Name: Not Without My Daughter
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Released: 1991-01-11
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Sally Field, Alfred Molina, Sheila Rosenthal, Roshan Seth, Sarah Badel

9 quotes

Not Without My Daughter

A Mother's Dilemma Amidst Cultural Tensions

Betty My father's ill. He could be dying. I have to go and see him.

Houssein I don't think your father would have wanted you to go back if it meant losing your daughter.

Betty Why can't I go and see him, come back, and leave later with Mahtob?

Houssein You can't leave Mahtob here, not with Moody's family. They're from the provinces, and this regime only encourages them. There are some people who consider a girl ready for marriage at nine years of age. Child brides are not unknown.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Not Without My Daughter

Exploring Faith and Relationships Through Conversion

Betty Have you become Muslim?

Ellen Mm-hmm.

Betty Did you convert?

Ellen Well, I wanted to, I guess. My husband was happy I did. It made things a lot better.

Ellen Uh, I... I got to go.

Betty Ellen, it's been so...

Ellen No, really.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Not Without My Daughter

A Child's Plea for Freedom

Someone Nananana Eempossibill, Mahtob/Tob goes to father.

[to Betty]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Not Without My Daughter

Discussion on Violence and Cultural Context

Betty Mahmoody Was he violent?

[about Ellen's husband]

Ellen No, not in the States, never. They're not supposed to, you know? It's not Islamic.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Not Without My Daughter

Staying and Seeking New Opportunities

Moody I don't know how to say this to you. We're not going back. We're staying here.

Betty What do you mean? How long?

[pauses]

Moody I want to get a job here in a hospital.

Betty What?

Moody I want us... to live in Iran.

Betty No... No...

[softly]

Moody There's nothing for me in America.

Betty No... What? Are you crazy? We're Americans. Your daughter's an American! Moody, honey, you're upset about your job. I understand that. We're going to go back today and we're going to fix it.

Moody I want Mahtob to grow up here.

Betty No!

[increasingly angry]

Moody I think she should become a Muslim!

Betty No! No! You lied to me. You lied to me! You held the Koran and you swore to me that nothing was going happen. You were planning this all the time. You lied to me!

[screams; pauses]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Not Without My Daughter

The Significance of Gardens in Persian Culture

Houssein Gardens have always had a special place in Persia throughout our history. In fact, the word "paradise" is a Persian word. It's hard to believe, isn't it, that the idea of paradise will always be intimately connected with Iran. Whenever I think of what's happening to my country, I try to remember its gardens.

[to Betty]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Not Without My Daughter

Seeking Freedom Together

Nicole My name is Nicole Adjamian.

[in the American Interest Section of the Swiss Embassy]

Betty Yes. Betty Mahmoody. This is my daughter, Mahtob.

Nicole Please do sit.

Betty Thank you. We're so glad to see you. I spoke with my mother in the United States and I know that the State Department is into this. We're just very happy to be here. We'll sleep anywhere for as long as it takes until you can get us out.

Nicole What are you talking about? You cannot stay here.

[confused]

Betty I can't go back to my husband. I want to go home to the United States.

Nicole That may be, but you are in Iran. You are married to an Iranian?

Betty Yes.

Nicole Then you are an Iranian citizen.

Betty No. No I'm not. I'm an American citizen and my daughter is an American citizen. We were born in the United States. We have American passports. I mean, we don't have them with us. My husband has them. We've never changed our citizenship.

Nicole If you marry an Iranian man, you automatically become an Iranian citizen. The laws regarding women are very strict. You cannot travel anywhere without written permission. You have no rights to the children. They go to the man in a divorce. I'm sorry, but you will have to go back to your husband.

Betty But we'll never get out of Iran. We're being held hostage. It was almost impossible to come here.

[on the verge of tears]

Nicole Mrs. Mahmoody, there are many American women here in similar circumstances. May I ask you why you came to Iran?

[pauses]

Betty I don't know. I don't know. I was afraid to come. I wanted to please him. I trusted him. I was frightened to come, but I never thought this would happen. I thought of him as an American. He's changed. Oh God, he's changed.

[pauses; sniffles]

Nicole Look, Mrs. Mahmoody. Many came back after the Revolution feeling guilty about being away, about turning their backs on Iran and on Islam. Now Iran is an Islamic State and that's a wonderful thing for many Iranians. Well, if there is anything I can do, maybe if you need to organize telephone calls to the U.S. or if you want to write letters home, let me know.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Not Without My Daughter

A Prayer for Escape from Iran

Betty Dear Lord, hear our prayer.

Mahtob Dear Lord, hear out prayer.

Betty Please help us leave Iran and get back to America.

Mahtob Please help us leave Iran and get back to America.

Betty Please let nothing separate us.

Mahtob Please let nothing separate us.

Betty And keep us always safe in Your care.

Mahtob And keep us always safe in Your care.

Betty Amen.