Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down (2022) User Reviews

Gabbyfied

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 18 July 2022]

Greetings again from the darkness. If you get shot in the head, you will likely die. If somehow you survive, and never fully regain speaking competence or full physical coordination, what would be your outlook on life and on gun control? Gabby Giffords, a former member of the U. S. Congress, did survive, and co-directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West (the duo behind the 2018 documentary, RBG) show us that Gabby remains a committed optimist and activist ... a gunshot victim, a gun owner, and a gun control activist with reasonable goals for gun ownership. She confidently proclaims, "I'm not against guns. I'm against gun violence."

It was January 8, 2011, when Gabby (I'm referring to her this way out of ultimate respect and because this is how she often refers to herself) was meeting and greeting her constituents outside the front doors of a Safeway store in suburban Tucson. A gunman opened fire attempting to assassinate her, and in the process, shot 19 people, killing six - including a federal judge and a young girl. Though initially reported as dead, Gabby did survive despite the bullet passing through her skull and brain. Gabby's husband, Space Shuttle Endeavor Commander Mark Kelly, decided to film her in the hospital for the days and weeks after the shooting, so that one day she could see what she had endured. Some of these segments are quite difficult to watch, especially when we see her uncontrollably repeating the word "chicken", and subsequently breaking down with her speech pathologist. These segments convince us of two things: Gabby's recovery was remarkable, and she's an incredibly determined person.

Filmmakers Cohen and West provide some background on Gabby. After graduating college, she had a NYC job with a large firm, and resigned that to move back home and run El Campo Tire, the family business. We even see her appearance in a local TV commercial, her charm and leadership skills clearly on display. After negotiating the sale of the business. She turned her attention to politics and we see some of her early campaigning. Articulate, forceful, and immediately likable, Gabby was a moderate who used logic in the stands she took, and was a rising political star on the national scene. We hear from Gabby's parents, as well as her stepdaughter, who admits to not being especially warm to Gabby when her dad (Mark Kelly) began dating her. It's refreshing to see that their relationship is quite strong today.

Aphasia is a disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate. There can be few things worse for anyone, especially a politician. Former President Barack Obama is interviewed and speaks glowingly of Gabby as a politician and a person; however, it's the relationship between Gabby and husband Mark that is the heart of her recovery, her work since, and his successful run for Congress in 2020. This is the husband that commanded the Space Shuttle concurrently with his wife's latest brain surgery. The couple founded a gun control organization in 2013, and it's now known simply as "Giffords". We see Gabby's triumphant return to Washington, DC, and understand her subsequent resignation a few months later. This is the story of a unique and strong woman in a true relationship with a strong man. Together they do amazing things. Consider me "Gabbyfied".

Opened in theaters on July 15, 2022.

Wonderfully inspiring film, a tale well-told about so much more than gun violence

[firenze_italia · 8/10 · 27 July 2022]

This film needs to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. In telling the tale of Gabby's life, the shocking shooting in Tucson and of her recovery, it also manages to address other troubling issues that are confronting this country in our time - the epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings, the bitter partisan divide over firearms, and it even touches on the unaffordability of health care for Americans when they find themselves at the most vulnerable time in their lives.

Sadly, the film could not be more timely. At a certain point, the grim count of mass shootings since 2011 is recited. I and my friend were reduced to tears as the seemingly endless parade of high body count tragedies went on and on: Aurora, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas, Stoneman Douglas HS, El Paso, Boulder. I am right now looking at the Wikipedia page that lists mass shootings and I am certain I am forgetting others (how sad is that???) that were likely mentioned as well, such as the Sutherland Springs church shooting in 2017 that killed 26 and injured 22.

It is July 2022 as I write this; I broke down completely when they finished this macabre count because there have now been three mass shootings in 2022 that apparently occurred too late in post-production to be included: Buffalo, Highland Park, Uvalde. All of the shootings that I just listed resulted in 276 deaths and 1151 (!!!) wounded. In just two of those shootings (Sandy Hook and Uvalde), 48 children were literally blown to pieces by a madman with a weapon of mass murder.

This does not happen in any other country that is not fighting a war on its own soil. This happens in America, not in Ukraine. Take all the time you need with that one.

This film is not just about gun violence, however. It also gives us the fascinating and inspiring inside story of Gabby's long road to recovery from a head wound that by all rights should have left her dead or in a vegetative state. I was tempted to call her survival and recovery miraculous, but that adjective does not give anywhere nearly enough credit to the hard work and dedication that was required of Gabby and her doctors and therapists. I'm so glad that somebody (Mark Kelly perhaps?) had the insight to film this process from the early days onward with a professional cameraman.

We also learn about she came to be married to Mark Kelly, and how the shooting unalterably changed the course of their lives. Of course we know how it cut short Gabby's career in politics; I never knew that she and Mark had wanted to have children and that she was scheduled to undergo IVF treatment on Monday, 1/10/2011. The shooting occurred on January 8th. Their dream of having children together, of course, was also cut short that day. (I cried while writing those last three sentences, just as I did at that point in the film.)

Gabby also had a goal of running for Senate one day; the shooting inspired Mark Kelly to continue her work and fulfill her dream by running for Senate. Of course I knew that he had a career as an astronaut; what I did not know was that he had never considered a career in politics until his wife was shot. I just assumed that he had always intended to enter politics after his NASA career ended.

Finally, this film also speaks to how we can come together to find ways to talk to each other about difficult and very partisan topics such as gun violence, rather than bashing each other over the head with talking points and bickering past one another. Both of those are works in progress; there's no happy ending in this film for either of those topics but it does point us in the direction that we need to head if there's any hope of moving past simply seeking to score partisan political points against 'the other side'.

I am a professional in the production business (television, not filmmaking) and I can attest that the filmmakers did a masterful job of interweaving these threads into a moving and hopeful tapestry that will inspire all but the coldest hearts to be the change we want to see in the world. Let's sit down and talk to one another, America. Let's drop the talking points and truly see and hear each other with compassion and kindness and find a way to move forward so that everyone who likes and needs their firearms can have them while we put an end to this senseless, frighteningly normalized American ritual of mass slaughter followed by little other than thoughts and prayers.

Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down

[mapaalumni · 10/10 · 14 July 2022]

Attending the premier was my pre-BD gift to myself. Made by the women who gave us RBG, this documentary about a truly great American woman should be seen by everyone. Her miraculous "recovery" and commitment will hopefully get each of us to Do our part in any way we can to support her efforts. And thank you Mark Kelly for the moving and sensitive videos.

Beautiful Portrait Of Resilience And Optimism; Speaks To A Timely Political Issue

[rannynm · 10/10 · 21 July 2022]

A beautiful portrait of resilience and optimism, Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down is an uplifting film about Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and speaks to a timely political issue for audiences of all political affiliations. Giffords' passion and perseverance are not only inspiring, but also enrich the film through her interviews; archival footage and sound bites from her husband and mother are also well-placed and add greatly to the film.

Gabby Giffords is shot through the head at point-blank range at a Tucson, Arizona, Safeway in 2011 while hosting a meeting called, "Congress on Your Corner." That moment, that one bullet, would change her life entirely, as she went from a powerhouse to a nearly vegetative patient. The film shows some admittedly difficult-to-watch clips of Giffords' recovery in the hospital. She suffered from aphasia, which took away her language ability, and her doctors weren't sure if she would ever speak again. Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down follows her journey of recovery and also shows glimpses of her career and the path she took post-recovery. We see a strong, intelligent, inspiring, and spirited woman who has achieved, and is continuing to achieve, a great deal.

The film is edited masterfully and tells a rousing and moving story that enraptures viewers from the first frame. One of the most unique parts of Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down is that we see Gabby speaking in all stages of her journey - hearing Giffords' voice is one of the most compelling aspects of the film, and it adds many endearing, bittersweet, and motivating moments. And what a journey: She gave up her big job to come home and run the family business, then transitioned to a TV commercial star, then to an Arizona Democrat-while staying an enthusiastic and charming cheerleader throughout. I especially love the scenes where Giffords is singing with her mother; not only does it show the strength of their bond, but Giffords is more at ease because, as with many who have aphasia or other brain-related injuries, her speech is most fluid when singing.

Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down is a film about perseverance. Even though watching Gabby go through the relearning process is difficult for viewers, it is also empowering - it shows us that the human spirit, when set on achieving something, will achieve it... and how! Today, she is giving speeches, lobbying for change, and at the forefront of one of America's hottest discussions: the gun debate. Though there are mentions of the NRA and a decent amount of focus is placed on Giffords-Gabby's organization against gun violence-this film, much like Giffords herself, is not particularly bent toward one political ideology or party. There are mentions of politics, violence, and a good bit of gory imagery.

I give Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down 5 stars out of 5 and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down is available now in theaters. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST.