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1. Not Without My Family June 2019
2. Not Without My Family March 2019 Teasers 2017

Not Without My Daughter is a 1991 American drama film based on the book of the same name, depicting the escape of American citizen Betty Mahmoody and her daughter from her abusive husband in Iran. The film was shot in the United States, Turkey and Israel, and the main characters Betty Mahmoody and Sayyed Bozorg 'Moody' Mahmoody are played by Sally Field and Alfred Molina, respectively. Sheila Rosenthal and Roshan Seth star as Mahtob Mahmoody and Houssein the smuggler, respectively.

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Plot[edit]

In 1984, an Iranian physician, Sayyed Bozorg 'Moody' Mahmoody wants to visit Iran with his American family. He claims that his Iranian family wants to meet his wife Betty and daughter Mahtob, and asks them to come with him for a two-week visit.

Despite her deep fears about visiting Iran, particularly due to the Iranian Hostage Crisis of several years earlier, Betty reluctantly agrees. Upon their arrival, they are all greeted warmly by Moody's family, but shortly before their flight back to the United States, Moody announces to his wife that he wishes for them to stay in Iran. Betty realizes that she has been deceived by her husband, even though Moody took an oath that they would return to the United States, swearing on the sacred Quran. When she protests, Moody strikes her, and nobody in Moody's family sympathises with her.

Moody becomes more hostile and abusive, preventing her from leaving the house or using the telephone. Betty briefly manages to visit the American Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy, but is told that she is now an Iranian citizen since she is married to an Iranian, and as long as she lives in Iran, she cannot leave the country without her husband's written consent and has no parental rights over her daughter. Moody, alarmed by Betty's absence from the house, threatens to kill her if she tries anything again.

Knowing that her chances of escape are minuscule, Betty conforms to her husband's wishes in order to gain Moody's trust. By chance, during a trip to the marketplace, she meets a sympathetic shopkeeper who overhears her telephone conversations with the Swiss Embassy and puts her in contact with a pair of humanitarian Iranians, Hossein and his sister, who offer to help Betty and Mahtob in their passage back to the United States. Betty accepts Hossein's assistance, especially after he mentions that Mahtob could be at risk of being forced into marriage at nine years old or be chosen to serve in the military as a child soldier.

The plan becomes complicated when Betty receives news from the U.S that her father is seriously ill and may be dying. Moody allows Betty to return to see her dying father, but will not let Mahtob go with her. Betty decides to wait to return to the United States with Mahtob, but Moody unknowingly foils her by having her booked on a flight several days early thanks to his relatives' contacts in the airport.

Betty eventually gets what seems to be her last chance to escape when Moody is suddenly called to the clinic for an emergency. On the pretense of going to buy presents for her father, Betty takes Mahtob and they contact Hossein, who manages to send Betty and Mahtob off with some Iranian smugglers, and using fake identity documents, they make their way past the checkpoints.

Despite the difficult and very dangerous journey, Betty and Mahtob are eventually dropped off in a street in Ankara, where they see the flag of the American Embassy in the distance. The film's end title cards reveal that Betty and Mahtob eventually made it back home to the United States, and Betty became a successful author and dedicates herself to helping those in need.

Cast[edit]

• Sally Field as Betty Mahmoody
• Alfred Molina as Sayyed Bozorg 'Moody' Mahmoody
• Sheila Rosenthal as Mahtob Mahmoody
• Roshan Seth as Houssein the Smuggler
• Sarah Badel as Nicole (Swiss diplomat)
• Mony Rey as Ameh Bozorg
• Georges Corraface as Mohsen

Production[edit]

The movie was based on a book with the same title, written by Betty Mahmoody and William Hoffer and based on Betty's version of events. The screenplay was written by David W. Rintels. The film was directed by Brian Gilbert and filmed in Israel, at GG Studios, Neve Ilan, and in Atlanta.^[1]

Release[edit]

Box office[edit]

The movie debuted poorly and grossed less than $15 million in ticket sales.^[2] The movie plummeted in its second week.^[3]

Critical response[edit]

Not Without My Daughter was poorly received, and has been criticized for its misrepresentation of Muslim Iranians and of their culture.^[4] Caryn James of The New York Times, in a review, states that the movie 'exploits the stereotype of the demonic Iranian...it is an utter artistic failure, and its reliance on cultural stereotype is a major cause'. Moody, she writes, seems to be a 'pure product of his culture, a mysterious, misogynist Easterner...the film views fanaticism as the Iranian national character'.^[5] A review in the Los Angeles Times described the movie as 'unbalanced and distorted' which 'fails to distinguish between the (Iranian) state and the people'.^[4]

Roger Ebert stated the film made 'moral and racial assertions that are deeply troubling' and that it 'does not play fair with its Muslim characters. If a movie of such a vitriolic and spiteful nature were to be made in America about any other ethnic group, it would be denounced as racist and prejudiced.'^[6] While Iranians are not shown in a completely negative light, as the film depicts generous and brave Iranians who contact Betty Mahmoody and arrange for the escape of her and her daughter, these 'good' Iranians are high-born opponents of the Islamic Republic regime, shown listening to European classical music.^[7]

As of December 2018, the film holds an approval rating of 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 16 reviews.^[8]

The score by Jerry Goldsmith was also not well received. Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel called it 'TV-movie manipulative',^[9] while Jason Ankeny of AllMusic wrote, 'Jerry Goldsmith's score does little to refute its opponents' charges of racism.'^[10]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Sheila Rosenthal won the Young Artist Award for Best Actress.

Sally Field was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress of 1991, where she lost to Sean Young for A Kiss Before Dying.

Not Without My Family June 2019

Aftermath[edit]

In response to Not Without My Daughter, a Finnish documentary, titled Without My Daughter was made by director Alexis Kouros. It is composed of interviews with Dr. Mahmoody regarding his life in Iran and attempts to contact his daughter Mahtob. Kouros said that the intention of the 90-minute documentary was to 'show the lies in the American film and present the real story'.^[11]

Alfred Molina confirmed in an interview with Time Out that he was punched by a man who apparently hated his brutal portrayal of Dr. Mahmoody in the film.^[12]

Not Without My Family March 2019 Teasers 2017

See also[edit]

• Un Burka Por Amor, a 2009 Spanish film about a woman trapped in Afghanistan after she followed her husband to his native country.

References[edit]

1. ^Not Without My Daughter on IMDb
2. ^Broeske, Pat H. (January 14, 1991). 'Home Alone in 9th Week as No. 1 Film : Movies'Godfather Part III' takes dramatic slide from second to sixth place in its third week out. 'Awakenings' is in second'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
3. ^Broeske, Pat H. (January 22, 1991). ''Home Alone' Fends Off Yet Another 'Intruder' : Box Office: Vietnam War film opens to mediocre business as comedy remains on top for 10th week. After four weeks of release, 'Godfather Part III' drops to 12th'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
4. ^ ^abMiles, Margaret Ruth (1997). Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the Movies. Beacon Press. p. 71. ISBN978-0807010310.
5. ^James, Caryn (January 27, 1991). 'Embrace the Stereotype; Kiss the Movie Goodbye'. The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
6. ^Ebert, Roger (January 11, 1991). 'Not Without My Daughter (review)'. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2014-07-08.
7. ^Yale, Pat, Anthony Ham, and Paul Greenway. Iran. Lonely Planet Publications, 2001, p.86
8. ^http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/not_without_my_daughter
9. ^Boyar, Jay (11 January 1991). ''Not Without My Daughter'-Good Comes With The Bad'. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
10. ^Ankeny, Jason. 'AllMusic Review by Jason Ankeny'. AllMusic. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
11. ^'Finnish documentary counters anti-Iran propaganda in US film'. NetNative. Islamic Republic News Agency. November 22, 2002.
12. ^Snook, Raven (14 March 2010). 'The Hot Seat: Alfred Molina'. Time Out (magazine). Retrieved 23 May 2016.

External links[edit]

• Not Without My Daughter on IMDb
• Not Without My Daughter at Rotten Tomatoes
• Not Without My Daughter at Box Office Mojo

Not Without My Daughter is a biographical book by Betty Mahmoody detailing the escape of Betty and her daughter, Mahtob, from Betty's abusive husband in Iran.

In 1977, Betty married Dr. Sayyed 'Moody' Bozorg Mahmoody. In 1984, when their daughter was four years old, Betty reluctantly agreed to accompany her husband on a two-week vacation to Iran in order for his family to meet Mahtob. However, at the end of the two weeks, Moody decided that he and his wife and daughter should remain in Iran. Betty was trapped in Iran, and could not return to the United States. The rest of Not Without My Daughter recounted Betty and Mahtob's escape from Iran, and their return to the United States.

While the story was true, Betty changed certain aspects of the story in order to protect those who aided her and her daughter in their escape. She wrote the following:

This is a true story.

The characters are authentic, the events real. But the names and identifying details of certain individuals have been disguised in order to protect them and their families against the possibility of arrest and execution by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These are: Hamid, the owner of a menswear store; Judy, an American woman married to an Iranian; Judy's brother-in-law, Ali; Judy's friends, Rasheed, Trish, and Suzanne; the schoolteacher Mrs. Azahr; the mysterious Miss Alavi; Amahl; and the smuggler, Mosehn.^[1]

Plot[edit]

It was August 3, 1984. Moody, Betty, and Mahtob had spent two days traveling from their home in Detroit to Moody's native country of Iran. In preparation for their arrival, Betty, at Moody's request, gave her American passport to him in order for it not to be confiscated by the customs official. When they had landed in Tehran, Moody's family had gathered at the airport to meet them and showered them with gifts. The family gave Betty a montoe and a roosarie (traditional female clothes in Iran), and instructed her to wear them whenever she went outside their home.During the next two weeks, Betty and Mahtob longed for the vacation to be over. They had difficulty adjusting to the Iranian lifestyle. But they also faced familial challenges: Moody's sister, Ameh Bozorg, (literally 'great aunt'), who was their host, viewed Betty with contempt, simply for being an American and holding to American ideals. Moody's attitude toward Betty also changed: He forced her to abide by increasingly strict Iranian customs; he lied to her; he claimed that she was lying whenever she complained; he ignored her and their daughter for days at a time; he even blinded himself to the oppression of women in Iran.

The day before their scheduled return to the United States, one of Moody's relatives went to the airport in order to make the preparations for their departure. He informed them that, since Betty had an American passport, she needed to turn in her passport to the airport officials three days before her departure. When she confronted Moody about not turning in her passport, he informed her that he had decided to stay and that Betty and Mahtob would remain in Iran for the rest of their lives. Betty tried to get help from Moody's family, but they approved of Moody's actions, and refused to help. Moody forced Betty to call her parents to let them know that she would be staying in Iran for a while longer. About a week later, when Betty was alone, her parents called and gave her the address of the U.S. Interest Section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. Betty waited for a chance to contact the Swiss Embassy. Her desire to leave Iran was magnified by Moody's physical abuse. Even in public, any injury or violence toward Betty and Mahtob was allowed. The Iranian laws granted Moody absolute authority over his wife and daughter.

In September, while Moody was away, Betty and Mahtob traveled to the Swiss Embassy, and spoke to Helen. Helen informed them that, since Betty's husband was an Iranian, Iran's laws dictated that she, too, had become an Iranian citizen. When Betty and Mahtob returned to the house, Moody threatened to kill her if she left again, and commanded the rest of the family to prevent her from leaving. Betty's every move was being watched. Betty realized that she and Mahtob could not escape with the surveillance. She reasoned that the only way that Moody would stop watching her was for her to convince him that she was willing to stay in Iran. Her attitude improved, and she convinced him to move in with different relatives. Betty started helping around the house and preparing dinner. Moody accompanied her on all her errands. Eventually, he claimed to not have the time and told her to go herself. On one of these occasions, she befriended the owner of a menswear store named Hamid. Hamid sympathized with Betty, and offered her use of his telephone if she needed it.

While watching Mahtob play in the park, Betty encountered Judy, another American woman married to an Iranian. Betty relayed her plight to Judy, who promised to help. A couple days later, Judy invited Betty to a party where she could talk to Judy's friend Rasheed about finding a way to escape the country. Rasheed asked her to call him in two weeks. In December, two weeks after the dinner party, Rasheed informed Betty that the smuggler was unwilling to take a woman and a child on the journey over the mountains into Turkey, especially during the winter. After the New Year in 1985, Betty traveled to the embassy to speak with Helen. Helen had Betty and Mahtob fill out applications for new passports. When Betty asked about a way for her and Mahtob to be smuggled out of Iran, Helen warned against trusting smugglers, especially those willing to smuggle them across the treacherous Turkish border.

In late June, 1985, Moody, Betty, and Mahtob moved into their own apartment, limiting Moody's surveillance and giving Betty more freedom. Betty contacted Rasheed again, but his friend still refused to take a child. One day, an unnamed individual instructed Betty to go to an address and ask for the manager Amahl, who would find a way for both Betty and Mahtob to escape. Amahl informed Betty that he had planned a route and was attempting to work out the details. However, after several months, Amahl was still trying to construct a way of escape.

The original plan was to fly Betty and Mahtob to Bandar Abbas from Tehran. Once there, they would take a boat and travel across the Persian Gulf to one of the Gulf Arab States. Another optional plan being developed by Ahmal was to fly Betty and her daughter to Zahidan. At Zahidan, they would be smuggled into the Pakistani province of Balochistan, which borders Iran. From Balochistan's largest city, Quetta, they would be flown to the port city of Karachi in the Sindh province and transit back to America. Neither of these plans materialized because Betty escaped from Moody early.^[2] Betty also mentions in the book that Ahmal had informed her that the cold weather and snowfall in Balochistan was more severe than usual, and reports of bandits abducting travelers meant putting them at further risk, so he had reservations of using that route.

In mid-January 1986, Betty learned that her father was dying. Moody insisted that Betty return to the U.S., but demanded that Mahtob remain in Iran. Despite her refusal to leave without Mahtob, Moody booked her a flight on January 31. On January 29, 1986, Moody, an anesthesiologist, was unexpectedly called to the hospital. Knowing that this was her last chance before she was forced to leave Iran without her daughter, Betty called Amahl, asking for instructions. He directed them to an apartment where they remained for three days as Amahl completed their travel arrangements. They were to travel through Turkey; the smugglers would take them from Tehran to Tabriz, and then to Van. From there, Betty and Mahtob would need to find a way to Ankara and get to the U.S. Embassy.

On January 31, the smugglers drove Betty and Mahtob to a small village beyond Tabriz, where they spent the night. For the next day and most of the night, they used horses to cross the snowy, mountainous border into Turkey, where Betty nearly succumbed to exhaustion and hypothermia. They spent the rest of the night in a small hut, and traveled to Van in the morning. Betty and Mahtob found a bus, and spent the next 32 hours traveling to Ankara. Once they arrived, the U.S. Embassy granted them sanctuary, and helped them get airline tickets for a trip back to the U.S. later that day. On February 7, 1986, Betty and Mahtob finally arrived back home in Michigan, after spending eighteen months trapped in Iran.

Reception[edit]

Moody denied many of the claims made by his wife in 'Not Without my Daughter'. He collaborated with Alexis Kouros to create a documentary, Without My Daughter, to counter the claims in Betty's book.

In the book, she denied several times that she was propagating a negative stereotype of Iranians. She explained that, 'Iranians could not be placed into a single category of fanatical American-haters'. She also mentioned several instances of women who were not mistreated by their husbands, but also maintained, throughout the book, that most smugglers who helped people escape Iran could not be trusted.^[1] Nevertheless, the book and the movie of the same name have been criticized for their representation of Muslim Iranians and of their culture.^[3]

The book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.^[4]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abMahmoody, Betty (1987) [First published 1987]. Not Without My Daughter. St. Martin’s Press. ISBN0-312-01073-7.
2. ^'Not Without My Daughter, Questioning the Story'. Chasing the Frog.
3. ^Miles, Margaret Ruth (1997). Seeing and Believing: Religion and Values in the Movies. Beacon Press. p. 71. ISBN978-0807010310.
4. ^Montemurri, Patricia (21 March 2016). ''Not Without My Daughter' all grown up in Michigan'. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 9 July 2016.