Based on a true story of a young naive idealistic white teacher who gets a job in a ethnically diverse gang-ridden high school. No this isn't Dangerous Minds, it's Freedom Writers, adapted from the diaries of Woodrow Wilson High School students, and starring Oscar winning Hilary Swank as a first time teacher who is trying to change the world, or at least teach a couple kids there is a world beyond the self created borders.
Following the time tested story formula, Eric Gruwell (Hilary Swank) is faced with the harsh reality of a reform school and an uncontrollable class of students. She must earn their trust and change their lives, and she must accomplish this task before the lights come up in the movie theater. It's like an episode of 24, but without the ticking timer, or Jack Bauer, or torture. Actually, the more I think about it, it's nothing like an episode of 24.
I must admit that going into Freedom Writers, I wasn't expecting much. Actually I wasn't expecting anything. The film's poster looks like something photoshopped by a fourth grader. The almost nonexistent marketing and January release date is a sign of no studio confidence. All signs pointed to failure. But I was wrong. No, the film will probably fail - I am pretty positive the awareness of the film is next to none. And that's too bad, because it's a descent movie which deserves to be seen.
A little too simplified and exaggerated at times, Writers is an emotional and inspirational story of a bunch of inner city kids with no future who find a way to rise above. It's good natured, heat-wrenching but sometimes badly executed. I get it. I know that the movie was based on the journals written by the actual Freedom Writers Gruwell taught in the mid-90's. But there is no reason to turn such text into exposition-filled narration over montage after montage. This film could have played better without the voice over.
Too cluttered for it's 123 minute running time, a few of the characters back-stories could have been left out in the rough draft process to give the story a little breathing room. A storyline involving Gruwell's ignored and failing relationship with husband Scott Casey (Patrick Dempsey) lacks any emotional or story value.
It would have been interesting to see Freedom Writers adapted into a one hour dramatic television series where each season recounted a school year. While the time length wouldn't have provided the dramatic visual change in the characters that this two hour movie can provide, it could have focused on a lot more students, charting each ones development.
The screenwriter of TheHorse Whisperer and Blow, Richard LaGravenese makes his fictional feature film debut, and it shows. There is montages which feel fake or forced. None of the performances can be considered stand outs, which is sad considering the talent.
But thankfully, in the end this film is not just another Dangerous Minds (which turned out to be less of a movie and more of a launching pad for Coolio's Gangsters Paradise single). Freedom Writers has some touching moments in between lapses of bad writing and direction. It's those moments, which are sometimes (effectively) emotionally manipulative, in which this becomes a film worthy of your time.
/Film Rating: 7 out of 10