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Freedom Writers
Paramount Pictures


8.2

based on 29 reviews
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based on 29 votes
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FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language

Starring Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April L. Hernandez, Mario, Kristin Herrera, and Jacklyn Ngan

Based on a true story and the diaries of real Long Beach teenagers after the L.A. riots, Freedom Writers is an inspirational tale and testimony to courage hope and the human spirit's triumph over intolerance. (Paramount)

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Richard LaGravenese Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell (book The Freedom Writers Diary)
DIRECTED BY:	Richard LaGravenese
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: April 17, 2007 Theatrical: January 5, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	123 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	Germany / USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

It all sounds like a recipe for the most noxious liberal jerk-off movie since "Crash," but in the hands of writer-director Richard LaGravenese, Freedom Writers turns out to be a superb piece of mainstream entertainment -- not an agonized debate over the principles of modern education à la "The History Boys," but a simple, straightforward and surprisingly affecting story of one woman who managed to make a difference.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

Hilary Swank gives a powerhouse performance as a maverick high school teacher in Freedom Writers, an often gripping and sometimes even inspiring film drama taken from the real-life story of Erin Gruwell.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) is real, and for all the dramatic license that writer/director Richard LaGravenese takes in his film, her story -- and the stories of her students -- are moving.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Freedom Writers delivers the expected messages about hope and the ability to change one's destiny, and does it in a manner that it is emotionally and intellectually satisfying.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Though the film seldom strays from formula, there's something strangely moving about Swank's conviction that, in spite of everything, people are really good at heart.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

I say bring 'em on, if the stories can be told as well, as convincingly and as inspirationally as Richard LaGravenese's Freedom Writers, an educational fantasy that happens to be mostly true.

San Francisco Chronicle Ruthe Stein

Overall Freedom Writers is a noble effort. At a time when New Year's resolutions to change already are falling by the wayside, you can't help but be moved by a group of young people who followed through on their resolve.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

The movie is based on the life of California high school teacher Erin Gruwell, played with captivating honesty by Hilary Swank, yet it feels like the usual Hollywood exaggerations.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Freedom Writers is the rare inspirational-teacher film that is filled with genuine, jaw-dropping coups of real-life poetry.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

The movie works.

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

What makes Freedom Writers work is the very thing that makes it seem like a drag: predictable inspiration.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Square, sincere, and proud of it.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

If you've seen "To Sir, With Love," "Dead Poet's Society," "The Corn is Green," or "Stand and Deliver" - to take a random sample - you've already seen much of this movie. Swank is good, though, and so is Patrick Dempsey as her suffering husband.

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

In Freedom Writers Hilary Swank uses neediness to fine effect in a film with a strong emotional tug and smartly laid foundation.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Luckily LaGravenese has incorporated some of the real students' piercingly honest diary entries and rounded up an engaging cast of unknowns and young actors (April Hernandez, Kristin Herrera, Hunter Parrish) to channel their anger and hopelessness.

Variety John Anderson

It takes the bold approach of being earnest, honest and unafraid to be called naive. As a result, it's extremely affecting.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

Dramatically, the movie never veers from its predictable course, but Swank's performance renders the point moot. There likely was a better, more original movie to be made focusing more on the Freedom Writers themselves, but if this more conventional direction had to be taken, it's hard to imagine a more affecting version.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Formulaic though it is, the story hits the right emotional buttons and promises that hope and dogged work trump despair.

New York Post Kyle Smith

Swank's character, Erin Gruwell, is a real educator who, in the years following the Rodney King riots, coaxed her students into writing about their bullet-riddled lives.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Leave it to Hilary Swank. Even when her film's pace lags behind its cliches, she sparks this true story, about a California teacher who sparks her students, with the passion the subject demands.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

It offers a sort of Chinese food poignancy, the kind that may seem satisfying at the time but ultimately leaves us hungering for more, for something authentic.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Freedom Writers is an earnest, well-meaning attempt at inspirational teen drama. It has some moving scenes and honest observations, based on a school in Long Beach, Calif., but the movie sinks under the weight of formula and stereotypes.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

The film is both too short and too long at two hours-plus. Not enough time is spent with the teens and far too much with their teacher.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Freedom Writers is prone to throwing in unnecessary plot developments, so it never quite succeeds as anything more than "Dangerous Minds" Redux.

Village Voice Rob Nelson

Reaction shots of the class's befuddled white boy are played for cheap laughs, but writer-director Richard LaGravenese otherwise keeps it real by recruiting cinematographer Jim Denault from Indieville High and Imelda Staunton--here playing Bitchy Old Department Head.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

In the recent "Half Nelson," a similarly themed classroom pic, liberalism struggled to balance its lingering hopes with its systemic despair. That film was pure fiction, yet felt absolutely true. This one is apparent fact, yet seems abjectly false.

Empire Liz Beardsworth

Despite solid work from the engaging cast, there’s nothing new here to distinguish Freedom Writers.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

For my money, no movie comes close to capturing the high school experience like "The Substitute."

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

The movie itself offers few real answers to the problems teachers face.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 29 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Andrew G. gave it an8:
A solidly formulaic sappy movie that made me cry. Very mainstream, but entertaining nonetheless.

Bit B. gave it a10:
Incredibly inspirational and heart-felt. Great acting and cast. The whole Holocaust thing...powerful!

Becky gave it a5:
This movie was average and at times pretty boring. Hilary Swank is a great actress, but her talent wasted on an almost meaningless film. It's all about gangs and violence, so why does almost everything work out in the end? Yes, it had its touching moments, but should've gone farther with the gangs. This movie was too dragged out.

PnArdy PnArdy gave it a7:
Hillary Swank plays a school teacher in a bad neighborhood, who manages to become a second family and create a special kind of bond - trust, love and emotion - with her students in spite of all hardships. They call themselves Freedom Writers. Film is based on real events. Another good and rather difficult drama with Swank.

Chad S. gave it a3:
"Freedom Writers" is a story that should rightfully be told...in the form of a documentary. As vanity projects go, this earnest telling of an extraordinary teacher and her second chance pupils isn't "Battlefield Earth"-bad, but it's close. You get the sense that these inner-city kids have good hearts, however, the portrayal of their lives seem too sanitized to achieve versimilitude. At times, the film feels like "Boyz in the Hood" as rendered by the PAX network. There's also an odd episode or two that is more documentary than drama, which is an odd mix since the film makes no attempt at realism. This well-meaning film tries too hard to grab our hearts. The success and redemption of these hard-knock kids is somewhat blunted by an unwillingness on the filmmaker's part to be more objective about its subject.

Andrew K. gave it a5:
This movie was pretty entertaining. Nothing special. It had its moments. One of the better aspects of this film was that the students seemed very real. A lot of movies like this make the kids come off as unrealistic, but I felt the kids were a lot like people I went to high school with. Hilary Swank was good, as always. I found the aspect of her character's husband leaving her to be very telling. I've learned over the years that people tend to be very selfish in relationships, and that's why so many marriages fail. Obviously, this was based on true events, so it was interesting to see that part of the story. This one's not going to win any awards, but it was a well made film.

Enrique gave it a6:
Just an average feel-good movie. Good performances.

Freedom Writers Paramount Pictures

Freedom Writers
Paramount Pictures