{"id":13624,"date":"2012-09-27T11:54:45","date_gmt":"2012-09-27T15:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/?p=13624"},"modified":"2012-09-27T11:54:48","modified_gmt":"2012-09-27T15:54:48","slug":"wont-back-down-is-not-winning-over-movie-critics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2012\/09\/27\/wont-back-down-is-not-winning-over-movie-critics\/","title":{"rendered":"“Won’t Back Down” Is Not Winning Over Movie Critics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Courtesy Walden Media<\/p>

Viola Davis stars as a teacher in "Won't Back Down," which opens Friday.<\/p><\/div>\n

The big education movie “Won’t Back Down” is opening this week.<\/p>\n

The movie tells the fictional tale of a Pittsburgh parent and school teacher fighting to turn around their failing school.<\/p>\n

The movie is based on parent trigger legislation<\/a> being considered around the country, including Florida<\/a>. Supporters hope that “Won’t Back Down” can focus a spotlight on the issue, just as “Waiting For Superman” did on charter schools.<\/p>\n

Both movies were produced by the same company, Walden Media<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There’s just one problem: Critics hate the movie.<\/p>\n

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The movie has a 32 percent rating — a “rotten” score — at critic aggregation site RottenTomatoes.com as of Thursday morning. That means just one of every three critics gave the movie a favorable review.<\/p>\n

“The film regularly devolves into a dry cinematic op-ed with thinly developed characters making didactic speeches articulating the issues involved in the knotty, emotionally charged subject of school choice,” A.V. club critic Nathan Rabin wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n

The movie has held screenings at the Republican National Convention in Tampa at events across Florida.<\/p>\n

Have you seen “Won’t Back Down” yet? What did you think of the movie? How effective is its message?<\/p>\n

Here’s the trailer:<\/p>\n