Freedom Writers
Friday, June 1st, 2007The two things that initially drew me to the movie, Freedom Writers, was that it is based on a true story and writing was part of that story. It turned out to be an inspiring story that I really enjoyed watching. It had a positive ending mixed in with the harshness of reality for these inner city kids. Freedom Writers has a common storyline of the underdog prevailing. It stands out among others movies of its type, not only because it is based on a true story, but also because it didn’t candy coat the reality.
Staring in the movie are:
* Hillary Swank
* Patrick Dempsey
* Scott Glenn
* Imelda Staunton
The movie directors:
* Danny DeVito
* Michael Shamberg
* Stacey Sher
Hilary Swank stars as the teacher, Erin Gruwell. She is fresh out of college and naively full of ideas of what she could accomplish. She was raised by a father who had progressive values earlier in his life. He matured and his values changed. He just wants a successful job for his daughter that makes the most of her talents. She is idealistic and seeks job satisfaction. The character, Erin Gruwell, has an intense drive to make a difference. She wants to do good by her students so bad, that she involves her father and neglects her husband.
My favorite scene is when she involves all the students from the different gangs and groups in a game. The game shows them what they have in common. It demonstrated that the pain they share is the same. She built on that common ground. She then opened new worlds to them. She was able to be successful because she took the time to see what their lives were really like.
The harsh realities of inner city life and survival are addressed in the movie. Current day prejudice and injustice are related to other times in our history that the same things were happening and the tragedies that followed. The dedication of the teacher and the dedication of the students is impressive.
It’s a movie with a few surprising twists and some predictable outcomes. Freedom Writers is an inspiring movie about how people can overcome terrible situations, live a life of tolerance, and reach goals they never thought possible. The Freedom Writers Foundation was created to duplicate the success of the class. The foundation is still in existence today.
