2008 Woodie Awards
Freedom Writers delivers powerful but predictable message
Rebecca Unger
Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: Life!
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Although it certainly isn't the first movie of its kind, Freedom Writers brings some variety to the usual brand of based-on-a-true-story movies that have recently swept the box office. This movie chooses to ground itself in reality by shedding light upon life in the Los Angeles area in the early 1990's after the L.A. riots, in which racial gang wars were at an all-time high.
The focus lies on the high school students of the area, the manner in which the violence has wrecked, and at points, consumed their lives. Yet, within the safe haven of room 302, these students of different ethnic and racial backgrounds are brought together by a desire to fight against racial battles and misfortune.
Specifically, the movie chronicles the struggles of their teacher, Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank), as she attempts to teach these students despite their difficulties as well as the administration's reluctance to help her achieve this goal. This part of the movie has a similar feel to many others of its kind, most notably the made-for-TV movie The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry, in which Ron Clark tries to raise the test scores of middle school students in a New York City public school.
However, what makes this movie different is the fact that it also takes the perspective of some of the students or "Freedom Writers," as they come to name themselves. Early in the movie, Ms. Gruwell gives her students the assignment of writing in a journal everyday. The students actually take this assignment to heart, and chronicle the many hardships that they are forced to deal with on a day-to-day basis in these notebooks.
Often, these stories are relayed to the viewer, although some in more detail than others. For instance, at times the movie closely follows the story of a Hispanic girl named Eva (April Lee Hernandez) who, as a child, watches her father as he is wrongfully arrested.
Moreover, Gruwell herself is forced to deal with hardships in her own life. Throughout the movie, she has to deal with disappointing her father (Scott Glenn), who, despite being a civil rights activist, believes she is wasting her time trying to educate these students.
The focus lies on the high school students of the area, the manner in which the violence has wrecked, and at points, consumed their lives. Yet, within the safe haven of room 302, these students of different ethnic and racial backgrounds are brought together by a desire to fight against racial battles and misfortune.
Specifically, the movie chronicles the struggles of their teacher, Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank), as she attempts to teach these students despite their difficulties as well as the administration's reluctance to help her achieve this goal. This part of the movie has a similar feel to many others of its kind, most notably the made-for-TV movie The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry, in which Ron Clark tries to raise the test scores of middle school students in a New York City public school.
However, what makes this movie different is the fact that it also takes the perspective of some of the students or "Freedom Writers," as they come to name themselves. Early in the movie, Ms. Gruwell gives her students the assignment of writing in a journal everyday. The students actually take this assignment to heart, and chronicle the many hardships that they are forced to deal with on a day-to-day basis in these notebooks.
Often, these stories are relayed to the viewer, although some in more detail than others. For instance, at times the movie closely follows the story of a Hispanic girl named Eva (April Lee Hernandez) who, as a child, watches her father as he is wrongfully arrested.
Moreover, Gruwell herself is forced to deal with hardships in her own life. Throughout the movie, she has to deal with disappointing her father (Scott Glenn), who, despite being a civil rights activist, believes she is wasting her time trying to educate these students.