![]() ![]() While they wrote in these journals, Gruwell continued to see the growth in each student.Įntering into the students’ sophomore year and Gruwell’s second year teaching, her class invites a Holocaust survivor to come and speak to the whole school. During this time, she also introduced journals the students would write in. Through Gruwell’s actions and teaching, she gains trust and rapport with the students and she’s able to introduce them to field trips to the Holocaust Museum, and learn more about the Holocaust, which is the central plot of the film. Next, the class passes around a racist drawing depicting a classmate’s facial features and the drawing lecture by Gruwell sparks a discussion on the Holocaust and Hitler’s similar logic, which created hatred amongst an entire population. Eva is needed to give testimony to protect her boyfriend who killed Sindy’s boyfriend. This event causes an even bigger rift and divides everyone in the school. They are in the middle of a store robbery and shooting death and only those two know what really happened. As the film continues, the story shifts from Gruwell’s personal life back to the students, and focuses on Eva and Sindy (Jaclyn Ngan) and their gang affiliations. He prefers that she focus less on her job and more on their relationship, but she is unable to do so and ultimately gets divorced. She deals with request from her husband about their marriage. Most of them have never owned a book before. Campbell, the head of the English department, from using the books she believes will benefit her students, Gruwell gets a second job so she can purchase the books herself, and gives them to the students so they can have their own copies. Gruwell, who maintains an atmosphere of profession, meets resistance from other educators when she tries to show them her students are, in fact, not “unteachable.” She goes out of her way to show each of her students they are unique and deserve to be treated with respect. Her vision transformed at the beginning of her first day of class when she was greeted by students hesitant to learn and who divided themselves amongst “tribes,” as Eva mentions later. In Long Beach, California, Gruwell comes to a failing school with optimism and a vision of how to lead her class. Along the way, issues follow her marriage, but the bond between her students grows until she decides that she would like to move grades to further their education and stay connected to them. Swank, who portrays Gruwell, does a fantastic job of depicting the struggle faced while teaching her inner city kids the tools to gain knowledge. Faced with adversity, Gruwell continues to push the limitations and shows the students, just to name a few Mario (Andre Bryant), Eva Benitez (April Hernandez), and Jamal Hill (Deance Wyatt). ![]() Gruwell faces challenges by the head of the English Department, Margaret Campbell (Imelda Staunton), who believes the students can’t excel because they’re remedial. The students she has as a first year teacher are at risk and feel race and gangs divide the school and the community they live within. Set in the early 1990s, Gruwell, the protagonist, begins her English teaching career at Woodrow Wilson High School and recognized the needs of the students in the community. The motion picture, filmed in three different locations in California: Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Hamilton High School, allows the audience to capture the area Gruwell and husband Scott Casey, (Patrick Dempsey) lived during her time at Woodrow Wilson High School. ![]() Regardless of who watches, this film leaves a lasting impression. This film targets different generations, like teachers, students, and parents. This 123 minute dramatic feature film offers a different approach for the Hollywood screen differing from movies made merely for the enjoyment of the audience. Screenplay writer and director, Richard LaGravenese, took it upon himself to capture the essence of Gruwell’s and the Freedom Writers’ lives and transpose them for the big screen. Danny DeVito, producer of the film, has directed, produced, and acted leading up to the making of Freedom Writers. Freedom Writers “Their Stories Their Words”, a film released in 2007 was developed from the nonfiction book, The Freedom Writers Diary, follows Gruwell and her students as they experience life ins school and low-income homes. In a world filled with disparities in education and gang-filled streets in different neighborhoods, we have a new educator, Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank), wanting to make a difference in her community by teaching students to develop their love for knowledge. If you’re looking for a film inspiring young people and promoting the message, “Knowledge is power,” you’ve found the right one. ![]()
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