The 1991 scene Alfred Molina apologised for before filming: “I’m going to beat the shit out of you”
While it might not be well-remembered today, the 1991 biographical drama Not Without My Daughter was a major release that inspired a great deal of commentary and discourse, as it was inspired by a bestselling memoir from just four years prior.
The film starred Sally Field as Betty Mahmoody, an American woman who is married to the Iranian physician Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody, played by Alfred Molina, also known as ‘Moody’, who invites his wife and their daughter Mahtob, played by Sheila Rosenthal, to stay with him in Iran, and she discovers that there are significant cultural differences compared to their quiet life in Michigan.
Moody gets fired from his job, which leads him to prevent Betty and Mahtob from fleeing the country, subjecting them to physical and psychological abuse, and although some felt that the film was manipulative, shallow, and stigmatising of its Muslim characters, it was a hit that benefited from the star power of its two major actors.
Molina had been a notable presence in English-language films for a decade, having made a memorable appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, but Field was already one of the most successful actors of all time, having already won two Academy Awards for ‘Best Actress’ for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart, both of which were also crossover hits with commercial audiences.
Molina expressed some trepidation about the content of the film, which required him to “beat seven shades of shit” out of Field’s character, but she surprised him with her response. “Well, you better give it all you’ve got, or I’m going to beat the shit out of you,” Field said.
The debate over Not Without My Daughter didn’t end with the release of the film itself, as both the real Moody and Betty were analysed by the press and conducted interviews in the aftermath. Although the film was popular with audiences, critics were more mixed; Field was nominated for the Razzie award for ‘Worst Actress’, and the score by Jerry Goldsmith was accused of being too melodramatic for the grim subject material.
That Molina was able to survive the film with his reputation intact speaks to his chameleonic abilities as an actor, wherein, despite the fact that he gives a terrifying performance in Not Without My Daughter, he managed to be a charming romantic lead in Frida and a wholesome father figure in An Education.
Field may have never hit the same stride of success that she did in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but she did land some notable roles in the 21st century, most notably appearing as Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s biographical drama Lincoln and as Aunt May Parker in the superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man and its 2014 sequel. While The Amazing Spider-Man wasn’t necessarily met with glowing responses, Field’s co-star Andrew Garfield later presented her with a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild.
Interestingly enough, Field and Molina reunited for the first time within the last month in the Netflix original film Remarkably Bright Creatures. While neither actor has been quite as popular as they were 35 years ago, their well-received work in one of Netflix’s strongest original films shows the enduring perseverance and star power that they both have.
