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PRODUCER: |
Danny DaVito (Along Came Polly), Michael Shamberg (World Trade Center, Along Came Polly), Stacy Sher (World Trade Center, Along Came Polly) |
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Freedom Writers - Hilary Swank bounces back after - what was the name of that ridiculous piece of work she did? Oh, yea, Chad Lowe.
After seeing Hilary Swank in The Black Dahlia, it looked like she was only going to pick bad movies from here on out. We’ll she thankfully changed that plan with this movie. Based on the real life experiences of Erin Gruwell, Hillary Swank plays Erin who is a teacher. She’s energetic and excited to teach in a school where she can make a difference. She decides to teach in an inner city L.A. high school filled with so called “high risk” kids. She is naïve enough to think she can walk in with good intentions and change the world. What she learns is that she has to break through to the kids first. And the kids, they want to be anywhere but in a classroom learning stuff that won’t help them survive on the streets. But to save the kids and change the future of teaching, she has to reach them.
Even though this is another in a long line of “teacher-in-the-hood” movies, it may be one of the best! While it has a lot of the typical elements of this type movie, what makes it different is the way Swank’s character actually wins over her students. Instead of beating them into submission or kissing up to them, she - in very creative and moving ways - actually opens their eyes to how cruel and destructive they are being. She essentially makes them feel guilty to the point that they want to change, and they cultivates their talents and unique perspectives until they become good, productive human beings. Freedom Writers is a profound movie that most will find remarkably satisfying. |
