Freedom Writers: A "Film for Change"

Freedom Writers, starring Hillary Swank and directed by Richard LaGravenese is the true story of a class of students who grew up in the harsh streets of Long Beach, California. These students, almost all of whom are affiliated with gangs, are considered to be delinquents and are put into the class of Erin Gruwell. Erin, who is sadly unprepared for such students, is forced to create a bond with her students in order to break through a concrete wall of racism and intolerance.

I found this film to be of decent quality. It was well acted by the cast, especially Hillary Swank and April Lee Hernandez. The court scene in which Eva has to testify was very finely portrayed. Erin’s fights with her husband were very well acted out on her part. However, I was somewhat disappointed with Patrick Dempsey’s portrayal of his character. His acting seemed rather flat when compared to the emphatic performances of many of the other characters. The entire subplot with Erin’s marital problems seemed very undeveloped. While films of this genre do not usually attract me, this film proved itself to be very engaging. The fact that it was based off of a true story helped to draw me into the storyline, considering that the characters actually experienced the events of the film in real life.

I believe that the film was attempting to tell the audience that change is possible, even in the most unlikely of situations. This is an extremely optimistic theme, optimistic to the point of unrealism. In many cases an attitude such as this may have been effective, but if any of the children had been fully initiated into gangs, the result would have been very different. I highly doubt that a boy that has been hardened by gang violence would be willing to hold a fundraiser to go to The Museum of Tolerance.

In all aspects, Freedom Writers is an enjoyable movie, even if it is a bit over the top in terms of its message. The story is engaging, the characters are interesting and the acting is just dramatic enough to make it seem realistic. It stands out from other films of its genre, and despite some undeveloped plot, captures your attention from start to finish.