Kiersten Hellier
ENG 4320
Dr. Burmester
17 November 2014
Freedom Writers: A Moving Story with many Lessons to be Learned
A wide-eyed, perfectly groomed Erin Gruwell faces her first class as a fresh out of
college High-School teacher. Her teeth are bleached, her suit is dry-cleaned, and her neck is
garnished with expensive pearls. She stands eagerly in front of her new students, who’ve
grouped themselves by race and are doing everything but paying attention to their new, preppy
teacher. While Erin knew most of her students had elementary school level reading abilities,
were most likely impoverished and involved in gangs, and had no motivation to learn, she still
did not have any idea what the next few years would bring. Freedom Writers, released in 2007,
portrays the experience of teacher Erin Gruwell and her class during the years of 1993-1996 in
Long Beach, California. Based on The Freedom Writers Diary, a real publication of the student’s
writings during those years, the film follows the student’s lives and learning while immersed in
some of the most serious criminal settings in U.S. history.
Directed and written by Richard LaGravenese, and produced by Danny DeVito, Michael
Shamberg, and Stacey Sher, this 123 minute, biographical drama not only gives audiences an
insight into the struggles of teens in Long Beach, but of the educational system at work. Most of
the students in Erin’s classroom were involved in some type of gang or criminal activity. At the
beginning of the film, student Eva (played by April Lee Hernández) gave us a sense of the
tension between racial groups by saying “War has been declared.” In that sense, the students
were just trying to survive, and couldn’t care less about their academics. Even another student
said, “We’re graduating every day we live because we ain’t afraid to die protecting our own.”
Trying desperately to change this mindset, Erin Gruwell, played by Hilary Swank, gave them
each composition notebooks that would act as their diaries. Shocked by the life experiences and
hardships she read about, she knew the students needed more than just a few workbooks and
reading exercises, and decided to take matters into her own hands. With little to no help from her
school board, she worked two extra jobs to afford books and supplies for her students, and even
funded a few out of school trips and events.
Over the years, the students were forced to understand the dangerous reality of racism
and gang violence and realized that although they were all part of different groups, they weren’t
that different. The students became a family, and their grades improved significantly. However,
Erin’s sacrifices ended up costing her marriage with her husband Scott, played by Patrick
Dempsey. In the end, the students defied all odds and graduated from high school, all with the
help and guidance of Erin Gruwell, or “Ms. G.” They compiled all their diaries to make The
Freedom Writers Diary, and some even went to college.
Therefore, I chose to watch this movie because I am an aspiring teacher. Because this
film was about a teacher in an urban setting teaching at-risk youth with low reading levels, I
thought it could be applicable to a potential teaching situation I could have in Atlanta. Her school
wasn’t well funded (or at least did not want to allocate funds for the lower-level students), and
Erin was not well paid. I couldn’t help but relate to the possible situations I may have to deal
with in my own prospective career. Also, I, like Erin Gruwell, have a desire to make a difference
in the lives of my potential students, no matter who they are. In that sense, I was drawn to this
movie, especially because it was based on a true story. This film could be helpful for anyone
hoping to teach, but is an entertaining movie that most general audiences could enjoy.
That being said, the style in this film was notable, and contributed to its effectiveness as a
whole. The director did a brilliant job with creating a sense of chaos during a few scenes through
the short shot changes, angles and music. He also incorporated voice-overs during scenes that
gave the audience a connection with the individual characters and their experiences. The
classroom, representing a safe haven for the students, was often very bright and lit, while most of
the other settings were dark, representing the grim reality of the outside world to the students.
The wardrobes of the actors were appropriate to their characters and the time period, and the
styles of each group/gang were distinct. All of these components made for an effective portrayal
of the time period and environment as it pertained to the content of the film.
As well as the style, I enjoyed many other aspects of this film. The character Erin
Gruwell was especially moving, and inspired not only her students but me, as an audience
member. The setting displayed in the film seemed to correspond with the real setting in 1993,
and the characters stories seemed to be appropriate to the time. Also, in reading excerpts from
the real Freedom Writers Diary, I discovered that some of the quotes in the movie were taken
straight from the original diary. Thus, the characters and dialogue in the movie were authentic
and contributed to my appreciation of the film.
Before knowing this, I thought one of the negative aspects of the movie was that it
seemed a little unrealistic. Although it was based on a true story, I couldn’t help but see
Hollywood’s influence on the film, and I couldn’t imagine students really acting that way. For
example, on one of the first days of class, Erin is upset because of a racially offensive picture
that one of the students drew of another student. Following this incident, Erin attempts to teach
the class the danger of a drawing like that, and compares it to the Holocaust. Then, student Eva
started crying and yelling at Erin, explaining some of her past and why she hated white people on
sight. Although that scene was moving, I just couldn’t imagine a hardened gang member like
Eva expressing her emotions to Erin so quickly. However, upon reading some of the actual diary,
it seemed that while some of the aspects of the film appeared unrealistic, the majority of the film
corresponded directly to The Freedom Writers Diary. Also, I realize that while this was the real
experience of one teacher, it is a rare one, and most likely does not play out in the same way with
most teachers.
Overall, this film was entertaining and moving. I couldn’t help but shed a few tears
throughout the movie and felt a sense of connection with both the teacher and the students.
Although, for a potential teacher, Erin Gruwell’s experience is rare and a little unrealistic, it
gives hope to teachers everywhere that with hard work, they can really make a difference. As far
as practically learning from the film to enhance my own teaching, I didn’t really learn too much.
But, in the film’s defense, I don’t think its purpose was to inform teachers on how to teach more
effectively. Rather, it told the story of one teacher and her class, and shed light on the obstacles
they encountered. So, in that sense, I think it better prepared me on what to expect, and the
sacrifices I may have to make to teach my students successfully. I could connect with the film
because while Erin’s father told her it was “just a job” and encouraged her not to take her
classroom so seriously, she did everything in her power to give her students the education she
thought they deserved. This encouraged me to have the same type of attitude with my future
students.
All things considered, I would recommend watching this movie to anyone, not just
potential teachers. I thought it was powerful and entertaining and also provided a lot of things to
think about as far as the youth in our nation and our school systems. Although it was probably
not the most accurate portrayal of teaching in America, it did portray one teacher’s experience
effectively. As well as being a well directed and written film, it sheds light on larger issues,
which makes it moving and definitely worth a watch.