Freedom Writers (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
'Freedom Writers' is a drama based on a novel by Erin Gruwell, Freedom Writers Diary, & directed by Richard LaGravenese. This movie is based on a true story of the diaries written by real Long Beach teens after the tumultuous Los Angeles riots. Interracial gang warfare was at a peak, and it took a first time teacher, Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank), to inspire her hateful students to show the world that they matter. 'Freedom Writers' has its heart in the right place, but you can't help but think that not everything on screen actually occurred. And solid acting can't make up for an overly conventional approach to this heavily controversial film.
All her students are victims of their own home situations. They are bitter, scared, eager to pick a fight; the pot is always a millimeter from boiling over. Unluckily for Erin Gruwell, these Blacks, Chicanos, & Cambodians appear to loathe her more than they actually loathe each other! It's hard for her to grasp that every day is a battle to survive in these kids' lives (some fight, some kill, some have lost their parent(s), some have to testify in court on behalf of others, etc.) But with patience, a smile, an open mind, open ears, and most importantly ... respect, she is slowly able to win them over with a series of costly, yet effective school supplies and field trips. Her ability to convince them to keep journals is what reveals their hardships to the world via Gruwell's novel & this movie.
Swank is borderline annoying (not-unlike the real Gruwell), but fine in this role. April Hernandez, Mario, & Jacklyn Ngan give stellar performances as some of the reformed students. And Imelda Staunton (perhaps annoyed at losing the Academy Award to Hilary Swank in '04) gets a chance to be bitchy towards Erin as a school administrator. The cinematography is standard. In fact, where Half Nelson (a film of similar roots) is too-documentary in its cinematographical delivery, 'Freedom Writers' is too much the opposite. Half Nelson is too ugly to admire, and 'Freedom Writers' is too pretty to convey appropriate sentiments.
The story is true, and it is nice to see these inner-city kids apply themselves. Many of them can change their destiny. But although the film is decent, its also predictable in every way. Yes, it's inspiring. Many people will weep at the emotional scenes and take a lot away from the movie experience. But I am too conscious of the same-old, same-old Hollywood formula. The conventional method of showing us this particular movie allows us to feign emotion, rather than feel it in the bottom of our gut. The movie tries a tad too hard to win us over, rather than letting us holistically progress ... just as the students do.
All her students are victims of their own home situations. They are bitter, scared, eager to pick a fight; the pot is always a millimeter from boiling over. Unluckily for Erin Gruwell, these Blacks, Chicanos, & Cambodians appear to loathe her more than they actually loathe each other! It's hard for her to grasp that every day is a battle to survive in these kids' lives (some fight, some kill, some have lost their parent(s), some have to testify in court on behalf of others, etc.) But with patience, a smile, an open mind, open ears, and most importantly ... respect, she is slowly able to win them over with a series of costly, yet effective school supplies and field trips. Her ability to convince them to keep journals is what reveals their hardships to the world via Gruwell's novel & this movie.
Swank is borderline annoying (not-unlike the real Gruwell), but fine in this role. April Hernandez, Mario, & Jacklyn Ngan give stellar performances as some of the reformed students. And Imelda Staunton (perhaps annoyed at losing the Academy Award to Hilary Swank in '04) gets a chance to be bitchy towards Erin as a school administrator. The cinematography is standard. In fact, where Half Nelson (a film of similar roots) is too-documentary in its cinematographical delivery, 'Freedom Writers' is too much the opposite. Half Nelson is too ugly to admire, and 'Freedom Writers' is too pretty to convey appropriate sentiments.
The story is true, and it is nice to see these inner-city kids apply themselves. Many of them can change their destiny. But although the film is decent, its also predictable in every way. Yes, it's inspiring. Many people will weep at the emotional scenes and take a lot away from the movie experience. But I am too conscious of the same-old, same-old Hollywood formula. The conventional method of showing us this particular movie allows us to feign emotion, rather than feel it in the bottom of our gut. The movie tries a tad too hard to win us over, rather than letting us holistically progress ... just as the students do.