Freedom Writers

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Freedom Writers

Promotional movie poster for the film
Directed by Richard LaGravenese
Produced by Danny DeVito
Michael Shamberg
Stacey Sher
Starring Hilary Swank
Patrick Dempsey
Scott Glenn
Imelda Staunton
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) January 5, 2007
Country USA
Language English
IMDb profile

Freedom Writers is an American film starring Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey released on January 5, 2007.

Contents

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Freedom Writers is inspired by a true story and the diaries of real Long Beach, California teenagers after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, during the worst outbreak of interracial gang warfare. Set in and around Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California during the mid 90's, two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank stars as Erin Gruwell, whose passion to become a teacher is soon challenged by a group of Black, Latino, and Asian street gangsters who hate her even more than each other, mainly due to her being White. After a few days of class, Erin and her students get into a debate about racism during which she compares a caricature of a black student with big lips, drawn by another student, to the Nazis' caricatures of Jews with big noses. She then takes her students to the Simon Wiesenthal Center to teach them about the Holocaust. Over the course of the movie, Erin finds more ways to teach her students about racism and respect. As Erin begins to listen to them in a way no adult has ever done, she begins to understand that these kids believe that surviving is enough - that they are not delinquents but teenagers fighting "a war of the streets" that began long before they were born. For the first time, the teens experience hope that they can show the world that their lives matter and that they have something to say.

Since the school is not very capable and unwilling to pay for books and excursions, she pays a lot herself, financed by two extra, part-time, jobs. Because of the little time she is with her husband, he divorces her.

One of the books students read is the Diary of Anne Frank. Money is raised to have Miep Gies come over to tell about the Holocaust.

Ms. G, as her students come to call Gruwell, hands out journals to her students so they can write about the past, present, future, good days and bad ones. Happily, she watches each student come to her desk and take one. Later on she sits down to read and becomes amazed at their stories and hardships. These students become freedom writers. Ms. G makes her students type up their stories into a book they title, "Freedom Writers," and according to the end credits, this book was published in 1999.

Spoilers end here.

  • The Simon Wiesenthal Center is featured in the film. Gruwell takes the students on a field trip to the center. An exterior view of the center is given, and there are scenes inside the museum, showing simulation entrances to gas chambers in death camps.
  • The roles of four Holocaust survivors, some of whom survived Auschwitz, who meet with students in a dinner hosted by Gruwell, are played by the actual Holocaust survivors themselves.
  • The film has been compared to the 1995 film Dangerous Minds.
  • The title is a pun on the term "Freedom Riders," the black and white civil rights demonstrators that tested the Supreme Court order for desegregated interstate buses in 1961.
  • Actor Armand Jones was fatally shot after being robbed of his necklace. [1]
  • Part of the movie was filmed at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles.
  • Based off of the book called "The Freedom Writers Diary" by Erin Gruwell and the kids of Wilson High.

See also: Freedom Writers (soundtrack)

Common has lent his talents to the soundtrack with "A Dream" (featuring will.i.am). The song was produced by Black Eyed Peas founder will.i.am. The song will also be featured on Common's upcoming album Finding Forever, set for release in March of 2007.

Instrumental sections of Sia's "Breathe Me" accompany the film's television trailer.

The Soundtrack also includes the Tupac Shakur song, "Keep Ya Head Up."

This film was given a final rating of PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

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