Won't Back Down (2012)

Rating: 65%
Okay so a couple of weeks ago, this friend of mine had a birthday party that was basically going to the movies and then going to Red Robin. So this is the review of the movie we saw: Won't Back Down.

Plot: Jamie is a single mom who works at two jobs while her daughter is going to a failing school. Eventually she has enough of how much the school is not taking the need for giving the children's education seriously, so she along with one of the teachers of the school, Nona try to round up the parents and the teachers and try to change the educational system.

Now I saw a trailer to this just one time, and I thought it was going to be a movie that's full of cliches. And yes this movie is indeed full of cliches but I think it gets away with it. I mean while the beginning and end is full of the more common cliches it's the middle of the film that makes it a nice movie because with it, we get more story and character development that -while isn't too big - does pull your heartstrings enough that you will possibly get a little emotional and altogether care for what is really happening to these characters and start to care more for what is happening to them.

Actors/Characters
Maggie Gyllenhaal/Jamie: Energetic would be the right word to describe her performance. I mean she did have her serious side with how much she really cared for her daughter and how she was willing to go the distance, which is part what made this a nice movie. But at the end of the day, what really stood out with her character was how she was so full of energy.
Viola Davis/Nona: Nona was the character you can eventually care for the most in this film. I mean she wasn't into it right away but when she is, she brings out a performance that's just wonderful. I mean she's just an excellent actress all around. (and that's the thing; she should've won best actress at the awards this year for The Help instead of Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. I know it's Meryl Streep, but in my opinion, there's no point in even nominating her when an actress like her may as well be above the Academy Awards when it comes to her reputation.)
Holly Hunter/Evelyn: I was surprised to learn that she was in this movie. I mean I haven't seen her in a recent movie since...The Incredibles I think. But all the same, she also did a very good job and I did like the monologue she had about the story about her family.

And that's my review for Won't Back Down. It's a very cliche movie but it has enough development and characters that pull your heartstrings that makes it a nice movie to watch...maybe just once.