This movie takes place from 1984-1986. Betty Mahmoody is married to a doctor who was born in Iran but has lived in the US for 20 years. he has always been a loving husband and good father to their daughter. He starts missing his family in Iran and wants to go for a visit. Betty doesn't want to, simply because Iran is not a great place to be at this time, especially for Americans and the way they treat women. Her husband holds the Koran and swears to her that if she agrees to go for 2 weeks, nothing will happen, they will be safe, and they will return home in 2 weeks.
The day before they are to return to America her husband tells her that he has decided that they will remain in Iran. He wants to work as a doctor here where they are needed, and he wants to raise his daughter a Muslim and have her attend Iranian schools. She argues with him, but he tells her his decision has been made and they will be staying. She is angry with him for lying to her and tells him that, but he said if he hadn't done that he never would have gotten her to come. He hits her and says she is his wife and she will do as he says. Soon after that he starts beating her, she is not allowed to use the telephone for any reason, and she is not allowed to leave the house alone and his family reports back to him everything she does. Every time she tries to call her parents back in the USA she is beaten, or sometimes he takes their daughter away for a few days and sends her to stay with other family. So right away of course she tries to escape Iran. She does manage to speak with her mother for a short time who tells her to go the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. She manages to get there a few times but they aren't able to help her very much. when she does arrive home late, she is usually beaten or punished somehow. They tell her that because her husband is an Iranian citizen, she is his property, as well as her daughter. She could choose to divorce him, but she will lose her daughter, and it is illegal for her to take her daughter and leave the country. So she makes some friends who help her come up with a way to escape. It's dangerous, but she will be able to get someplace where they will help and American woman with a child. It's really a great movie and Sally Field does an excellent job as always. I cry when I see it because it is so easy to put yourself in Betty's shoes and see how she was tricked into coming to Iran and then was kept hostage there for almost 2 years afterward, never being allowed to speak to her family. It is very heart wrenching, and I recommend checking it out if you have never seen it.
The day before they are to return to America her husband tells her that he has decided that they will remain in Iran. He wants to work as a doctor here where they are needed, and he wants to raise his daughter a Muslim and have her attend Iranian schools. She argues with him, but he tells her his decision has been made and they will be staying. She is angry with him for lying to her and tells him that, but he said if he hadn't done that he never would have gotten her to come. He hits her and says she is his wife and she will do as he says. Soon after that he starts beating her, she is not allowed to use the telephone for any reason, and she is not allowed to leave the house alone and his family reports back to him everything she does. Every time she tries to call her parents back in the USA she is beaten, or sometimes he takes their daughter away for a few days and sends her to stay with other family. So right away of course she tries to escape Iran. She does manage to speak with her mother for a short time who tells her to go the Swiss Embassy in Tehran. She manages to get there a few times but they aren't able to help her very much. when she does arrive home late, she is usually beaten or punished somehow. They tell her that because her husband is an Iranian citizen, she is his property, as well as her daughter. She could choose to divorce him, but she will lose her daughter, and it is illegal for her to take her daughter and leave the country. So she makes some friends who help her come up with a way to escape. It's dangerous, but she will be able to get someplace where they will help and American woman with a child. It's really a great movie and Sally Field does an excellent job as always. I cry when I see it because it is so easy to put yourself in Betty's shoes and see how she was tricked into coming to Iran and then was kept hostage there for almost 2 years afterward, never being allowed to speak to her family. It is very heart wrenching, and I recommend checking it out if you have never seen it.
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