FREEDOM WRITERS

"Step on the line if..."

When Erin Gruwell (Swank) starts at the High School in Long Beach, California she feels that she can make a difference to the students at the school. Assigned to the remedial English freshman class, she soon realises that these kids need to be taught more than just spelling and grammar. Coming from different gangs, cultures and societies, hatred filled the classroom but Erin Gruwell's approach gave them something else to concentrate on, hope.

Movies about inspirational teachers are becoming a genre in there own right but can the story of Erin Gruwell be any different?

There have been many stories of teachers or sports coaches who have taken students from different backgrounds and races and turned them into winners or high school graduates but what could make Erin Gruwell's story any different to any of them? US film goers seem to love the tales of underdogs, underachievers or people who society has deemed should succeed doing the impossible and winning against all the odds. It is the American dream after all but the story of a new teacher's approach to teaching in gang controlled Long Beach is one that is surprising moving and uplifting.

Erin Gruwell's teaching approach shows anyone can learn and be changed by the power of education. Instead of labelling the students of her school failures in waiting because of where they came from and whom they were affiliated with, Ms G, as she became known, decided to listen and learn about their problems and lives by getting them to write journals. These journals allowed the students to talk about their lives outside of the school. Whatever culture they came from or gang they were a member of, these journals allowed them to express their fears, pressures and regrets. The English class served as a sanctuary for them and a place where they learnt about tolerance and friendship.

This may sound like many other movies of a similar ilk that have been released over the years like 'Dangerous Minds' and 'Coach Carter', to name but two but the story of the 'Freedom Writers' is one that will have you really caring about what happens to these kids. While anyone outside of the US won't really understand or comprehend the pressures of high school, society and gangs that these kids have to cope with every day. It is a completely different world but this movie shows us that not all of America is as idyllic as the movies and television would like us to believe.

It is the performances from the young cast that draw you into their stories. All of the students in class have a story to tell with April Lee Hernandez as Eva standing out as a young actress with great potential. Hilary Swank is the star of the show however, proving again that this double Oscar winner is one of the best actresses of her generation. Imelda Staunton is also good as the old school teacher who sees Erin's approach as attention seeking and unnecessary because these kids are not worth the effort in her opinion.

'Freedom Writers' is an uplifting and thought-provoking movie that is surprisingly enjoyable. While the story of Erin Gruwell's personal life seems to get in the way of the student's stories, there is much to enjoy here and this is a cut above many of the other films of a similar style and storyline.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the movie is presented well.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary with director Richard LaGravenese and actress Hilary Swank
This chatty and fun track from the director and his store, covers most aspects of the film's production. Based on real diaries from the Freedom Writers, the pair talks about how the film came about and the research into the kids and Erin Gruwell. They also reveal how the kids stories were chosen and which story to focus on, the casting of the young, untried actors and what it was like working with Imelda Staunton. This is a good track from a pair who clearly feel passionate about the film.

Deleted Scenes (10.58 mins)
Entitled 'Eva leaves class', 'Another class trip', 'Catching a ride' and 'Protect your own', these deleted scenes suffer from the lack of a commentary track or introduction to reveal why they were removed.

Making a dream (5.56 mins)
Recording artists Common and Will.i.am talk about writing the title song for the movie and the lyrics and meaning behind it.

Freedom Writers Family (19.23 mins)
Writer/director Richard LaGravenese and stars Hilary Swank, April Lee Hernandez, Mario, Gabriel Chavarria, Hunter Parrish, Giovonnie Samuels, Jason Finn and Deance Wyatt talk about the story of the Freedom Writers and the characters they play in the movie. Joined by the real Erin Gruwell, the group talk about the meaning behind the film, getting the role and the opinions on they situation that America is going through then and now.

Theatrical Trailer (2.24 mins)
Watch the trailer that previewed the film at the cinema and on the Internet.

Freedom Writers: The Story behind the Story (10.04 mins)
Writer/director Richard LaGravenese and stars Hilary Swank, April Lee Hernandez, Mario, Gabriel Chavarria, Hunter Parrish, Giovonnie Samuels, Jason Finn, Sergio Montalvo and Deance Wyatt talk about the real stories of the Freedom Writer and talk about the influences of Erin Gruwell on them and the actors and actresses themselves.

Photo Gallery
See publicity and behind the scenes shots from Freedom Writers Trailers Previews of 'Transformers', 'Dreamgirls' and 'Shooter'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'Freedom Writer' is good and should please fans of the film. The commentary track is very good and the accompanying featurettes cover most aspects of the film's production.

DVD

Coach Carter

Dangerous Minds

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2007