Freedom_Writers-Kurtzman

__Freedom Writers__ “Freedom Writers” directed by [|Richard LaGravenese] is a must see PG-13 movie starring Hillary Swank. Aside from Swank ,The cast is made up of; Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April L. Hernandez, Mario, Kristen Herrera, Jaclyn Ngan, Sergio Montalvo, Jason Finn, Deance Wyatt, Vanetta Smith, Gabriel Chavarria, Hunter Parrish, and Antonio Garcia. The movie was released on January 5th 2007, and is 2 hours and 3 minutes long. The movie “Freedom Writers” is based on the book Freedom Writers Diary. The “Freedom Writer’s” DVD was released April 17, 2007. The plot was inspired by a true story that took place in the fall of 1994, in Room 203 at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Erin Gruwell, the main character in the movie, is a classy, white, teacher whose first time teaching job is to educate a classroom full of students unwilling to work. These students are not only students, but “fighters.” Every day they wake up they live in fear, fearing that they or someone they love will be killed or hurt. The students have no goals, other than sticking to their “crew”, their ethnic group, and fighting those who are different from them. The school does nothing to stop this from happening until Erin Gruwell, is hired as an English teacher. She wants to make a change. Mrs. Gruwell, soon becomes attached to these troubled children, and begins to understand the cause of their actions. Erin Gruwell is refused assistance and support from the school and both her husband and father to buy new books and change the curriculum. Without any help, Mrs. Gruwell strives on her own; working many jobs, and devoting her life to helping her students, and establishing a connection with them; to help them, make them better people, and help them find their purpose in the world. She does this by buying each kid in the class a journal. The students use their journals as an escape, and Mrs. Gruwell makes them “freedom writers.” The students share their personal stories and feelings towards life in their journals. The journals ignite the students’ decisions to change their goal. And accept those different from them. They learn that life is not all about fighting those who are different from that, that your “crew” is not always your best friend, and that it is okay and humane to listen to others of a different color, or ethnicity. The movie uses comparisons with the holocaust in Europe to assist its main message and themes; making the plot richer, interesting, and meaningful. The non-fictional plot does not only make sense, but is an incredible story line. It is a touching and enriched plot. The fact that “Freedom Writers” is based on a true story makes the story so much more incredible, and motivating. The messages through out the story, are significant and allows the viewers to create connections with the characters. Tears of sorrow or happiness may come out of your eyes while watching it. The performances of the characters in the movie are breath-taking. Hillary Swank does a fabulous job as Erin Gruwell- she does not only act, but tells a story. Hillary Swank most definitely fits the part of the first time teacher, teaching in an inner-city school through her simplicity of look and style of acting. Some may argue that the character’s roles in the plot are stereotypical, but because the movie characters are in fact real life people, it exemplifies that the story is reality, and that stereotypes are true in some cases. The different ethnicities, personalities, and experiences of the characters show diversity, and introduce a variety of characters for a viewer to relate themselves too. All in all, the acting was great, and one-hundred percent believable. “Freedom Writers” is a 4 star movie. It is a perfect movie for teenagers as well as adults, and is also a great movie to show to students in class. Not only does it share history, by introducing the Holocaust as a comparison to its main message, but it provides inspiration and motivation for learning, knowledge, and diversity.