CAST: Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April L. Hernandez, Mario, Kristin Herrara, Jacklyn Ngan, Sergio Montalvo, Jason Finn, Deance Wyatt, Vanetta Smith, Hunter Parrish, Robert Wisdom.
DIRECTOR: Richard LaGravenese
SCREENWRITER: Richard LaGravenese
STUDIO: Paramount Pictures / MTV Films / Jersey Films
RUNNING TIME: 123 min.
RATED: PG-13 (US) & 12A (UK); for violance, profanity, and thematic elements.
DVD AVAILABILITY: Not Available on Region 2 DVD yet as of this writing
I’m sure that many of you (if not all of you), have seen a film that falls into the genre of Inspirational Educators. I think this genre has been milked rather dry as of now, with the masterpiece being always DEAD POETS SOCIETY, which had one of Robin Williams’ finest performances and a scorching, Oscar-winning screenplay by Tom Schulman. Ironically, I just bought the Collector’s Edition of that great film released recently on DVD; that film never fails to inspire me…as well as touch me beyond measure, with the ultimate result of Robert Sean Leonard’s character being one of the emotionally shattering climaxes ever written I think.
Since then, we have had dozens of these “Inspirational Eductor” films and they include DANGEROUS MINDS, MUSIC OF THE HEART, and THE EMPORER’S CLUB, just to name a few. Of course, the granddaddy of this genre happens to be GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS, the 1936 film for which Robert Donat won the Oscar for Best Actor. One of the first films to be released in 2007 also falls into that ever-growing category, and like many of the others, has an Oscar-winning actor as the star. FREEDOM WRITERS recently came out to theaters in the UK; while not nearly as effective as others of its ilk, it at least manages to do its job and stay true to its theme, while being inspirational and cliched in equal doses. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, though it is watchable for the most part; then again, I think any movie with Hilary Swank is watchable, and she alone manages to make this a cut above most other films in the genre.
****************************************************************** THEIR WORDS. THEIR LIVES. ******************************************************************
Swank plays real-life English teacher Erin Gruwell; the film is set in L.A. during the riots of 1992, where Gruwell gets her first assignment: teaching a bunch of freshman students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach. The majority of the students are immature, and pretty much don’t care about going to school, instead thinking about and dealing with their lives outside the classroom, which involve gang violence, racial strife, and drive-by shootings. The class is a striking mix of many different ethnic backgrounds, including African-American, Asian, and Hispanic (in fact, there is only one white student in the whole class!), and they begin to (obviously) challenge and intimidate Ms. Gruwell with their attitudes.
When racist comments and drawings begins to emerge in the classroom, Ms. Gruwell takes a stand and is determined to educate these students about the Holocaust---and how their worlds are similar, just on a much smaller scale. Soon enough, Ms. Gruwell inspires her students to find a voice for themselves, by giving them journals to write in and detail their day-to-day life amist violence and racism. Due to a mediocre school administration--- who looks at the students as nuisances rather individuals who want to learn---Ms. Gruwell is also forced to buy brand new books for all the students, including “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
Of all the students, the film focuses primarily on Eva, an angry female Hispanic whose boyfriend was responsible for shooting someone in a convenience store---and an African American kid in her class got arrested for it! Meanwhile, Ms. Gruwell must deal with not only an unsympathic school system, but also her schnook of a husband Scott, who feels that his wife is beginning to care more about her students then himself. The film is based on a true story, though it’s obvious that much of the film was dramatized (which is understandable to a certain degree) by writer-director Richard LaGravenese, with the ending being so predictable that you can see it from the very beginning.
****************************************************************** KING AND QUEEN OF THE SCHOOL ******************************************************************
LaGravenese and Swank (who also executive produced) put much work and effort into this project, and while their intentions are certainly admirable, the result is just too ordinary to hit the bulls-eye. As for Swank’s performance, she is earnest and even compelling, though it’s nowhere near as great as her roles in BOYS DON’T CRY or MILLION DOLLAR BABY, both of which she won Academy Awards for Best Actress. I love Swank, though it just seems like she is coasting here, and while I certainly do respect her character and the situation she is in, I actually think better dialogue would have benefited the role.
Naturally, Swank towers above her supporting cast, with Patrick Dempsey and Scott Glenn giving one-note performances as her husband and father, respectively. Some of the kids are credible, though what damages the realism is that many of them are actually much older than high school age, including Mario, who is an actual recording artist; in addition, as with most films in this genre, I couldn’t buy them embracing this inspiration way too early in the film. Sure, they could relate to Anne Frank’s diary, because it their mirrors their own lives in many ways; but come on, doing fundraisers to fly Miep Gies all the way to the school to talk with them seems a little too much to take in when they have only been with Ms. Gruwell for only 3 or 4 months. Granted, it might have actually happened, but dramatically, I think this sequence---while effective indeed---should have been moved closer to the end of the film.
LaGravenese is actually one of the best Hollywood screenwriters of the past 15 years; his second effort, THE FISHER KING, was nominated for an Oscar, and since then he has written successful adaptations of A LITTLE PRINCESS, THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, THE HORSE WHISPERER, and BELOVED. When he turned to directing AND writing in 1998 with the ok film LIVING OUT LOUD however, he kind of hit a skid---with him having to concentrate on two positions behind the camera, he got too eager and thus ended up with a flawed script and even more flawed direction. FREEDOM WRITERS is his first film since 1998, and while the result is improved, he still needs to, ironically, find his own voice.
****************************************************************** DVD SPECIAL FEATURES ******************************************************************
The DVD of FREEDOM WRITERS has a quite a few special features for those who appreciated and enjoyed the film. First up is an audio commentary by LaGravenese and Swank which I found quite informative, as LaGravenese talked about his challenges in adapting the best-selling book “The Freedom Writers: How A Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing To Change Themselves And The World Around Them,” into a condensed, 2-hour long film. Swank was quite passionate about the project from the beginning, and she also talks about working with all the young actors and how they all inspired her---ahh, life imitating art again, lol.
Next up is several deleted scenes; the original cut of the film was almost 3 hours long, and its understandable why the studio asked LaGravenese to cut the film down drastically. There are two featurettes which I found palatable: “Making a Dream: The Freedom Writers Family,” as well as “Freedom Writers: The Story Behind the Story,” which both discuss the real-life Freedom Writers the film is based on, and their many interviews of the students as well as the real Erin Grusell herself. Rounding out the special features are a theatrical trailer and a photo gallery.
In conclusion, FREEDOM WRITERS is watchable enough, though it could have benefitted from more resonance…and a tighter edit, to be honest, as the film also tends to drag at times. If you do watch it, watch it for Swank’s performance, which is the best thing in the film; otherwise, I recommend that you all re-rent GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS or DEAD POETS SOCIETY. The DVD will be available from Amazon in just a few weeks, but the book was released March 2, and is available for 5 GBP. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to all of your comments. Chris :)))
TRIVIA NOTE #1: In December, the long-awaited adaptation of Cecilia Ahearn’s debut novel “P. S. I Love You,” will be released; it will be once again directed by LaGravenese and also star Hilary Swank as lead character Holly Kennedy.
TRIVIA NOTE #2: This is R&B singer Mario’s third feature, following DESTINATION FAME (2004) and STEP UP (2006).
CRITIC’S QUOTE #1: “Despite sold work from the engaging cast, there is nothing new here to distinguish FREEDOM WRITERS as anything beyond average.” --- Liz Beardsworth, Empire Magazine
CRITIC’S QUOTE #2: “By emphasizing her dazzling, toothy smile and can-do cheerleading style, Hilary Swank makes her well-intentioned misfit utterly believable.” --- Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
CRITIC’S QUOTE #3: “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 naïve. As a result, it’s extremely affecting.” --- John Anderson, Variety
Production Year: 2001 - Drama - Director: Phil Alden Robinson, Richard Loncraine, Mikael Salomon, David Nutter, Tom Hanks, David Leland, David Frankel, Tony To - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over
