Co-Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West (RBG, Julia) GABBY GIFFORDS WON’T BACK DOWN tells the extraordinary story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords: her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt in 2011, and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle against gun violence. Featuring extensive verite filming of Gabby and her husband, astronaut-turned-Senator Mark Kelly; interviews with Barack Obama and other friends and colleagues; and exclusive access to stunning videos taken in the weeks following her near-death, this film is the story of a rising star transformed by gun violence, and a close-up portrait of the marriage that sustains her.

For thoughts on Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, please check out my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its original festival debut here.

Video Quality

Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down comes to Blu-Ray in its original aspect ratio from a splendid high definition master. The film is made up of a mixture of new footage and various archival sources interspersed for a more complete picture of this amazing woman. The newer footage looks as radiant and clear as you would expect from a modern HD source, but you also have to allow for the limitations of different locations. The archival footage is much more inconsistent, but most of it holds up very well. The transfer appears to have plenty of room to breathe as there are no issues with compression artifacts, banding or other digital nuisances. Black levels are favorable and do not showcase any crush. The colors are well saturated and provide a nice visual pop off the screen. Interview segments deliver natural skin tones and detailed facial features. Universal Pictures has delivered a top notch presentation for audiences.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with an enviable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that presents the material exactly as intended. The surround sound presentation seldom puts the expanded channel allotment to the test, but the music permeates the room with lovely fidelity. Dialogue is given the spotlight here, and it is never overshadowed by competing elements. The archival material sometimes shows some limitations, but for the most part the track never lacks when it comes to clarity. The audio track translates the information exactly as desired. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided on this disc.

Special Features

Introduction by Senator Mark Kelly: A minute-and-a-half introduction in which Kelly talks about his wife and sets up her incredible story.

Q&A with Gabby Giffords and Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West: A nearly 13-minute piece moderated by Nina Totenberg in which the participants discuss the decision to tell Gabby’s story in this form, framing her story, the place of singing in this feature, the surprise cameraman they had for this project and more that is well worth a watch if you enjoy the film.

Final Thoughts

Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down is an incredibly inspiring look at what it means to have courage and determination in the face of life’s greatest challenges. Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West do not follow the most familiar path as they try to bring some more depth and complexity to Gifford’s journey beyond a strict biographical narrative. As an added bonus, the pair continue their loose trilogy of powerful women having lovely romances with their partners. Even if you think you know Gabby Giffords’ story, you don’t quite capture its resonance until you actually see it. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that features a top notch A/V presentation and a couple of brief special features. If the subject interests you even in the slightest, this is worth seeking out. Recommended

Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down can be purchased on Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Universal Pictures has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.