Freedom Writers Review

Hilary Swank stars as the title character, Erin Gruell - a neophyte high school teacher with ambitious goals for her wrong-side-of-the-track students.  Swank brings such a genuine spirit to her portrayal that you are automatically rooting for her success even though you know she'll have assorted obstacles to conquer along the way.

Based on a true story, the movie somehow manages to feel predictable, stereotypical and cheesy.  It is to the actors' credit that they collectively transcend the hokey storytelling to reveal the humanity of the characters within.

Even though I could easily predict the outcome of some the obstacles, I still found tears welling up in my eyes at various points through the movie.  When the students begin to keep diaries of their lives and narrate the pain, fear, and confusion they must survive on a daily basis, the soul of the movie really shines through.  I found myself deeply impressed with a woman who was so naïvely idealistic as to believe in kids who had been given up on by even the closest people in their lives.  Her dedication to the students and her ability to truly see the unique gifts that each possessed really is an inspirational message. 

After the viewer spends time with these characters, the ending is a bit of a disappointment.  The last few screen shots provide some general information that most of the children graduated from high school, and some went on to college.  Unfortunately, we weren't told specifically what became of the main characters, i.e., did they make it out of the projects, did they go off to college, did any become writers, etc.?

Overall, Freedom Writers is a touching movie and one that is well worth viewing.  I would especially recommend it to anyone who is struggling to overcome a challenge, or who thinks that one individual can't make a difference.  This movie will turn you into a believer.