Maggie Gyllenhaal talks unions, education and motherhood

Howard Gensler:

IN THE NEW movie "Won't Back Down," Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Crazy Heart," "Hysteria") plays Jamie Fitzpatrick, a blue-collar single mom who takes issue with her daughter's crappy public school.

With no money to send her somewhere else and with the neighborhood's top charter school a long-shot pick in a lottery, Jamie teams up with a disgruntled teacher (Viola Davis), whose son has his own academic issues, to take over and improve the school so it works better for all the children.

"Won't Back Down" has raised the ire of teachers unions, but Gyllenhaal believes that's the wrong way to look at the movie.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at September 30, 2012 1:11 AM
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