our story. our words.
A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.
Genre(s): Biography, Crime, Drama
Runtime: 123 minutes
Rating: 7.6/10 (15,715 votes)
Release Date: 5 January 2007
Country: Germany, USA
Languages: English
Company: Paramount Pictures
Sound: DTS, SDDS, Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language.
Director(s): Richard LaGravenese
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Producer(s):
Danny DeVito - producer
Tracey Durning - executive producer
Jordana Glick-Franzheim - associate producer
Daniel S. Levine - executive producer (as Dan Levine)
Nan Morales - executive producer
Michael Shamberg - producer
Stacey Sher - producer
Hilary Swank - executive producer
Writer(s):
Richard LaGravenese - (screenplay)
Freedom Writers - (book "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them") and
Erin Gruwell - (book "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them")
Cast:
Hilary Swank - Erin Gruwell
Patrick Dempsey - Scott Casey
Scott Glenn - Steve Gruwell
Imelda Staunton - Margaret Campbell
April L. Hernandez - Eva Benitez (as April Lee Hernandez)
Mario - Andre Bryant
Kristin Herrera - Gloria Munez
Jaclyn Ngan - Sindy
Sergio Montalvo - Alejandro Santiago
Jason Finn - Marcus
Music: Mark Isham, Will i Am
Danny DeVito - producer
Tracey Durning - executive producer
Jordana Glick-Franzheim - associate producer
Daniel S. Levine - executive producer (as Dan Levine)
Nan Morales - executive producer
Michael Shamberg - producer
Stacey Sher - producer
Hilary Swank - executive producer
Writer(s):
Richard LaGravenese - (screenplay)
Freedom Writers - (book "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them") and
Erin Gruwell - (book "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them")
Cast:
Hilary Swank - Erin Gruwell
Patrick Dempsey - Scott Casey
Scott Glenn - Steve Gruwell
Imelda Staunton - Margaret Campbell
April L. Hernandez - Eva Benitez (as April Lee Hernandez)
Mario - Andre Bryant
Kristin Herrera - Gloria Munez
Jaclyn Ngan - Sindy
Sergio Montalvo - Alejandro Santiago
Jason Finn - Marcus
Music: Mark Isham, Will i Am
Posted on: March 17, 2008
July 26th, 2008
'Freedom Writers' is terrific stuff…It can't be easy telling thestory of yet another teacher who motivates her students and makes adifference, but 'Freedom Writers' succeeds. It's a feel-good moviewhich, while not entirely avoiding clichés, manages to be a solid'message movie' and great entertainment at the same time. It issometimes very emotional (the highlight being a school visit by someonefrom WWII era) but never melodramatic.
Swank avoids all opportunities for going OTT and gives a carefullycontained lead performance. She's too much of a pro to hog thelimelight and allows her younger co-stars (students) space to perform.It's great because she allows us to identify with a character thatcould have easily become a cliché. Scott Glenn and Imelda Staunton areboth excellent in small roles. Patrick Dempsey plays the estrangedhusband and acquits himself well.
Bottomline: 10/10 Well worth watching
July 29th, 2008
LaGravenese's film about a young high-school teacher that inspires agroup of "troubled students" to learn to get along, apply themselvesand think about pursuing higher education. Swank is very good in thelead and Patrick Dempsey and Scott Glenn are good here as well. Thefilm is touching, yet entertaining, and one that people can easilyrelate to. It is written well, and has a good score from Mark Isham,and suitable cinematography from Jim Denault. This is a good movie,that enjoyed and wouldn't mind watching again in the future. One of thebetter films of 07' with good performances and good writing/directing.IMDb Rating: 7.6. My Rating: 9/10
September 27th, 2008
Freedom Writers(2007)
Mrs. Gruwell(Swank) is a new teacher at Wilson High School in LongBeach, California. She is from a good neighborhood and is shocked whenshe sees the quality of the students at Long Beach. Mrs. Gruwell isdedicated to her job though, and will stop at nothing to turn theschool around. This was based on a true story.
Freedom Writers has poor character development. Mrs. Gruwell justbarely avoids being the perfect girl. Her problems are just that she isa little dorky and her marriage runs into few tiny problems while atLong Beach. Steve Gruwell(Glenn) is even less developed that Mrs.Gruwell, as he is just a role filler. The main problem of thecharacters is the students. They act as just one group, and not asindividuals. The film never takes any times to show us in depth any oftheir problems. There's the guy that has problems with his dad, the guythat saw his friend get shot, and the girl that has problems with herdad, but that's as far as they go. Also, the students change way tooquickly and put their problems behind them pretty easily.
It's interesting that Freedom Writers is based on a true story, but theexecution on bringing the story to film was done poorly. Most of thetime it's either predictable or melodramatic. The saddest part of it isthat they try to make it dramatic when they read Anne Frank's Diary. Itcould almost be called copyright infringement. Going into the movie youknow everything is going to turn out alright, but the film doesn't eventry to put us in doubt. There are barely any obstacles put in thefreedom writers dream of becoming fine, outstanding citizens. We havethe vice principal that doesn't approve of what Ms.Gruwell is doing,but that's the biggest obstacle in their path. Also, the ending iswatching the freedom writers type their story and a small argument onwhether Mrs. Gruwell can teach the students in their Junior and Senioryears. Fascinating.
The directing of Freedom Writers is bad because the director nevercreates an effective atmosphere. We never really feel the pain that thestudents are going through. The lighting is very bland and never helpscreate a mood. He never uses the right shots to maximize the setting'spotential. The cinematography is also bad, as it appears they could'vefilmed this on a cheap camera and film. When you have 35mm film lookinglike 16mm film, you know something's wrong. The music is overdone andmelodramatic, but with the quality of the writing it would be hard toavoid. On the upside, we do have some pretty good songs that fit thefilm perfectly. I will also say though it is obvious they tried to makea good movie.
The actual acting of Freedom Writers is OK, but the casting wasterrible. The students of the film are supposed to be 14/15, but wehave actors that are 20 to 27 years old playing them. I did a littleresearch into this and the youngest of the actors was seventeen yearsold. This makes many lines come off as extremely camping. We one actorsays,"Even though I have only lived a short fourteen years, I have seenmany things." It makes you think the next line coming is " When I wastwenty two years old, I changed my identity to a fourteen year old,because having been held back eight years was too embarrassing."
BAKED FRESH BOTTOM LINE 3/10
Pros: Songs Interesting that it's based off a true story They tried!
Cons: Character Development Poor execution of story Directing MusicCasting
Rating Information PG-13 1. Violent Content a. fights break out 2.Language a. Some cursing
Cast
Hillary Swank – Mrs. Gruwell
Patrick Dempsey – Scott Casey
Scott Glenn – Steve Gruwell
April Hernandez – Eva Benitez
Directed by: Richard LaGravenese
Review Written by: Kenny Stice
October 10th, 2008
The number of movies that address social issues and inspire at the sametime are very limited. This movie "Freedom Writers" is one of those fewmovies about a ground reality portrayed for what it is. This movie isabout a teacher called by her students as Miss G played by HillarySwank. The teacher finds her class to be a bunch of students all fromvery disturbed family backgrounds. The students show their backgroundsin the behavior and all their acts threaten to make her life as ateacher very miserable.
Hillary Swank plays the role of an ideal teacher who is willing to goany distance in order to do something she thoroughly believes in. Shebelieves she can make a difference to the lives of these kids and ishell bent on doing so. In the process, she is ready to fight thesystem, stand up to her seniors and even risk jeopardizing her family.This movie is not just about the struggle of a teacher to do what shebelieves in at any cost but is also about the bitter reality of gangwars and racism. The movie explores the lives of the students and whathas led them into their present states. Hillary Swank is a giftedactress no doubt but there are a few short comings in her act in thismovie. Her overall role is decent but not near her best.
The movie is very inspiring but it does come with a couple ofdrawbacks. The transformation is shown to be too ideal. For instance,if you see the movie "To Sir, With Love" you are always shown one ortwo guys who resist the very attempt of anyone trying to touch theirlife. We, as humans tend to resist change even if it is for the good.The amount of resistance shown to be offered by the students to herattempts seemed a little too less. How much of this movie is accuratein portraying a reality is something I guess only those who are awareof the situation described in the movie will be able to talk about. Butone can see that the situation time and now appears to be a bit overdramatic and exaggerated. Trying to change the tone of the movie to bedarker when it is meant to be dark could have helped.
Though the movie sways a little from realism time and now, we mustremember that the movie is not actually meant to be a documentary. Iguess one can sideline some of the overdone things because the strengthof emotion and message in this movie is inspiring. Some people might gooverboard with their criticism of this movie but in the end it has agood and powerful message to convey and I believe one should ignore anyand all comments asking you to refrain from watching the movie andsimply watch it.
November 9th, 2008
I just saw this movie (rented it) and was very impressed. Hilary Swankgives a different sort of performance, but it's solid and complete. Mybrother is a teacher and I'm going to make him watch this movie. Thescene where Hilary has all the kids step on a line if various thingshave happened to them, or if they have seen them happen was such aturning point in the film.
When she takes the kids to a Holocaust museum, you can watch the kidschange. I mean, you can really see them change. Then they read aboutAnne Frank and learn what REAL oppression and fear are about.
And when they hatch a plan to bring the woman who knew the Franks andeveryone that was hiding with them, you think "no way". Way! It happensand her visit and talk with them was profoundly moving.
Don't bother with a TV broadcast. That would interrupt the flow of thefilm. If you haven't seen it, rent it! You won't regret it.
May 1st, 2010
nice movie