Academy Award-nominee Viola Davis plays a teacher who rebels against the public school system in the new film "Won't Back Down," but real teachers across the country have not been receiving the movie so well. Sign-bearing protestors crashed the film's Hollywood premiere this past weekend. "Won't Back Down get out of town," read one protestor's sign, according to reports. Many teachers are apparently at odds with the portrayal of teachers' unions in the movie, as well as the film's championing of charter schools as the solution to the failed public school system.
Davis appeared on "The TODAY Show" this week to discuss the movie, as well as the contention surrounding the premise. “I welcome protests. I welcome discourse; I think discourse is a good thing," Davis told TODAY anchors. "I think it spearheads change…. And you know what, in this movie the teacher at the end of the day is the hero. They save the day. And it’s a system that’s broken, that needs to be fixed.”
"Won't Back Down" premieres in theaters on Sept. 28.
