Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) is a first-time teacher who wants to make a difference. She has little idea of what she’s getting into when she volunteers to be an English teacher at a newly integrated high school in Long Beach, CA. Her students are divided along racial lines and have few aspirations beyond basic survival. When Erin discovers how much of their lives are blighted by racial prejudice, she introduces them to books like ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ and begins to educate them for real; a process that culminates in the idea that each of them, like Anne, will keep a journal of their innermost thoughts. Over time these underachieving students begin to bond into a family of sorts.
I really enjoyed watching Freedom Writers because it states the fact that no matter where you are, who you are, that you can get through issues in your life if you fight through them. Very good motivational film. I found it very inspiring, but very unrealistic. Most teachers are not qualified to do the things she did and I’ve found that Freedom Writers has inspired some very untalented teachers to try to be like her. But, hey, if it worked for Erin Gruwell, then that’s fantastic and good for her.
This movie has a cliché storyline, but I don’t think that it was a bad movie, as it is a true story. I think that more stories like that need to be told, even if they do have a sappy ending. Also, this movie was a little slow-paced and redundant. Is anyone getting tired of the same old theme of a rich white girl going to go save inner-city children through “making a difference”? This movie has been done too many times and I would not waste my money to see something that I’ve already seen. Its like, get creative.
I feel the same with all those interracial dance movies. A white kid learns how to dance with the other race kids and then they accept them because of how they dance blah blah blah. It’s ridiculous!