| | | Their Story. Their Words. Their Future.
Features: DVD, Dolby, Digital Audio, English, Dolby Digital (5.1), French
A young teacher (Hilary Swank) inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school. Running time: 102 minutes.
"...Swank gives a powerhouse performance...gripping...inspiring film..." Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
"...you can't help but be moved by a group of young people who followed through on their resolve." Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
"...a simple, straightforward and surprisingly affecting story of one woman who managed to make a difference." Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
Editor's Note
Based on actual diary accounts of several teenagers following the L.A. riots, FREEDOM WRITERS is the story of an idealistic teacher's attempts to make a difference in the lives of her at-risk students. Located in gang-ravaged Long Beach, California, Woodrow Wilson High is a hotbed of violence due to a voluntary integration program which brings Black, Latino, Asian, and White students together. Rather than having the desired effect of creating healthy diversity, this program breeds constant war between all parties involved, the result being daily gun shots, constant racial slurs, and gang violence.Played largely by young unknowns, the freshman class in question is both naïve and wise beyond its years. While never having heard of the Holocaust, these kids are well-versed in the pain of poverty, the legal system, and death. Despite being up against unthinkable violence, devoted first-time teacher Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) never gives up, slowly bonding with her class of at-first unreachable pupils, breaking down their tough exteriors and getting at the real people beneath through requiring the students keep daily journals. Meanwhile, a strain is put on Erin's marriage as her student involvement gradually takes priority over her personal life. The intensity with which Erin relates to her work threatens her husband (Patrick Dempsey), who in seeing Erin's transformation, is reminded of his own stagnancy. Thanks to a catalogue of films including STAND AND DELIVER and DANGEROUS MINDS, any film about inspiring teachers risks feeling redundant and preachy. But writer/director Richard LaGravenese manages to put a fresh spin on this already familiar formula thanks to powerful performances by Hillary Swank, Imelda Staunton, and several newcomers. While slightly predictable, FREEDOM WRITERS critiques the public education system in an ultimately moving way.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Stereo | | Audio: French Dolby Digital Stereo | | Deleted Scenes | | Dubbed: French | | Feature-Length Audio Commentary With Director Richard LaGravenese & Actor Hilary Swank | | Featurettes: Making A Dream, Freedom Writers Family, & Freedom Writers - The Story Behind The Story | | Interactive Menus | | Original Theatrical Trailer | | Photo Gallery | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English |
| Entertainment Reviews
 | Freedom Writers - DVD By: Norm Schrager - filmcritic.com DVD Reviews Published on: 4/6/2007 6:34 PM | |
It's always satisfying when a movie defies an obvious formula and delivers something better. Freedom Writers is the first such surprise of 2007, a genuinely touching entry in a genre that often wallows in cliché: a motivational teacher inspiring a group of troubled kids. The list in this category is long, and the quality broad, ranging from To Sir, with Love (Sidney Poitier straightens up hooligans) to Sunset Park (Rhea Perlman coaches hoops!). Instead of sliding into pitfalls of predictability, writer Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King, Beloved), who also directs, relies on straight, unforced dialogue delivered by a fine cast....read the full review |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Paramount |
| Release Date: 1/27/2009 |
| Running Time: 122 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2007 | | Catalog ID: 124324 | | UPC: 00097361243245 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Standard 1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew | Hilary Swank | | Mario | | Patrick Dempsey | | Scott Glenn | | Danny DeVito - Producer | | David Moritz - Editor | | Erin Gruwell - Based On Book By | | Hilary Swank - Executive Producer | | Jim Denault - Cinematographer | | Laurence Bennett - Production Designer | | Mark Isham - Original Music By | | Peter Borck - Art Director | | Richard LaGravenese - Screenplay | | Richard LaGravenese - Director | | RZA - Original Music By |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"[S]incere, and proud of it." 01/19/2007 p.60New York Times
"[A] film with a strong emotional tug and smartly laid foundation." 01/05/2007 p.E1 Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he device of using the kids' personal stories delivers more honest uplift than many previous efforts." 04/01/2007 p.42 Sight and Sound
"It's a stirring real-life tale, and Hilary Swank is a suitably perky, excitable lead..." 04/01/2007 59 Ultimate DVD
3 stars out of 5 -- "[A]t moments both provocative and moving....This is an engrossing true-to-life drama..." 05/01/2007 p.106 ReelViews 8 of 10
Writer/director Richard LaGravenese (whose previous screenplays include The Fisher King and The Bridges of Madison County) does what competent filmmakers do with these Dangerous Minds tales - he takes the basic facts and massages them until they are suitably cinematic...Freedom Writers delivers the expected messages about hope and the ability to change one's destiny, and does it in a manner that it is emotionally and intellectually satisfying. This isn't a great movie, but it is effective drama where the big emotional scenes more often feel real than contrived. Through voiceovers, LaGravenese uses passages lifted from the actual students' diaries to provide the framework for the secondary stories (those of the teenagers), thereby lending a ring of authenticity. For those who see it, the movie has a chance to connect. - James Berardinelli
Reel.com 7 of 10
There is absolutely nothing new in the latest high school melodrama Freedom Writers. It follows to the letter the template set down by so many movies that have come before it, including To Sir, With Love, Up the Down Staircase, Conrack, Stand and Deliver, Dangerous Minds, and Lean on Me. That does not make it a bad movie; in fact, Hilary Swank and the young actors playing her students make it an almost worthwhile endeavor, but annoying subplots and paper-thin villains ensure that the movie remains mired in mediocrity...When LaGravenese sticks to the class, Freedom Writers is often very good, thanks to the strengths of the performances. These scenes are often overly melodramatic and cliched, but Swank is excellent and so are the youngsters. It almost makes up for the deficiencies of the script and the over-familiarity of the story--almost. - Pam Grady
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