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Freedom Writers [DVD] [2007]
 
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Freedom Writers [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Hilary Swank
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
RRP: £15.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Freedom Writers [DVD] [2007] + The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them + Teach with Your Heart
Price For All Three: £22.56

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Product details

  • Actors: Hilary Swank, Deance Wyatt, Vanetta Smith, Gabriel Chavarria, Hunter Parrish
  • Directors: Richard LaGravenese
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 12
  • Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment (UK)
  • DVD Release Date: 9 Jul 2007
  • Run Time: 118 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000RHOFSO
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,074 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Synopsis
Based on actual diary accounts of several teenagers following the LA riots, FREEDOM WRITERS is the story of an idealistic teacher’s attempts to make a difference in the lives of her at-risk students. Located in gang-ravaged Long Beach, California, Woodrow Wilson High is a hotbed of violence due to a voluntary integration program which brings Black, Latino, Asian, and White students together. Rather than having the desired effect of creating healthy diversity, this program breeds constant war between all parties involved, the result being daily gun shots, constant racial slurs, and gang violence. Played largely by young unknowns, the freshman class in question is both naive and wise beyond its years. While never having heard of the Holocaust, these kids are well-versed in the pain of poverty, the legal system, and death. Despite being up against unthinkable violence, devoted first-time teacher Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) never gives up, slowly bonding with her class of at-first unreachable pupils, breaking down their tough exteriors and getting at the real people beneath through requiring the students keep daily journals. Meanwhile, a strain is put on Erin’s marriage as her student involvement gradually takes priority over her personal life. The intensity with which Erin relates to her work threatens her husband (Patrick Dempsey), who in seeing Erin’s transformation, is reminded of his own stagnancy. Thanks to a catalogue of films including STAND AND DELIVER and DANGEROUS MINDS, any film about inspiring teachers risks feeling redundant and preachy. But writer/director Richard LaGravenese manages to put a fresh spin on this already familiar formula thanks to powerful performances by Hillary Swank, Imelda Staunton, and several newcomers. While slightly predictable, FREEDOM WRITERS critiques the public education system in an ultimately moving way.

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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A familiar storyline executed in a non-sensationalist manner, 13 Jun 2007
By D. R. Silvester "Clandestine Knowledge Seeker" (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Set amidst a backdrop of gang violence in L.A, novice teacher Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) sets about educating a racial mixed class of underprivileged students.

what unfolds is the usual story of poorer children being denied a decent education by those within the system who uphold the prejudices of the wider society. Of course up steps the naive, initiatly inept and well meaning Gruwell in attempt to help.

This storyline has been done before, in Dangerous Minds, Coach Carter, Glory Road to mention but a few.

From a cynical, logical and detached point of view, all the age old maudlin, emotion evoking mechanisms employed by Hollywood are resorted to once more.

On a slightly more emotional note, I found some parts quite poignant when seeing the prejudice, lack of opportunity, neglect and abuse suffered by the characters. The issues I felt were approached from a realistic stance not from a melodramatic or sensationalist one. Unfortunately, the personal struggles contained herein are an accurate portrayal of those faced by the poorest children in America.

Race is an issue in this film and again it was dealt with a fairly realistic, non-sensationalist way. Again the racial aspect of poverty, crime, violence, lack of education was dealt with pretty well.

Gruwell's character is played well by Swank who conveys an air of naivety (at first) yet also sincerity, integrity, and a strong social conscience that drives her to challenge an educational system founded on extreme racial and class prejudices.

Even though this is a familiar storyline, Freedom Writers I found to be genuinely touching at times. Yes it is a typical 'feel good factor' Hollywood film done in a straight forward way, but there is still a strong social/political message attached.





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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Weepie, 9 Jul 2007
For those emotionally secure people, such as myself, I found it hard to keep my emotionally secured feelings emotionally secured whilst watching this film. It was edited fantastically, shot brilliantly, acted amazingly and worked together to form a perfect whole.

There is, of course, the fact that it is an all too common issue, one which we see all too much of, to little effect. There is also the fact that the same old shootings and naive do-gooders make their respective appearances, however, the primary synopsis of the teacher trying to make herself understood, to a class trying to make themselves understood goes hand-in-hand for a movie that crescendoes and breaks the emotional barriers of the most secure people.

My friend cries at nothing. My friend sobbed in the cinema.
Watch it. Alone. Absorb. Then buy the book!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Captures your attention, 22 Jun 2007
I've just watched this on the plane home and found it amazing. I had tears in my eyes and really felt for the characters.
I think people who liked films such as Hotel Rhwanda, Shinderers list etc would like this too.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars And if teaching were love?
The central subject of any pedagogical project, and not a project like the dilapidated new housing projects for ghetto people who are not kept in a ghetto any more but in a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jacques COULARDEAU

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and uplifting
Although I chose to get this film I put off watching it for a while as I thought it might be worthy but dull. I couldn't have been more wrong. Read more
Published 5 months ago by P. Tattersall

5.0 out of 5 stars Freedom Writers
I watched this film in June, this year, & I was touched by the way the teacher showed the students what they can do. Read more
Published 7 months ago by AJ

5.0 out of 5 stars Film Reviewer
Yes, you may have seen similar films like this but for me i think this film was great viewing as it wasn't about the pupils fitting in and having their lives turned around, it was... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Lorenzo Gordon

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! A cracking movie
I watched this on the weekend and was blown away. I love films and in an age of CGI animation and blockbuster special effects, it was liberating to watch a film that was so... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Eagle Wizard

4.0 out of 5 stars Education education education, as i believe someone once said
Oh no not another movie about some middle class white person inspiring a racially diverse bunch of teenage gang -bangers that yeah there is more to life than getting "respec" ,... Read more
Published 16 months ago by russell clarke

5.0 out of 5 stars The best film of 2007!
The only question which remained at the end of this film was whether I or my wife cried more!

Based on a true story and acted superbly with Hilary Swank in the lead... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Film fan

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and inspirational (possible *spoiler*)
Usually i am drawn to films with breathtaking special effects, but after 3 recoomendations, i watched this film. I have never felt so amazed by a story and a film before. Read more
Published 19 months ago by spidermangeek

3.0 out of 5 stars Covers old ground, but reasonably well
Freedom Writers is the story of an idealistic, newly qualified teacher teaching in a multiracial, gang-riven LA school, and how she reaches out to her students to provide them... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Jaybird

4.0 out of 5 stars surprisingly good
As i sat down to watch the movie, I was really not expecting much - the resumee seemed so corny, and I was afraid that I would watch a very predictable sociodrama from Hollywood... Read more
Published 22 months ago by tatjana kleitos

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