Freedom Writers (Full Screen Edition) | 
| Director: Richard Lagravenese
Actors: Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April L. Hernandez
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.98
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Avg. Customer Rating:  122 reviews
Sales Rank: 1869
Format: Color, Full Screen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 122
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: PARD124324D
UPC: 097361243245
EAN: 0097361243245
ASIN: B000NOK1KM
Theatrical Release Date: January 5, 2007
Release Date: April 17, 2007
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Product Description
A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance apply themselves & pursue education beyond high school. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 01/27/2009 Starring: Hilary Swank Scott Glenn Run time: 122 minutes Rating: Pg13
Amazon.com
Though the "inspirational teacher" theme may feel done to death, Freedom Writers succeeds because it emphasizes the students as much as the teacher. Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby, Boys Don't Cry) comes to a southern California high school bubbling over with naive optimism, but quickly discovers that her unruly classroom isn't easily won over by her good intentions. After a few floundering attempts to connect with her students, Gruwell gives them the assignment of keeping journals about their own lives--an assignment that the class bites into with relish, which eventually bonds them together and pushes racial rivalries aside. This plotline has been made before, sometimes well, sometimes poorly; Freedom Writers, by drawing heavily from the published journals of the students--and thanks to a (mostly) unheroic script, direction that emphasizes individual characters over stereotypes, and rigorous performances from the whole cast--makes the story seem fresh and genuine. Swank does solid work, but the standouts are April L. Hernandez as a girl whose gang wants her to lie and send an innocent boy to jail and Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) as a teacher who resents Gruwell's offbeat success. Also featuring Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy), Scott Glenn (The Right Stuff), and a plethora of strong young actors. --Bret Fetzer Beyond Freedom Writers 
More Inspirational Teacher Films on DVD | 
The Freedom Writers Diary
by Erin Gruwell | 
More DVDs Starring Hilary Swank | Stills from Freedom Writers (click for larger image)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 117 more reviews...
 great movie and a great role for Hilary Swank to portray. January 3, 2009
I loved this movie and I would totally recomend this to any teacher if you want to inspire your students and show them that no matter how much you go through someone really cares they're hard to find but if you can it will really help you. I've found some people like that myself but like I said above they are extremely hard to find.
 educational standpoint December 24, 2008
As a high-school teacher for English foundations, I use this movie as a great motivational tool to get help my students become more at ease in their writing for standardized testing. I strongly recommend using this dvd to support your curriculum to teach on all levels of student learning (auditory, kinesthetic, visual).
The movie has a great impact on the audience December 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I watched this movie last year and I thought it was a very uplifting and inspirational film (there are not many films today quite as good as the Freedom Writers). The movie is about a teacher (Erin Gruwell) who works on trying to save her class from dropping out or dying on the streets and help them have some kind of future. At first all of the teens go into their own protective segregated "territories" and despise each other. Ms. Gruwell risks her career and even her life to helps the teens see beyond mere differences and how much they all actually have in common. The especially touching part of the movie was when she takes her student on a field trip to the Holocaust Museum (most of the students didn't even know what the word meant), and their reaction when they learned what really happened to the Jews 60 years ago.
This movie is based on a true story which you can see in the DVD extra features and the real Ms. Gruwell talks about her experiences with the teens at the high school back in 1994. It was so good to hear that all of them made something out of their lives since then and have meaningful careers. The movie just goes to show you the power of hope and how much it can make a difference. There is hope for all of the seemingly hopeless inner city kids and low income students. There needs to be more people like Ms. Gruwell (Hillary Swank) to make that happen.
Inspirational and Encouraging December 10, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This movie was recommended to me by a student in one of my classes. I found this movie very inspirational. A mix of motivation and educational tolerance. To see a teacher appreciate and fight for her students while watching them begin to enjoy learning and grow because of her motivation and positive encouragement was a breath of fresh air.
 Liked it better than I thought I would; but I can't imagine Gruwell's co-workers are thrilled December 8, 2008
I liked Freedom Writers more than I thought I would, mostly because of Hilary Swank, who is likable and talented. While not in full-out Oscar mode here, she's passionate and moving in her portrayal of then-Long Beach high school teacher Erin Gruwell. It's a compelling tale. The ensemble playing her students is great, too. For many, this is their first time on screen. Of particular note, April Hernandez is outstanding in the role of Eva.
On the other hand, this movie suffers from its one-dimensional, negative portrayal of any adult - husband, co-educator, administrator - not sharing Gruwell's vision. It simply can't be the case that each of these people, in their real-life incarnations, is as shallow and mean-spirited as depicted here. I can't imagine any adult from this phase of Gruwell's life - save her father - being pleased with their ham-handed on-screen characterization.
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