SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Imran Ahmed Wow - if anyone needed confirmation many US inner city urban areas resemble war zones worse than those found in Third World cities they should watch this movie!And it's a movie worth watching. Sure, it's cliched and predictable but does that matter ... not really because it's based on a true story (Hollywood style). Swank is an idealist teacher who takes 'at risk' students and turns them into scholars with a quest for learning and, more importantly, for doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing. The movie also illustrates the impact a good teacher has in shaping a human's outlook of the world. Despite being slightly on the longer side - over two hours - I didn't glance at my watch even once. It's a decent, feel-good movie. Best of all, it's true.

paulinestrs I fell in love with this movie the first time I watch it. I'm usually not that person that watch twice or more than twice a movie; but when it's about good movies like this one, I just can't help it.It describes so much and so perfectly the situation people has been through during this gang war and those whole story is perfectly describes. The actors are playing their parts perfectly; and even though I haven't been through what they did, you can totally feel the emotions and imagine their life for a little while. It makes you think that there is always worse things that happen to other compared to you. It makes you understand that maybe you should stop complaining and stop being selfish. That maybe you should know people before judging them because you have not even a clue what they've been through.In conclusion, this is a wonderful movie I would watch again and again.

Dominic LeRose If there's anything about Hilary Swank movies, it's that they involve a major social issue. In her leading role in "Freedom Writers" we see her portray the real life teacher who pushed her high school students to achieve wellness both emotionally and academically. Her students surrounded by drugs, violence and other bad influences, Swank's character, Erin Gruwell, pushes her students beyond belief and struggles to maintain a healthy marriage. The heavily inspired Richard LaGravenese directs and writes this feel- good, stand up and cheer type of film. LaGravenese fails to expose the true hardship of what inner-city students face each day. He focuses too much on the relationships between Gruwell, which, admittedly, he does handle well. It's just that he puts too much emphasis on the student-teacher relationships, failing to dig deep into the feelings of the students, or the hard lives they face. On the other hand, we get immersed into a political scandal that leads to a feel-good end that many younger viewers with compassion can relate too. The maturity level of "Freedom Writers" gets a little to PG-13, leaving out gritty and powerful details that are vital for carrying out a motivational true story influenced by harrowing courage and struggle. If only some power infiltrated this potential excellent film, "Freedom Writers" would be nothing short of magnificent. But I'm forced to give it a "B" rating due to the lack of detail and the misuse of emotional content. Not to mention it gets sappier than a soap opera. Don't let the flaws prevent you from viewing a good film though. You'll learn something!

blazesnakes9 Education in the movies tend to be serious on having the students become the saviors of their own world. In other words, they are the ones who can save themselves. Many movies about education and high-school students have been praised about their quality and realism to what these kids are going through. Unfortunately, in the case of Freedom Writers, that kind of premise has been seen and heard of in a familiar place. The story of Freedom Writers is based on true events that occurred in the mid-1990's, where Los Angeles high school students formed a writing group of their own. In the beginning of the movie, we are introduced by one of the students who is affected by the 1992 Los Angeles riots. After listening to her own story about surviving on the streets of L.A. during the riots, we are also introduced by Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank). She is new to the city, partly because she used to live in Newport Beach. Now living in L.A. with her husband, she is given a job to teach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach. However, this kind of high school is nothing compared to any other high school in the United States. In fact, this kind of high school look like it was burrowed from other high school movies as well. But, anyway, Miss Gruwell is introduced in her new classroom where the majority of the kids are either black, Latino, Puerto Rican, or white. Of course, these kids are also burrowed from other movies as well. At first, Gruwell is disgusted by the lack of seriousness that her kids hold in their possessions. For example, in one scene, one of the kids pass around a drawing of a Jewish person with a big nose. Furthermore, Miss Gruwell also pushes it by creating more of a scene by saying and stating racial stereotypes such as, blacks have big lips. To me, that's kind of unsavory. Now, anyone can tell you that the story of this movie tries to be fair to what has happened at Woodrow Wilson High School, and also the book, which was written by Erin Gruwell herself and her class. Later on in the movie, she have the students write down their own personal lives in a journal. Some write about surviving on the streets, yet some write about their own personal stories of their lifestyles. One particular student in her classroom writes about having to deal with her family being in distress. The movie goes even further when Miss Gruwell teaches the kids about the Holocaust. She even brings in a Holocaust survivor, who tells her class about her experiences of living in a Nazi concentration camp. Now, that scene is good, but not enough for me to recommend this movie. I know that Freedom Writers is trying to be uplifting and powerful because of what it has in store for the audience. But to me, the movie makes it seem that this true story is created by other high school movies or other education based films. Even more disappointing is the story then turns into a teacher-goes-against-the-system film. We've seen that story be told in other great and wonderful films like Dead Poets Society or Stand and Deliver. Well, this movie isn't in the same league as Stand and Deliver or Dead Poets Society. In fact, the whole idea of having the kids write down their own stories is absolutely ripped right out of Dead Poets Society. The story of Freedom Writers is also predictable. You can even predict every move the movie makes. As for Hilary Swank, she does a good job in the film, but it isn't particularly an Oscar-winning performance. She is a great actress and does have the edge to shape up these kids, but she's the only person and actress alive in this story that is predictable and contrived. What I wanted from a movie like this is to create more of an authentic look of kids, specifically high school students, who are living in this dangerous environment. Of course, I don't mind a movie where young adolescents talk about their own experiences, but having to be recycled from previous projects isn't going to shape or change the way I look at the movie. Freedom Writers isn't a bad movie. It isn't horrible. It just lacks the need of authenticity that these characters possess. ★★ 2 stars.