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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Not Without My Daughter |
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This movie is based on the autobiographical book by Betty Mahmoody. Betty and her Iranian husband Moody have a happy family life in Michigan with their young daughter Mahtob. The conflict begins when her husband convinces Betty to visit his family and his ailing sister in Iran. Betty is frightened to go, because of the violence in the Middle East, but agrees to please her husband, who does so much for her.
Once in Iran, however, things change. In spite of what Betty was told, even as an American, she would be subject to Iranian laws while in Iran. She would have to cover her body with the Burka and she could not be in the streets alone. Soon, Betty finds out that her husband has no intentions of ever leaving Iran again. Betty is terrified, and tries to go to the Swiss Embassy for assistance in getting back to the US with her daughter. Iranian law fobids it, however, and people are afraid to help her in fears that they will be punished themselves. Iranin law also dictates that the daughter is property of the father, and Betty has no right to her.
Betty must now suffer in a filthy cockroach-infested home, in a land that despises her and doesn't speak her language. Her husband becomes argumentative and abusive, and keeps her as a prisoner in her own home, for fear that she will try to escape. She cannot sleep over the sounds of bombs and prayers and announcements over the town loudpeakers.
Slowly she begins to grow into the culture, cooks Iranian food, and goes to Koran class to appease her husband, while secretly keeping in contact with the Embassy and looking for ways to get herself and her daughter out of Iran.
--Erin McKeag, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Not Without My Daughter |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Woman/class/friends story?
- woman's story
Culture clash?
- visiting a different culture
Culture of surrounding area:
- Arabic
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard wavey
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Arab
Main Adversary
Identity:
- an entire race
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
Asia/Pacific/Middle East
Yes
Asian country:
- Arabia
Style
Movie makes you feel...
- encouraged
Any profanity?
- None
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Erin McKeag
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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