'Won't Back Down' Star Davis Stunned at Union's Reaction to Film

Teachers unions and their allies are none too happy about “Won’t Back Down.”

The film, opening Friday, concerns a single mother (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and a teacher (Viola Davis) who team up to take control of a crumbling public school failing local children.

The film’s director and leads all describe themselves as “pro-union.” The movie’s love interest (played by handsome young star Oscar Isaac) is a major union booster who frequently speaks up on behalf of unions during the film. And while the unions are the “heavy” in the feature they certainly aren’t castigated the way, say, big business routinely is in films.

That isn’t enough to stop unions from protesting the film, and that’s leaving people like Davis flabbergasted.

“I didn’t expect any of the discourse and friction that happened as a result of this movie coming out,” said Davis.

“I’ve been really surprised by the controversy,” Gyllenhaal said during a press interview for the film.

For Gyllenhaal, the results have been more … personal.

A group backed by New York teachers unions has created a video critical of Maggie Gyllenhaal for, perhaps inadvertently, siding against them.

The video offers little evidence against the “parent trigger” laws featured in the film. It merely blasts corporations and promotes more government.