Freedom Writers

Plot

A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.

Release Year: 2007

Rating: 7.4/10 (25,064 voted)

Critic's Score: 64/100

Director:
Richard LaGravenese

Stars: Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey

Storyline
It's 1994 in Long Beach, California. Idealistic

Writers: Richard LaGravenese, Freedom Writers

Cast:

Hilary Swank
–

Erin Gruwell

Patrick Dempsey
–

Scott Casey

Scott Glenn
–

Steve Gruwell

Imelda Staunton
–

Margaret Campbell

April L. Hernandez
–

Eva Benitez

(as April Lee Hernandez)

Mario
–

Andre Bryant

Kristin Herrera
–

Gloria Munez

Jaclyn Ngan
–

Sindy

Sergio Montalvo
–

Alejandro Santiago

Jason Finn
–

Marcus

Deance Wyatt
–

Jamal Hill

Vanetta Smith
–

Brandy Ross

Gabriel Chavarria
–

Tito

Hunter Parrish
–

Ben Daniels

Antonio García
–

Miguel

Taglines:
their story their words

Details

Official Website:
Official site [Spain] |
Paramount Pictures [France] |

Release Date: 5 January 2007

Filming Locations: Hamilton High School, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $21,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $9,405,582
(USA)
(7 January 2007)

Gross: $43,090,741
(Worldwide)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Hilary Swank beat out her co-star in this movie, Imelda Staunton, for the 2005 Oscar for Best Actress.

Goofs:

Continuity:
When the computers are lent to the students to type their diaries, they all know how to type correctly. This isn't consistent with their backgrounds.

Quotes:

Andre:
It's the dumb class cuz. It means you too dumb.

Jamal:
Man, say it to my face cuz.

Andre:
I just did. See what I mean? Dumb?

User Review

Don't listen to the naysayers

Rating:


I read the message boards before seeing the movie and wasn't really
that excited to go see it. Yes, the general storyline has been done
before…

I'm a male teenager and this movie made me cry. I can't remember the
last time a movie made me cry… in fact, I don't think I have
(teary-eyed doesn't count). Freedom Writers moved me.

It was so much better than I expected. All I can say is that it is
definitely worth at least a matinée viewing.

The movie reminded me that all of America isn't like white middle-class
suburbia, of which I am a part. Regardless of how many times the same
movie has been done before, the white middle-class can use as many
reminders as possible that education is not that easy to obtain
everywhere. Even in America, opportunity is not equal, and I think it's
important for people to see that.

Don't judge the movie without seeing it.