User reviews

I actually wasn't up to seeing Freedom Writers, it looked like a total rip off of Dangerous Minds, but after so many promising reviews, my friend and I checked it out tonite and I have to say while it is still in my opinion a copy off of Dangerous Minds, it's all good. It had a new little twist on it for a new generation who didn't have the opportunity to see Dangerous Minds. The stories were truly inspiring and very heart breaking at the same time. I never really thought how much of our history is still true to this day, you know? But it goes to show how history will always repeat itself despite how people will always claim that what is currently happening to them is a first time.

Mrs. G is a new teacher to a reform school where she will teach freshman and sophomore English. She finds the task harder when she doesn't realize what she has truly gotten herself into with the gang violence and the drug wars constantly going on. The fear that the students have not knowing if they are really going to make it to the age of 18 and trying to have courage to survive each day. At first they give Mrs. G a hard time, that is until she finds a way through history like the holocaust, to show them that the struggles they face is always eternal. Asking them to write down their feelings, stories, and thoughts into a journal, they soon become the "Freedom Writers".

Freedom Writers was a truly good movie that I was pleasantly surprised with, it had great acting and a very inspiring story. My favorite moment was when they had the woman who sheltered the Franks during the Holocaust come in and speak to the kids and told them how they could make a difference just by following their hearts and doing what they thought was right. I would recommend Freedom Writers, especially if you loved Dangerous Minds ;).

7/10

I really enjoyed this movie, from the previews it doesn't give much detail to what really happens, but I found that it was very well directed, and should get praise for that. Secondly, it might have been because the sound in the theatre was kind of loud, but I found myself coming close to tears a few times in empathy for the characters in the movie. Overall, I would like to say that I enjoyed it very much, and would recommend it to people who enjoy inspirational movies, drama, and who can sit still through a 2 hour movie. :) Besides, who doesn't love seeing actors show their true talent up on the big screen like Hilary Swank?

If this film wasn't based on a true story it would seem like a retread of To Sir With Love, Dangerous Minds and even Take The Lead. It's well-made and watchable but far too predictable and formulaic.

A 23 year old rookie teacher called Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) arrives to teach tough kids in an integrated school in Long Beach in the 1990s. The kids are mostly gang members and they are angry and cynical for a reason. Their whole life is a struggle to survive. Not surprisingly the kids have poor reading scores but when Gruwell arrives she decides to teach them Homer and Shakespeare. Gruwell's students are initially rude and hostile. She takes them on trips outside the neighborhood, to show them how other people live and slowly wins their trust. They develop an interest in learning and become enthusiastic about schoolwork, but there are setbacks. The kids have never heard of the holocaust, but they enjoy the Diary of Anne Frank and learn that racism can have evil consequences.

Erin has lots of opposition. Her husband (Patrick Dempsey) finds himself neglected, her father (Scott Glenn)worries about the thugs she's mixing with and her boss (Imelda Staunton) and colleagues don't understand why she is wasting her time on these violent losers. Gruwell's students all look closer to 30 than 18 and Swank is 10 years too old to play Gruwel. The film would have worked better with a teacher who looked young and vulnerable. The film ends happily, Erin is a remarkable success and her kids all love her.

True to life movie stories are difficult to grade on a scale of 1 to 10. But, watching this show brought back many memories about education in America. Programmed packaged type teaching is the preferred method for many school systems. How we learn in a fragmented high school system is always a current issue in the news. The method of teaching the lesson is not always the choice of the teacher. Teachers work for a school system and are told what and how to teach. Most of the time there is not much freedom for teachers in a high school setting. It can be a very long and sad and boring and lonely day in a classroom without gradual student transforms. The establishment does want results from the students and teachers. But, a featured movie can show that one teacher, alone can make a difference to some people. So, there maybe something wrong with the educational system and not that English teacher. Good luck and have a great day to all teachers.

The film wasn't slow in action, but the first 10 minutes of the film were so racially-packed that I lost initial interest in the story. It also didn't help that the theater was filled with a lot of chatty teenagers who gabbed throughout the film. But since I couldn't leave without disturbing others, I decided to stay, and I'm very glad that I did.

After hearing all the yadda yadda that everybody hates me 'cause I'm (fill in the blank) so I'll hate everyone else and that will make me powerful, the film finally gets moving and a half-dozen young actors begin show an enormous amount of energy, spunk and well-done acting.

Naturally, Swank's character, a first-time teacher with a Polly Anna attitude, is everything we expect her to be. It's a human story and she plays a very human part. Great job.

Her conflicts with her home life are a bit too on the nose, as her husband's personality is revealed too quickly, and we see throughout the story too soon how the relationship will pan out.

But her connection with the kids, the personal stories they tell, and her unrelenting strategies to reach a selfless goal for them have the audience cheering for the entire group. By the end of the film, your heart goes out to the entire classroom.

It's a heartwarming story, one that has - in one form or another - been told before, but with a fresh angle that should make it a success.

Wow - if anyone needed confirmation many US inner city urban areas resemble war zones worse than those found in Third World cities they should watch this movie!

And it's a movie worth watching. Sure, it's cliched and predictable but does that matter ... not really because it's based on a true story (Hollywood style).

Swank is an idealist teacher who takes 'at risk' students and turns them into scholars with a quest for learning and, more importantly, for doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing. The movie also illustrates the impact a good teacher has in shaping a human's outlook of the world.

Despite being slightly on the longer side - over two hours - I didn't glance at my watch even once. It's a decent, feel-good movie. Best of all, it's true.

The movie Freedom Writers is a heartfelt, emotional roller-coaster. It gives insight in to how our inner city schools are being run .The enjoyment of watching one teacher fight against the system sent chills through my spine. No matter how hard things got she never gave up, she also gave a 100% of herself every single day. I would definitely recommend this movie for others to see. Hilary Swank, who is the star of this movie, also starred in such movies as Million Dollar Baby, Amelia Earhart and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, gives an Oscar award winning performance. She captivates the audience with her witty sense of humor and her heartwarming charm. We are taken on a trip from the inner city projects to the suburban life of outer city schools that have been designated to handle some of the inner city kids. Many of the teachers at the suburban schools have given up on the kids because they feel that they are a lost cause. Swank comes in, and shows the kids that there is more to life then hating and killing one another. Furthermore, she shows them a whole new world by exposing them to new things such as museums, hotels, and other cultures that had it much worse than they did. She eventually united the kids, and they began to move as one cohesive unit. Many of us have kids and should want the very best for them in life. Teaching our kids hate and segregation should never be the solution. In conclusion, I give this movie four and a half stars. I would highly recommend this movie to a friend. You never know how it may change their outlook on some of the things that go on in their life. If you have kids, this may come in handy for them too because some of the racial inequalities you see in this movie still goes on today.

When this movie opens with references to the L.A. riots of 1992, you wonder where they intend to go with it. A young idealistic teacher arrives for work on the first day of a new school year at a tough inner city school, immediately evoking memories of "To Sir, with Love." The film could have been a contrived, schmaltzy imitation of that great classic, but it soon proves itself, and stands on its own. Hillary Swank (as the teacher) demonstrates great sincerity in this role; the fear mixed with her idealistic enthusiasm as she faces a classroom full of scary looking teens of mixed races shows on her face in every shot. Her character's sensitivity and guts in following her convictions on how to reach out to these kids is mastered well.

The film surprises you. Some of the tough personalities obviously headed for trouble could have been shown as stereotypical clichés, but the movie avoids this irritating and exploitive plot device. The characters are presented in a brutally honest way: yes, they're abrasive, angry, and jaded, but we learn they have reason to be. Apparently, this was based on a true story, but the back stories of some of these kids seem to be composites of different individuals. It's hard to believe anyone of them could have endured some of these appalling events. One thing's for sure from their writings: inner city life is as intimidating and difficult as you would expect, and then some.

Predictably, there's ignorant and arrogant suits and others deliberately and interfering with the progress the teacher and the kids make. Some of this is necessary for dramatic conflict of course, but it's overstated, one of the film's few minor problems.

A positive outlook allows this story to present a thoughtful and insightful message. Swank is to be commended for her work on this movie. It's worth your while to see it.

*** out of **** stars

Director Richard LaGravenese does not need to offer excuses for his extremely affecting film, the latest in a long line of white-bread-teacher-inspires-the-barbarians stories. Set in 1994, Freedom Writers stars Hilary Swank as real-life, idealistic teacher Erin Gruwell. With no experience as an educator, yet greatly and naively optimistic, Gruwell is urged into the cruel lives of a classroom of obstinate Freshman students, who themselves have had the misfortune of growing up in gang-ravaged Long Beach, California. The 14 and 15 year old kids live according to the criteria of inner-city traditionalism; Blacks stick with Blacks, Hispanics with Hispanics, Asians with Asians, etc. Right or wrong, each tribe protects their own or they pay the consequences. Swank's canny, come-at-able performance is circumvented and humbled by a talented batch of fresh-faced players, lead by April Lee Hernandez who is cast as Eva, a Latina gang member. LaGravenese first uses Eva as a blueprint for the psyche of every student in Mrs. G's classroom with a heartbreaking soliloquy. Every pupil, no matter their race, cannot see Woodrow Wilson High School as anything but a waste of time, until Gruwell teaches them that they each live with hardships that are nearly identical.

There's a scene where Mrs. G has forged a line through the middle of the classroom. She collectively asks a series of questions: Do you know where to get drugs? Have you ever been shot at? Do you know anyone in prison? Has anyone close to you ever been killed? More than one? Two? Three? If the answer to any question is yes, he or she must step up to the line. With every inquiry, just about every student reaches it, which enlightens them to their similarities. Gruwell familiarizes them with the Nazi holocaust: racial discrimination at its extreme. The lesson? If their hateful tribalism continues, the future will become horrifying. They are eventually so inspired by Gruwell that they succeed, through various fund raisers, at meeting Mies Gies, the woman who hid Anne Frank from the Gestapo.

Along with the challenges she faces with her students, comes adversity with the faculty, with Principal Margaret Campbell (Imelda Stanton) at the helm. Gruwell's "unorthodox teaching methods" threaten their misguided sensibilities. They view her as a coddler, not a "true" educator.

There are several tear-jerking and heart-rending moments in this film that should touch the most callous of hearts. There is so much tragedy in every student's life that an all-inclusive movie could be made about any of them.

Now, here's my thesis: I watched Freedom Writers with my wife and daughter on a Friday night. Big mistake! Teenagers clogged the forward aisles, giggling, chatting, playing with their cell phones...running in and out of the theater five and ten at a time. This happened throughout the entire film! To say the least, it was distracting and irritating. So something occurred to me: shouldn't a movie like this sober bratty youngsters into silence and submission? Why weren't they inspired? I suspected that most of them had little regard for their benefits and came from affluent families, which makes me regret to say that I had greater respect for the children toting guns on the screen than I did for the ones toting I-Pods in the theater. Mrs. G's extraordinary gift of knowledge and enlightenment for the disadvantaged sadly bypassed the advantaged. All the movie watching adults recognized what they long to see in their children, and all the movie watching children recognized what they long to see in a text message! I truly hope Freedom Writers will influence privileged (and when I say privileged, I mean those who at least don't live in poverty) American teenagers to recognize faithful compassion, and that true gifts in life do not come with a price tag attached to them.

In my opinion this was one heck of an inspirational movie. Hillary Swank's best performance sense Boy's don't cry. It accurately displayed what it is like to go to school in a threatening enviorment. You will feel for some of these characters, and in the end they will make you proud of there growth and all they have over come. Now, the problem some people have with this movie is that the story has already been told multiple times, but that's true about most movies. This movie brings a new aspect to the story of the teacher who goes above and beyond what's required. Thses kids stories will make you want to do something to help those around you. It will show you what true strength is, and for some how to use it. This movie was worth every penny and i'd see it again.

In terms of developing the relationship between teacher and student and showing the change in the kids attitudes this film is great but it is in fact horribly paced.

The husband in the film could have been missed and instead the lines could have been substituted by the father as the relationship seemed a bit pointless (accept to show the commitment to the class).

The film ends far too quickly and considering the length of the film and the amount of time developing the characters it is a total waste.

Other than that a good film that will appeal to people and even those without that much knowledge of the 'ghetto' culture should be able to appreciate the suituations of the characters.

This movie was incredible, inspiring, amazing & just a few tears of joy. I hope & pray that EVERY 1 loves this movie the same as me! & I pray that every child that comes from a bad home situation finds their Mrs. G!

--Now I say this alot in my imdB movie ratings. My rating system is different than most. For example, I've never rated any movie or show a 9/10 or 10/10 cause come on nothings perfect, & that includes movies & TV shows. If I rate something 1-3/10 that means it was horribly stupid & I'll never watch it again. Most of my ratings are 4/10, which means I enjoyed & will watch it again someday. Ratings of 5-6/10 means I liked it a great deal, & then ratings of 7-8/10 means I loved the movie or show alot. For example movies like Titanic, Gone with the Wind, Armageddon & Ever After: A Cinderella Story, I believe I rated them 7-8/10. Movies or shows I gave 1/10 are Top Gun, Matrixs, Star Wars, Terminators, etc... This film is certainly better than like Avitar or Star Wars..

Covers new ground into inner city life for teenagers. Hilary takes many new approaches to reach the kids lots of which were pleasantly surprising. Definitely inspirational but at times just a little too serious. It's a well made feel good movie that goes off script.

StevePunchard.

This film has been in my watchlist for ages. Just got around to finally watching it. I really liked it. Brilliantly acted by Hillary Swank and the other classroom students. The melodrama is not overdone and the soundtrack is brilliant. Must watch.

So what do you rate? The story behind the movie and how it makes you feel, or the quality of the movie? When you know the story is true and it brings a tear to your eye and inspires you to be a better person (even though some parts may have been fictional or exaggerated) is that what you should base your rating on, or is it the acting, directing, screenwriting etc? Or am I just over thinking it? Anyway, story - 10/10; Movie 7/10.

The move offers a dramatization of a modern true story which is an important one yet often underrated. It's an important issue because education should never be limited by anything, even by the targets saying that they don't want to receive them. I really like significant references to other strong true stories especially about the holocaust. The montage used in this movie is a bit too much for me. It should've used more duration instead and build more on the detailed stories of more individuals of the class. I like how Hillary Swank is able to keep her usual aura of sanguine and cheerful character onto her role here, even on the sadder scenes. Scott Glenn adds the nice ingredient in giving this movie some more familiar faces to appreciate.

In this movie the main characters take an emotional journey in discovering who one another are and seeing every human isn't just another warrior and everyday doesn't have to be a nail biting who's going to shoot at me next experience. I've seen it a few times for class type things usually just because the end of the year is coming up i suggest watching it in one sitting for full emotional thrill having it stretched out over a weekend just ruins the appeal it could truly capture with it's heart worming ideas and acting. I enjoyed it a lot though i'm not a big fan of Hilart Swank fan she did connect to the roll rather well though seeing the similarities between her and the students as well as the actual Erin Gruwell. all and all i'd probably watch it on my personal time if given the opportunity

The film „Freedom Writers", which was released in the year 2007, is a film that really astonished me when seeing it. "Freedom Writers", which is based on a true story, is about a young and enthusiastic woman, named Erin Gruwell, who becomes a first-time teacher at Wilson High School. In the daily lives many of the students at Wilson High live they are often confronted with gang wars and violence. For the students it is all about respect and fighting for their own blood. Besides Erin's story also the stories of some other students are shown in the film and make the viewer realize how hard it can be to not know what the right thing to do is. As being shown in the film the kids realize that "everybody in their own small way can turn a little light on, in a small room". In my opinion "Freedom Writers" is a really good film not only for watching at school. This story has a lot of emotion in it and it makes the viewer think. It shows how hard it can be to finally make a difference in each and every way.

The Freedom Writers isn't groundbreaking, unique or even very fresh in any way. That doesn't mean, however, that it can't be enjoyable.

The theme of the movie is of the sort that guarantees emotional scenes and powerful sub-plots. The potential problem is that the movie comes off as too heavy-handed, unrealistic or sappy. Freedom Writers doesn't completely avoid this trap and the biggest reason for that is the performance by Hilary Swank as the main protagonist whose journey at guiding these teenagers is at the heart of the story.

Don't get me wrong, Swank wasn't horrible and she's definitely a good actress. However, the viewer doesn't really get a sense that she's able to connect with the troubled kids as remarkably as the plot suggests. Swank gives a couple of powerful speeches but she doesn't convince me enough - to put it simply, the charisma isn't there. The type of teacher that she represents must be a very charismatic person but she comes across mostly as a dorky and boring kindergarten teacher. The edge just simply isn't there.

The theme of the movie is moving and the plot is simple yet powerful. There's no need for twists or dramatic climaxes - the movie is about the everyday struggle of the teenagers and it portrays it well enough. Some of the scenes where the students bond with each other are a bit cheesy but not so much as to be distracting.

The plot is moving and despite of its traditionality still intriguing. The main problem of the movie is that the core of the movie lacks edge, charisma and electricity. The "it" factor isn't there. Some of it is because of Swank and some of it is because of the clichéd plot.

Touching but clichéd, moving but in some ways a bit forced. This movie is not a masterpiece and it evokes contradictory responses but one thing is for sure - the movie is worth watching. It may have its flaws but the message and the powerful undertone is still something that doesn't leave you cold when you finish the movie.