What a fabulous film! Based on real events, about which I knew nothing but will shortly be looking up on Wikipedia, this movie features a tour-de-force performance from Melissa Leo as the cranky, eccentric, and heroic central character, in a story which kept me gripped from beginning to end.The film tells the story simply and straightforwardly, without any flashy camerawork or gimmicks of any kind, and it's the better for it. The story doesn't need embellishments, and the director (Tommy O'Haver) wisely doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel with his filmmaking.However, without the perfectly-pitched performance from Melissa Leo holding it together, this film may not have worked nearly as well. Her acting was a fine balance of over-playing and under-playing, with almost theatrical scenery-chewing mixed brilliantly with more intimate moments of reflection and introspection, creating a central character that was both intriguing and captivating.It's worth mentioning that the script is also magnificent, with dialogue that furthers the narrative effortlessly, peppered with dry humour and sarcastic one-liners and barbs that hit the mark every time.I had never heard of the film, or the lady it's about, but I loved every minute of it, and have been inspired to learn more, so as a movie it both entertained and enlightened me, and that's about as much as can be expected from any film.

Of course that's her real name and not the one of the "character" (real life person) she portrays, but it's fitting nevertheless. She won't take anything from anybody, no matter what the point is. And she will stand up for something when others just idly stand by and maybe even just watch what is happening.We go through a lot of history of what happened to this person and how she became a fighter and an atheist. The last fact alone may make her a bad apple for some and put her in a corner she can't recover from. But you know there is a reason for this title of hers (and the movie). Performance is grand and it's really a gripping story, jumping back and forth in time. It works and while not many will be completely satisfied with the work/movie itself, it's really something good, with flaws and all.

This true story of the atheist activist who got prayer banned from public schools is so bizarre it's almost unbelievable.The tone seems slightly comical at first portraying her as a hilariously brash foul mouthed woman who actually succeeded in changing a major aspect of the presence of religion in public schools and the separation of church and state. The story proceeds to her civil rights point of view and how her Atheist movement grew to a large organization. Towards the end things take a horrific turn - as the movie goes into a true life murder story mode. Had no idea such a terrible murder took place.One fault is the story jumps round in time and it is clear most of the time but a few less jumps would have been better.The acting is good and the cast is A list. Melissa Leo is surprisingly good - couldn't have envisaged her in this role - thought more of a Kathy Bates type in the role. Josh Lucas seems a bit too clean cut for the ex felon office manager. Juno Temple manages to play a young grand daughter quite convincingly. Vincent Kartheiser is quite suited to the role of her son who changes from Atheist to evangelical.Worth a watch.

Well, what to say. A couple of really good actors. Good camera and sets. But to my disappointment I have to say that the sadistic killing is the climax and thus the real star of this movie. The last minutes of the movie belong to the horror genre. It leaves you behind with a depressed view on the world. I am from Holland, I did not know this woman at all. But after a quick research online it seems to me there's more to this woman. Now we are just presented with some general story line through time. A display of what Madalyn Murray O'Hair did and with whom and then this whole vehicle is going towards her killing, someone sawing off an arm and some more killing. The characters were kept rather one-dimensional. And it ends with pure nastiness. Perhaps the main people behind this movie were very religious? Anyway... it looked all like it could become a really good movie but then it all ends, all of sudden, with the explicit scenes of them being murdered. I mean, why? What is the purpose? Why show it? For what reason? Where's the intellectual and artistic motivation to show this all so explicitly? How is this serving this plot? Perhaps the David Waters character was meant to be the center of attention? This ending would serve a story about the f*cked up killer David Waters. I think there should have been put much more work on this flick. It probably should have become a series. With an in-depth story line displaying real people with complex personalities, who we really get to know. You see that many people put some love in this movie. But then the script just disappoints and thus the overall production. Was it planned as a series and then they decided to turn it into this movie? Seems the best explanation to me. Or was it meant at first to tell this story from the point of view of David Waters but then Melissa Leo jumped on the wagon and she needed to get a bigger part? Overall people just did a really bad job here. With some real effort, with some real good script, developing over a couple of episodes this could have turned into a price winning drama. Especially for Melissa Leo: it could have been an Emmy Award winning role. Melissa Leo is delivering on a high level. But the whole construction of this thing is just letting her down. Disappointing. A 6 for all the good acting that is going on by most of the cast, for the set dressers, the editor and for some choices in directing.