FREEDOM WRITERS

REVIEWED BY RISSI C.

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: violence and language

Rated:

Based on a true story Freedom Writers is an inspirational story about a teacher who believed in the kids everyone else had given up on.

Dedicated and passionate Erin Grunwell (Hilary Swank) is a teacher who chooses the inner-city of Los Angeles for her first teaching assignment. Her class is a group of detention kids that no one else wants or takes the time to help. Excited to finally be doing something she loves, Erin is shocked when a fight breaks out on her first day of class. When asking her fellow teachers about it, they tell her that this is what happens here and she had better get used to it. Erin becomes more discouraged after her first few days of school by her student’s prejudices and their attitude.

Looking for support from her father Steve (Scott Glenn), Erin asks his advice only to be told that she can do so much better than this. Looking for a way to get her students to open up, Erin has another troubling experience when one of the white kids makes fun of a black student with a mean-spirited sketch. Erin has yet another obstacle to conquer when the assistant principal Margaret Campbell (Imelda Staunton) won’t allow her kids any books or funding for trips. Erin decides to get another job in order to pay for books and extra activities. Just when Erin begins to feel as if she has started to make a difference in these kids lives, her personal life begins to suffer as her husband Scott (Patrick Dempsey) faces the emotions of realizing he’s not living the life he wants, but rather conforming to what Erin wants.

This movie deals with gangs and with that comes violence. In the first two minutes, an eleven-year old girl is beaten up; we see her face with blood on it and a black eye. Guns are used several times, resulting in death three times. Fist fights break out at school, but you don’t see them resulting in injury. While reading an assignment, Erin gets a glimpse into the lives of her students. Many of their home situations consist of abuse, being part of a gang, and the suicides of former friends and family. All of these are briefly seen in flashbacks, lingering the most on a girl witnessing her mother being beaten by her father before he starts beating her also. There is a brief reference about a girl ending up pregnant by the time she’s sixteen, to which she says “it’s not going to happen." Conversation revolves around the holocaust. Language is kept to a minimum, but does contain some strong words. 

Other than thinking this sounded like a good movie, I had no expectations. It was a wonderful story. Normally the true stories are the best. Freedom Writers has somewhat of the same feel as Take the Lead, which is another inspirational true tale. It was very interesting to see the change in the kids as time passed. They began to dress differently and started to listen to their teacher. One thing that was enjoyable was they didn’t make the kids terrible looking; they didn’t all have tattoos or multiple piercing, and for the most part the girls dressed modestly. My family and I also commented on the lack of language. While strong when used, chances are at a school in the inner city where the kids are in gangs, it would be constantly used.... much more than was depicted in the film.

I have only seen Hilary Swank in The Affair of the Necklace. Her movies over the last few years have not appealed to me, but she was very well cast in this part and I would love seeing her in other similar roles. Her portrayal of Erin was fantastic; you really feel her determination and affection for the kids. April Lee Hernandez as a student is a very good actress as well; she keeps all of her hardships and thoughts bottled up so no one can help her. All of the actors who played the students did very well, some characters I liked better than others. Patrick Dempsey and Scott Glenn as Erin’s father also deserve notable mentions rounding out the leading cast. This film does have some rap music, which isn’t my taste is music. I also noticed that some of the lyrics aren’t appropriate. In the end I would recommend Freedom Writers, a truly inspiring experience based on a real woman’s dedication that made a difference in the lives of her students. I will be adding this to film to my collection.