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Parents' Guide to

Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down

By Monique Jones, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Inspiring, intense docu promotes empathy, perseverance.

Movie PG-13 2022 95 minutes
Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down Movie Poster

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This film could be a hard watch if you're squeamish about or triggered by gun violence, but it's necessary to watch if you want to gain a better perspective on the effects of gun violence. The movie shows how it has ravaged Giffords' and others' lives and lays bare the political maneuvering that keeps Americans unsafe and at risk.

Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down rightly points a finger at the NRA and U.S. Republicans for their refusal to do what's important for Americans. But some viewers might question the film's focus on mental health as the key cause of the country's gun violence. While the man who attempted to kill Giffords was diagnosed with schizophrenia -- and is implied not to have treated it properly or as being without the means to treat it properly -- statistics show that people with mental illness are not the main cause of gun violence. The documentary doesn't focus on other factors, including abusive partners, White supremacist views, and other forms of thought that may lead to domestic terrorism. Still, the film makes a solid case for viewers who are still on the fence about advocating for gun control to join the cause and leave the legacy of a violent United States in the dust.

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