Freedom Writers (2007)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Richard LaGravenese

Writers (WGA):

Richard LaGravenese (screenplay)
Freedom Writers (book) ...

Release Date:

5 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

our story. our words.

Plot:

A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school. |

Plot Keywords:

High School | Teacher | False Accusation | Racial Slur | Dancing

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

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
Deance Wyatt	...	Jamal Hill
Vanetta Smith	...	Brandy Ross
Gabriel Chavarria	...	Tito
Hunter Parrish	...	Ben Daniels
Antonio García	...	Miguel

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Germany:12 | Malaysia:U | Finland:K-11 | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | Argentina:13 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles is featured in the film. Gruwell takes the students on a field trip to the museum. An exterior view of the museum is shown, and there are scenes inside the museum, showing simulated entrances to gas chambers in death camps.

Goofs:

Continuity: When "Mrs G." tells the students that they won't be with her in their junior year (the first time) she is writing on the board. The writing originally is "write a first person na".......and then it goes from "...narrative" to "...na" and then just "...first person".

Quotes:

[following Erin's impassioned speech about the Nazi Holocaust]
Tito: [raises hand] What's a holocaust?
Erin Gruwell: Who here knows what the Holocaust is?
[all keep their hands down except Ben, the only white kid, who sheepishly raises his]
Erin Gruwell: Who here has ever been shot at?
[all raise their hands except Ben, who lowers his]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Getaway: (#17.12)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

This Is How We Do It

Don't listen to the naysayers

I read the message boards before seeing the movie and wasn't really that excited to go see it. Yes, the general storyline has been done before...

I'm a male teenager and this movie made me cry. I can't remember the last time a movie made me cry... in fact, I don't think I have (teary-eyed doesn't count). Freedom Writers moved me.

It was so much better than I expected. All I can say is that it is definitely worth at least a matinée viewing.

The movie reminded me that all of America isn't like white middle-class suburbia, of which I am a part. Regardless of how many times the same movie has been done before, the white middle-class can use as many reminders as possible that education is not that easy to obtain everywhere. Even in America, opportunity is not equal, and I think it's important for people to see that.

Don't judge the movie without seeing it.