THE MOVIE PAGES presents HILARY SWANK & IMELDA STAUNTON in FREEDOM WRITERS freedomwriters.htm

What Do The Critics Say?

"Although Freedom Writers is the latest in a long line of saint-saves-students stories, it takes the bold approach of being earnest, honest and unafraid to be called naive. As a result, it's extremely affecting."
John Anderson VARIETY
"This is the kind of film that is aimed at young adults but has such quality that it should appeal to more mature audiences, too."
Robin Clifford REELING REVIEWS
"Hilary Swank delivers as impressive a performance as her Oscar-winning outings in Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby."
Kam Williams EURWEB
"Proof-positive that a formulaic plot done to death can still work if enough effort and passion is put into it."
Dustin Putman THEMOVIEBOY
"One of the most touching scenes is one in which Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II, inspires the students by telling them that anyone can 'turn on a small light in a dark room.' That’s what LaGravenese manages to do with Freedom Writers."
Chad Greene BOXOFFICE

"Richard LaGravenese's poignant screenplay and direction makes everyone's plight real - from the street violence to Gruwell's marriage breakdown. There is an edge to all the relationships and I like the scenes in which Gruwell and her husband (Patrick Dempsey) face their conflicts. The young cast is outstanding and the juxtaposition of the plight of their characters with the revelation of their study of The Diary of Anne Frank is one you will not forget."
Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE
"Thanks to LaGravenese's empathetic writing and direction, and Swank's titanic force of will, Freedom Writers' unabashed earnestness proves unexpectedly powerful."
Nathan Rabin ONION AVE CLUB
"Freedom Writers will follow you right out of the movie theatre and into your own head and heart."
Dezhda Mountz E! ONLINE
"Hilary Swank is great as Miss Gruwell. Fresh faced and achingly green, her dorky humour and sometimes ridiculous optimism manages to be endearing rather than cringe inducing."
Georgia Sholl BRISBANE WHAT'S ON!
"It manages to transcend cliché because of its focus on the kids’ lives and the performances from the young cast, many of whom are non-actors. And Swank brings a determined naivete to Erin that rings true despite the sweet little outfits that sometimes seemed a bit dogged. The film is actually quite moving in its tribute to the empowerment that self-expression and literature can deliver. 3 1/2 STARS."
David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES

The Inside Story "I felt that in some way teaching was the most noble thing that I could do in our own country, working with kids who oftentimes don’t have the best teachers, supplies or the best schools," says Erin Gruwell. "I really wanted a school that had diversity, that had been affected by the riots and could be this wonderful eclectic mix of races and economics and cultures. On paper, Wilson seemed to be perfect because it was this fusion of affluent kids and abject poverty, and included every ethnicity under the sun with kids who could be headed off to Harvard or off to jail." If that quote from Gruwell sounds as though it has a ring of familiarity, you know, teacher with good intentions puts wayward kids lives back on the rails and all live happily ever after, then yes, your a little near the mark. But don't go writing off "Freedom Writers" because this is not your average film from that genre. Because in this story, based on true life experiences, there's always an expectation of something prfound happening. And it invariably does thanks to Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton and a cast of virtual unknown young actors and actresses. "The kids learned to pick up a pen instead of a gun, and the act of writing saved them," director and writer Richard LaGravenese explained. "Erin asked them to write about their wars and battles and it opened the gates for them to share their lives, which no one had ever asked them to do before. Through Anne Frank, she opened their eyes to a thirteen year old girl going through a war of her own and how writing helped her cope with her situation, and then, Erin showed them how to apply that to their own lives." That would come through their writing in journals which would later become published as "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them." Playing a role such as Erin Gruwell is a trademark for an actress of the quality of two time Academy Award ® winner Hilary Swank. "True stories resonate with me," says Swank, who won her first Academy Award® for her portrayal of Brandon Teena in the true–life story "Boys Don’t Cry". "I was inspired by the screenplay and moved by its humanity. I felt in my heart and soul that I needed to be a part of telling this story. When I found out that I was Erin’s first choice to bring her story to the screen, I thought it would be an honor to do so." So much so she felt truly moved to express her feelings to Gruwell. "I poured out my heart in an e–mail to Erin," Swank recalls. "After I read the script, I wanted to meet her, talk to her, and tell her how important I thought her story was." Gruwell would have her job cut out for her at Wilson High School. The school was situated in a wealthy part of town, but the kids of Room 203 were from a different side of the tracks.

They were seen as the 'unteachables', a bunch of untouchables who although they were all in the same calss, practised their own form of segregation. "In the film, when the kids first come into Room 203, they transform the room into territories by turning their desks into each others groups and away from Erin," explains Richard LaGravenese, who based his screenplay on the book by Gruwell and the Freedom Writers. "Turning their desks was an act of defiance and an act of unity within their own group." Gruwell recalls, "When these kids came to school they imposed segregation on themselves. They created territories based on race, gang affiliation, which side of the street they lived on, or which bus they’d taken. It was a daunting thing to look onto this group of students and see how they had self imposed that separation onto themselves." So what was it that sparked a remarkable change? The day Gruwell finally lost her composure and challenged the kids after intercepting a racial drawing which depicted one of the African–American students with exaggerated lips and nose. "When I made the parallel between this note and propaganda from the Holocaust, I got blank stares from my students. Even though all my students had experienced discrimination themselves, they didn’t understand it when put into words," she said. "I started yelling and screaming and for the first time my façade cracked. I was no longer perky, I was no longer this cheerleader. In that moment of seeing me so passionate and so angry, the students kind of sat up and thought, wow, she’s really serious." Telling her students about Anne Frank and the truth of the Holocaust struck a chord with them. It would lead to the students writing about their own daily journey. "I find it so amazing that Erin could see the parallel between Anne Frank and these kids," says Swank (who is an executive producer of the film). "Anne Frank was trapped and judged because of her religion. When Erin saw that they could relate to that, she thought that maybe this could help spark their interest to read a book and begin to write themselves." It all makes for great history but how did the story get to the big screen? The journey began when "Primetime Live" news producer Tracey Durning read an article in the Los Angeles Times. "Something about that little blurb in the 'Times' intrigued me," Durning (also an executive producer of the film) offers, "so I took a trip to meet Erin and the Freedom Writers and was totally blown away. I was blown away by their energy, intelligence, and very special understanding of race and tolerance. It made such a powerful impression on me and was so moving that I knew I had to do the story." When Academy Award® nominated writer Richard LaGravenese saw the "Primetime Live" he recognized the potential for a feature film. "I was extremely affected by the piece because it was about kids being transformed and the dedication of a teacher," he recalls. "I then read the book of diaries written by the students, and immediately called my producer, Stacey Sher, and told her that this was a project we had to do."

"One of the things that drew us to making this film was the notion that one person really can make a difference," producer Stacey Sher explained. "Erin Gruwell is a hero like anybody else can be a hero. She was frightened but saw that something had to be done and couldn’t turn her back on these kids. She empowered them with the tools to essentially help themselves." Swank too was inspired by the story. "The fact that this is a true story was amazing to me," says Swank. "I’m a sucker for true stories, they’re stranger than fiction. After reading the script, I immediately fell in love with it and knew I had to be a part of this film." Swank, the first choice for the role certainly, impressed Erin Gruwell. "The first time I saw Hilary wearing polka dots and pearls, I felt like I was looking in the mirror," recalls Gruwell. "There’s so much that she embodies that I respect and look up to, and I knew that she was going to bring so much to this role that was pure and genuine." Sher agrees noting: "There’s no better person to play Erin than Hilary," says Sher (Women In Film Independent Vision Award winner in 2000). "She has such great passion for the project and understands why it is so much more than just making another movie." And what about those who would play the students of Room 203? It required a nationwide search. "We saw over two thousand kids," recalls LaGravenese. "We looked on the West Coast, East Coast, in schools and on neighborhood basketball courts, because I wanted real kids and honest performances." The pivotal role of Eva, a young Latina, went to April Hernandez. "Miss G gave out the journals as a way for them to express themselves privately," Hernandez says. "They could say whatever they wanted to say and only she would read it. The kids felt like they were always being judged, but this situation had a comfort zone; no one was going to judge or grade them on their grammar or anything. It was a huge breakthrough." The role of Andre, a tough teen who is dealing with his brother being sentenced to life in prison prison and a mother suffering from fading health as a result of extended drug went to Mario. The Grammy nominee revealed it was a story close to home. "Because of everything I experienced growing up, with my mother’s substance abuse problems, I didn’t know how it would affect me, or even if I’d be able to finish the movie," he says. "But, I figured that would be best for me if I do a movie role, do one where I can connect with the character." One fine performance comes from Jason Finn, who portrays Marcus. He's living on the street after his mother threw him out. Fate played a role in him getting the part. While working on the independent film, "Mercy Street" he decided to drop in on his old school and a teacher named Mr Pullum who suggested he should "try out for a real movie." That project he tried out for turned out to be "Freedom Writers". Synopsis

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. Then a new teacher comes to room 203. Despite being up against unthinkable violence, devoted first time teacher Erin Gruwell never gives up on her students, slowly bonding with them, breaking down their tough exteriors and getting at the real people beneath through requiring the students keep daily journals. Her enthusiasm puts a strain on her marriage as her student involvement gradually takes priority over her personal life. The intensity with which Erin relates to her work, the part time work she undertakes all threatens her husband Scott, who in seeing Erin's transformation, is reminded of his own stagnancy.

The Verdict "It would be easy, after seeing the trailer for "Freedom Writers", to dismiss this as just another in a long line of teacher/student relationship films backed with a heart beat of hip-hop music. Hopefully cinemagoers won't fall into this trap because, thanks to Hilary Swank, April Lee Hernandez, Mario, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton and a talented young cast, "Freedom Writers" is a very engaging and most entertaining film. Set just two years after the L.A race riots the film tells the story of naïve, unaffected 23 year old teacher Erin Gruwell, whose career starts with a bunch of mixed race misfits in room 203 at Woodrow Wilson High. As she did in "Million Dollar Baby" and more recently "The Black Dahlia", Swank gives a highly credible performance in the lead role. But there is more to "Freedom Writers" than Erin Gruwell's struggle with authority and her disintegrating home life, for each and every one of her students has a story of their own. How Gruwell extracts that story is inspirational. These students, hardened by racism, abuse, gang wars, drug dealing, murder and disinterested educators, faced a bleak future until Gruwell came along. Their path to redemption through the journals she provided from her own pocket would prove to be the catalyst for their salvation. Well done. 3 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "FREEDOM WRITERS" stars .......
Two Time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank ["Boys Don't Cry", "Insomnia", "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Black Dahlia"]; Patrick Dempsey ["Scream 3", "The Emperor's Club" and "Sweet Home Alabama"]; Scott Glenn ["The Virgin Suicides", "Vertical Limit", "Training Day" and "The Shipping News"]; Mario ["Destination Fame" and "Step Up"]; April Lee Hernandez ["Big Wes" and TV's "ER"]; Robert Wisdom ["Masked and Anonymous", "Barbershop 2", "Ray" and "The Forgotten"]; John Benjamin Hickey ["The General's Daughter", "The Bone Collector", "Flightplan" and "Flags of Our Fathers"] and Laurence Olivier Theatre Award winner Imelda Staunton ["Crush", "Blackball", "Vera Drake" and "Nanny McPhee"] as Margaret Campbell.
"FREEDOM WRITERS" was .......
directed by Richard LaGravenese ["Living Out Loud", "A Decade Under the Influence" and "Paris, I Love You"]; screenplay by Richard LaGravenese ["The Fisher King", "The Bridges of Madison County", "The Horse Whisperer" and "Paris, I Love You"]; costume design by Cindy Evans ["Memento", "Along Came Polly", "Lords of Dogtown" and "North Country"]; production design by Laurence Bennett ["Fire in the Sky", "Stephen King's Thinner " and "Crash"]; edited by David Moritz ["Bottle Rocket", "Rushmore", "The Affair of the Necklace" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"]; cinematography by Jim Denault ["Too Tired to Die", "Boys Don't Cry", "City Of Ghosts" and "Maria Full of Grace"]; art direction by Peter Borck ["Bad Santa", "Friday Night Lights", "Art School Confidential" and "Flicka"]; produced by Danny DeVito ["Pulp Fiction", "Erin Brockovich", "Along Came Polly" and "Be Cool"], Michael Shamberg ["Drowning Mona", "Garden State", "Be Cool" and "The Skeleton Key"] and Stacey Sher ["Gattaca", "Erin Brockovich", "Along Came Polly" and "World Trade Centre"]. Who's Who?

Hilary Swank
Patrick Dempsey
Scott Glenn
Imelda Staunton
April Lee Hernandez
Mario
Kristin Herrera
Jacklyn Ngan
Sergio Montalvo
Jason Finn
Deance Wyatt
Vanetta Smith
Gabriel Chavarria
Hunter Parrish
Antonio García
Giovonnie Samuels
John Benjamin Hickey
Robert Wisdom
Pat Carroll
Will Morales
Armand Jones
Ricardo Molina
Angela Alvarado
Anh Tuan Nguyen
Chil Kong
Palma Reed
Dan Warner

...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

Erin Gruwell
Scott Casey
Steve
Margaret Campbell
Eva
Andre
Gloria
Sindy
Alejandro
Marcus
Jamal
Brandy
Tito
Ben
Miguel
Victoria
Brian Gelford
Dr Carl Cohn
Miep Gies
Paco
Grant Rice
Eva's Father
Eva’s Mother
Sindy's Boyfriend
Storeowner
Andre's Mother
White Cop