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Summary: Hollywood racism and exploitation
Review: Like True Lies and The Siege, this film is yet another studio attempt to exploit fear of Iran and the Middle East in general to sell videos; only here, it's worse. This film is marketed as a completely factual story, an insult to the intelligence of the viewing population. The makers of the film have presented a ridiculously narrow picture of Iranian culture, and assume that viewers will actually believe that every Iranian is a fanatical bent on stealing children away from their mothers. And Sally Field isn't even that good.
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Summary: A n American wife held captive by her own husband in Iraq .
Review: The story is very realistic, and happens in real life situations. The characters portrayed their roles tremendously, especially Sally Field. Embracing a different culture is not an easy thing to do, it hurts like a mental torture. I congratulate Betty in her struggle for freedom and for being strong.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best and most meaningful movies I have ever seen.
Review: This movie is one of the best. Its a must see. It had a good plot and maed me want to get emotionaolly envolved with the movie. The actors were great and I commend Sally Field for doing this movie. I also belive that it shos a very good and realistic view of the difference between cultures in Iran and The United States.
Rating:
Summary: Hollywood at its worst. Booooring and rediculous. F -
Review: When hollywood wants to make a buck, it is the meek upon whom they walk. This bigoted film is America's latest fad of racism. It is boring and ridiculous. Seriously, its not worth an unemployed person's time. I felt ashamed that this trash was made in this country. The producers simply exploited the negative coverage of Iran in the media to make a quick buck. So if you wanna be used, have your intelligence offended, or love to be ripped-off, watch this film. Racism aside, this film is seriously lacking in minimum intelligence requirements (room temperature level I.Q., in centigrades if you will). My advice for you is to choose from Amazons other 2.5 million tiltles. Infact, make a random selection, anything you get is better than this nonsense. Not even worth renting at 99 cents a decade. Get a film in Chinese with Swahili subtitles, you'll enjoy it more than this. END
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Summary: A mother's love for her child and an escape to freedom....
Review: "Not Without My Daughter" is a riveting story based on the life of Betty Mahmoody. Certain events and characters were fictionalized for the purpose of dramatic clarity. With that in mind, you will be able to tell when something is being overplayed for effect. For the true story, read the book by Betty Mahmoody who is now a successful writer and lecturer dedicated to helping women who find themselves in a situation similar to what she found herself in when she was married and living in Iran. While many see this movie as an attack on the Islamic faith, it really is more of a suspense story, which also deals with the undercurrent issues of "trust" and "loyalty." This story also exposes the larger issues of "freedom" and "human rights." We are introduced to Betty Mahmoody (Sally Field) who is married to an Iranian man and has a daughter named Mahtob. Their story begins in Alpena, Michigan in 1984 and concludes in February 9th, 1986. For Betty, this is a period in her life when she feels out of control and is very unhappy with her living arrangements. Instead of embracing her husband's choice to stay in his homeland because he has lost his job in an American hospital, she decides to end the marriage and return to America. In order to not get arrested, Betty has to wear chador when in public. She struggles to fit in with this culture which seems so opposed to what she is accustomed to. When her husband (a doctor played by Alfred Molina) promised her that their trip to Iran would only be a vacation, she believed him. She had great apprehension, yet went with him anyway. She is then completely betrayed when he decides to stay. This movie is a journey into the life experiences of a woman who does not want to be living in Iran and who does not love her husband enough to want to be with him no matter where he decides to live. When her husband starts to physically abuse her, we take her side and want her to seek help. Fearing for her life, she seeks help to escape. As a stranger in a foreign land with no money or friends, she has to compromise and for a while she tries to make her marriage work. The cultural differences seem to consume her and she doesn't seem to be able to create the harmonious family life she desires. In order to understand this movie in more detail, I went to a site called: nmsismail.faithweb.com/quaran.htm. You can read Surah 3:14; 24:31; and 4:34. At a site dedicated to women married to Islamic men, I also found out that children have to be raised according to their Muslim father's religion: Islam. If he divorces the wife, he gets custody of the children and the wife would not be able to see her children again. While this story of a woman being held against her will is unthinkable to American women, there are also many women in America who are in abusive marriages. The atrocities portrayed in this movie could happen in any culture. This is one woman's story and if you view it that way, no one will be offended. This movie is filled with suspense and that is what I enjoyed most about the movie. This is a drama with heart-rending tension! The acting is also very good and this movie kept my full attention.
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Summary: The heart wrenching story of a mother's plight
Review: "Not Without My Daughter" is the true-life story of American Betty Mahmoody (Sally Field) who married an Iranian man who had moved the US. Together they had a daughter, Mahtob. The three pay a visit to the husband's native Iran, only to learn that it is not in fact a visit but that they are there to stay, and under Iranian law Betty automatically became an Iranian citizen once she married an Iranian man, and as a woman she does not have many of the rights she is accustomed to in the USA. Betty is trapped in a world she does not understand, and she wants to return to her home. She is told that she may return to the US, but must leave the daughter in Iran. She resolves that she will return but ... not without her daughter. I found "Not Without My Daughter" to be a gripping story because I could relate to what it is like to be in foreign lands and feel at the mercy of those around you, to be in a situation where not only do you not speak the language but the culture itself is alien. One realizes that "reality" is highly subjective. Also, a friend of mine lived through a very similar incident, albeit in the same country (luckily, my friend's father returned her to her mother in the USA). So, I myself cannot accuse this movie of being unrealistic or biased when I know that such incidents do occur. And I must add that "Not Without My Daughter" makes no secret of the fact that while it was Iranians who tried to prevent Betty Mahmoody from leaving Iran with her daughter, the people who aided Betty in doing so were also Iranian - and they are depicted as doing so at great personal risk and with no certainty of payment or personal benefit whatsoever. In fact, I found this to be the most moving aspect of the movie. Andrew Parodi
Rating:
Summary: incomplete
Review: Not a very good movie at all. I read the book, enjoyed it and thought I'll enjoy the movie just as well, but I was very dissapointed! It's been made for holywood purposes, very weak performances, incomplete to the point that if you hadn't read the book you will not know what's happening, new characters pop up out of nowhere, without any explanation who they are and what they're doing there. Having read the book I understood what was happeing but otherwise one could get confused. Also parts of the movie were not true to the book. Eg. the escape in the car was nothing like what was in the book!! I'd say read the book and then watch the movie, or skip the movie all together, it's a waste of almost 2 hours.
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Summary: The good and the bad side of humanity
Review: A true story about a woman who marries an Iranian, has a child with him, and "visits" his family in Iran. To her horror, her husband tells her he intends to stay in Iran with both his wife and daughter. Watching her husband transform from a caring husband into a fanatic, I couldn't help feeling sorry for him too. He bacomes so influenced by the matriarch, whose mentality towards Betty's being forced to stay in Iran, is "If it was good enough for me, it is good enough for other women" that he became a victim of this woman as well. The man does show love for his wife by moving in with friends and away from this matriarch's influence but the problems do not end there. Betty is subjected to beatings at her husband's hands. Through this evil, a positive side of Iranians is shown. Many Iranians help her and her daughter escape her husband and take her home to America. The most moving part in the movie is when a nomad who is taking Betty and her daughter to Turkey, takes Betty's jewelry and pass port and then returns her belongs to her when she is no longer in his care. He has done a wonderful thing for Betty and has asked for nothing in return.
The best lesson this movie has to offer an audience is that by viewing the negative side of humanity, in any culture or country, we also see a positive side.
Rating: 
Summary: Watchable
Review: I have read Betty Mahmoody's books and watched this movie. I thought this movie was very watchable and entertaining. Not Without My Daughter is about a man who takes his family to Iran and swears that they will return after a vacation. After going to Iran, the man turns fanatical and does not want to go back to the U.S. and wants to keep his daughter in Iran. Cases like this do happen sometimes in Middle Eastern countries. What I didn't like was the awful way that Iranians were portrayed in the movie. As soon as Betty reaches Iran, Iranians are portrayed as these strange people who speak in a weird tounge and stare at you and etc. If you read the book it goes more into detail than the movie. There were some inaccuracies regarding Persian culture. The director and Sally Field as an actress went kind of overboard, they were trying to portray Sally Field as being scared in a foreign land but it winds up actually looking like disgust. Viewers should remember that Mahmoody's family was extra fanatical and the average Iranian is a peaceful person.
Rating:
Summary: Like racist movies? Get it!
Review: How can you stereotype 70 millions Iranian people because of this one case? That's ridiculous. This movie is something for the uneducated redneck.
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