to hate this movie is the anti-foreign bias for which Hollywood is famous. To see what Iran is REALLY like, I suggest viewing the Academy Award nominated film "The Color of Paradise" (not recommended for Republicans).
Rating: 
Summary: Buy It and Lend it to as many as possible!
Review: Exellent Movie EXPOSING the politically-correct cowardness of some liberal politicians and the Horrid Anti-Female Abusive politics of middle eastern ISLAMIC countries...Ultimately, its a Patriotic movie that will make honest people demand that the United States return to its original Constitutional values. Hillary supporters will be offended!
Rating:
Summary: Moving and Inspiring.
Review: I had read Betty Mahmoody's book recently so i decided to see whether the filmed version would hold up. And it does. But Sally Field is my favourite actress, so i was i must admit a little biased.
However i defy even the hardest heart not to be moved by her gut-wrenching performance. She gives the diffficult role her all.
A true cinematic classic.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Watch This Movie / I Wish There Was A 0 Star
Review: It was amazing to me how inaccurately this movie depicted Iran and its people. I was also sickened by how little Betty, and the movie makers, appeared to know about Persian culture. DO NOT waste your time watching such a biased movie! Go to Iran, or visit an Iranian household, and you'll find yourself surrounded by warm, loving people -- not monsters. Or, if you really want to watch this movie, remember not to link it to the face of an Iranian to a kidnapper's. Thanks a lot, Betty.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining - It could've been interesting too.
Review: I have very mixed feelings about this movie. On the surface, it's a quite good drama about a woman, Betty, who finds herself trapped in a foreign country with no human rights and who wants to escape with her young daughter. But if you look deeper - and you won't have to look very deep - you will notice that it's a quite one-sided, patriotic American movie. It's a good thing that the husband Moody (Alfred Molina) is not portrayed as a monster, but as a man who is torn between two different cultures. However, mostly the bad sides of Iran and Islam are being shown. As in many American movies, Muslims are really bad guys. I don't think Moody's family is representative of an average Iranian family. At the same time, The USA is viewed as more or less perfect. This both silly and unfair portrayal of the different cultures makes the movie not as good as it could have been, and also a little silly, especially in the final scene. The movie has a number of good scenes, such as the scene where, after being greeted by her in-laws upon arriving in Iran, Betty is given a veil that she has to wear. The scene where the police/military get mad because she's showing too much hair, is a scary example of what it would be like to live there. It's a pity it's almost only those bad sides that are shown. Fine performances are one redeeming quality of the film. Sally Field's portrayal of an American woman thrust into a society where women are not allowed even basic freedoms is honest and moving and Alfred Molina is good as her Iranian-American husband. He manages to inject sympathy into his "bad guy" role. To sum up, this is an entertaining movie, which could have been very interesting, but its narrow-mindedness makes it interesting mostly as an example of how America is often viewed in Hollywood movies - as the ultimate country. I have nothing against America, but the patriotism in movies can get too much.
Rating: 
Summary: so why do you think it is filmed in Israel?
Review: Many of the reviews above have claimed that since this movie is filmed in Israel (in the predominantly Arab town of Jaffa) it is naturally biased. As Betty Mahmoody points out in her books, the film is AMERICAN produced. It is filmed in Israel because Israel for obvious reasons: what other Middle Eastern country is open, democratic, and advanced enough to permit filming of a movie such as this? It is not a "Zionist plot" as some reviewers suggest (as if Jews/Israelis/Zionists ever agreed about anything!), it is just the obvious choice of locale. Did you expect them to film it in Iran???! BTW, the Michigan shots are taken in Atlanta--so what! We shouldn't invalidate the atuthor's personal experiences, no matter how (un)representative or (a)typical they may be.
Rating:
Summary: Nice movie, but does not stay true to the book.
Review: After seeing this movie for a class my freshman year of high school, a few years later I decided to watch it again AND buy the book.... First off, the book is so much more dramatic than the movie (even though the movie attempts to do so). Sure, a picture (and a movie for that matter) is worth a thousand words, if you want the real story, then you're better off reading the book. I must admit, the acting was rather good in this movie. Sally Field and Alfred Molina were convincing as an American trapped in a seemingly primitive society and a man torn between family and his American way of life (respectively). However, I still think the book is much more better. Betty Mahmoody's personal account of all the abuse and suffering during her year in Iran is more effective than the movie's exaggerating, over-the-top screenplay.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing yet one-sided drama.
Review: "Not Without My Daughter" is the true story of Betty Mahmoody, the wife of Iranian-American Moody, who wishes to pay a visit to his family back in Iran. Betty is highly skeptical about venturing to such a country, and is especially concerned about her daughter, but agrees to go with him, despite her reservations about the way of life of her husband's family and faith. What enfolds after this opener is a chilling and maddening film, one that provokes our deepest fears while also making us think about its tactics. The true story of Mahmoody is given a unique touch of suspense and drama, brought out by some very effective acting on the part of its leads. But in the end, once the brain is given time to think, I couldn't help but notice how one side gets a favorable treatment while the other is left in the cold. Sally Field plays Betty, who is treated very harshly once she arrives at her husband's family's home in Iran. She is not allowed to reveal her hair, must keep within the confines of the laws set forth for wives, and has virtually no power over that of Moody, who becomes increasingly cold. He soon decides that they will remain in Iran; when Betty rebels, he gives her the ultimatum of staying or leaving without their young daughter. And soon, Betty becomes increasingly unstable as she desperately searches for a way out of her situation, running the risk of being severely punished and physically brutalized by her now-changed husband. This is the point at which the movie becomes interesting yet frustrating. The frustration stems from the movie's unwillingness to show us both sides of the spectrum, only allowing the movie to be seen through Betty's point of view, without so much as a glance at the background of the beliefs her husband holds to so strongly. I can understand the reasons for which this portrayal has taken such a path: it does offer a very chilling atmosphere of the unknown into which Betty is cast. But, at times, it seems as if the harsh portrayal of the Iranian belief system is unfair and unjustifiable, while at other times providing for some very solid entertainment. There's no denying the movie's grip on the audience; it's a highly tense story that unfolds very effectively. Field throws everything she's got into her performance, empowering her character with true terror and, at the same time, a sense of inner will and strength that's completely believable. Scenes involving her defiance of her husband are tightly wound as we wonder when he's going to show up for another disturbing display of discipline, while the unfolding story goes from being catchy to downright enthralling. In the end, "Not Without My Daughter" provides some gutsy entertainment, engrossing drama, and powerhouse performances, and on that alone, the movie is worth it. The process of thought behind the movie's portrayal of two different cultures will keep you going for hours, and will no doubt provide for some very interesting discussions in certain circles. The movie is a success and failure in one, but interesting in both ways.
Rating:
Summary: Think about this...
Review: I think that anyone who sees this film must be reminded that it is one-sided. I have seen it twice. I have not read the book. I am an American, but I have spent most of my life in southeast Asia. I have not been to Iran. All I know is what I have tried to find out about the country, it's people, and it's culture. I don't personally know anyone from Iran, nor anyone who has lived there. I do have friends from Pakistan, as well as friends from many countries all over the world. It's sad to say, but our views are not always our own. I mean this in the sense that each person on this earth feels this or that way about this or that subject because a) that is what they have been taught/told to believe or b) they have taken responsibility for their beliefs and set out to validate them, and are willing to change those beliefs if they are disproven. To think that something is true simply because someone tells you that it is, is poor stewardship of your own right to free thinking. People need to think for themselves. Films like this certainly do provoke discussion. Regardless of the truth of this film, I think the discussion that has resulted from it is very valuable. I wish people would come together. Ok. As for the film... I am an American woman, so naturally it stirred certain emotions in me. The story depicted in the film is Betty Mahmoody's story, and her version of what happened. If it is true that her husband held her captive, didn't respect her opinion, and even beat her, well, there's no way that I can think that that is ok, for any person to treat another that way. I don't care who you are, you have to be nice. You can't bully people. The last thing I will say, is that it seems unlikely that any person would go to the lengths that Betty went to if there weren't really a problem.
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