MTV Productions has become a surrealist artisan master at exploiting the nation’s youth, and “Freedom Writers” is a prime example. The story of a Caucasian woman turned inspirational saint to gang-related teens was done before with “Dangerous Minds.” A similar formula has been seen in “Lean On Me” and “Coach Carter.” The predictability of “Freedom Writers” did finagle its inspirational scenes drawing both laughter and tears from the audience.
Though the story is heartwarming, the film itself walks down a beaten path. If in search of creative cinematography or Academy-Award winning performances, this is not the flick to choose.
Writer and director Richard LaGravenese adapted the writings of real life events as told by the teacher and student authors of “The Freedom Writers Diary.” The book is based on the journalistic writings of distressed students from Woodrow Wilson High School where gang violence and racial tensions from the 1992 L.A. riots were still echoing deadly, destructive shock waves on society.
The streets were a war zone that turned children into soldiers and friends into memories. The school district had adopted “voluntary integration” into its previously successful academia. But the importation of apathetic juveniles resulted in tribal societies of Latinos, Cambodians, blacks and Caucasians divided by prejudice, pride and fear. Yet, from within a despondently- staffed institution in an environment where discipline was taking precedence over practical education, a story of unlikely courage, hope and camaraderie arises.
Despite school-yard brawls, a rowdy and racially divided classroom and an antagonistic school board, teacher Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) refuses to be dissuaded in giving her students education and ambition. When her classroom savvy exposes the common denominators of violence, broken homes, juvenile halls and fallen friends, the cultural divide begins to diminish and an improbable bond begins.
After intercepting a racial depiction being passed around the classroom by snickering students, intolerance becomes clearly evident as she scolds her class on the viciousness and danger the drawing represents. The focus turns from racial condescension to Holocaust analogies. To Gruwell’s surprise, only one student in the class has any idea what the Holocaust was.
As the movie unfolds, Gruwell sparks her students’ ambitions through field trips and reading materials to which the class can relate; stories of other teenagers growing up in violent surroundings and facing persecution because of their race. “The Diary of Anne Frank” influences the assignment of the troubled adolescents writing daily in a journal. As their stories turned into words, the words turned into hope that their story of their life was significant. And so it was.
Unquestionably, the ideals promoted by “Freedom Writers,” such as unique teaching methods, decreasing high school drop out rates and providing students with opportunities to reach their academic potential, can be inspirational. Though the actors capture honest emotions, ultimately the 23-year-old Gruwell and 14-year-old student are played by 32-year-old Swank and actors over 18, which detracts from the true essence of a true story.
Dustin Smith can be reached for comment at [email protected].
