In the movie Freedom Writers, Hilary Swank's character lives with her husband Scott, played by actor Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy). In the film, as Erin Gruwell
Erin Gruwell
Erin Gruwell is an American teacher known for her unique teaching method, which led to the publication of The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them. The 2007 film Freedom Writers and upcoming PBS d…
Who are the real Freedom Writers?
Yes. The Holocaust survivors in the movie, who eat dinner with the students at the Marriot, are the actual survivors who dined with the real Freedom Writers. These individuals include Renee Firestone, Eddie Ilam, Elisabeth Mann, and Gloria Ungar.
Who are the main characters in Freedom Writers?
The main characters in "Freedom Writers" are the teacher, Erin Gruwell, and the students. Some of the students play more prominent parts in the movie than others - for example, Eva, the most ...
Is Freedom Writers based on a true story?
Yes, ‘Freedom Writers’ is based on a true story. LaGravenese developed the script for the film from the 1999 book ‘The Freedom Writers Diary,’ a compiled version of the journal entries by the real Erin Gruwell and her students. In 1994, Gruwell joined Woodrow Wilson High as a student-teacher. The students that she was assigned to were reportedly regarded as “ unteachable ” by school administrators.
Was Freedom Writers a true story?
Yes, ‘Freedom Writers’ is based on a true story. LaGravenese developed the script for the film from the 1999 book ‘The Freedom Writers Diary,’ a compiled version of the journal entries by the real Erin Gruwell and her students.
See more
What happens at the end of Freedom Writers?
The film ends with a note that Erin successfully prepared numerous high school students to graduate and attend college—for many, the first in their families to do so.
What is the climax of Freedom Writers?
The emotional climax of Freedom Writers comes 90 minutes into the film with the arrival of Miep Gies and the life-altering choice made by one of the students as a result.
What is the main content of Freedom Writers?
The title of the film is “Freedom writers”, it's a film about different gangs in a High school class and a young teacher. The story happened in the Bronx neighbourhood. There was a high school and a problematic class, the students were in different gangs, and they behave very bad because they had a difficult lives.
What is the falling action in the movie Freedom Writers?
Falling Action: Erin asks her students to write their diaries in book form. Denouement: The film ends with a note that Erin successfully brought many of her students to graduation and college.
What is the resolution in Freedom Writers?
Resolution. this sparks a classroom argument and lets Erin begin to understand her students on a deeper level. They talk about the holocaust and this gives Erin an unexpected idea. Meet main character Erin Gruwell a new first time teacher at Wilson High school.
Who gave Gruwell the pearl necklace?
She still wears the necklace of pearls her father, Stephen Douglas Gruwell, gave her. She wore them for the first time when she was a 24-year-old teacher facing her first “at risk” students, including gang members, victims of domestic violence, homeless and even some honor students.
Why should people watch Freedom Writers?
The Freedom Writers is an inspiring story about never giving up on a student's success just because of what the teacher sees. The movie and the real events that inspired it prove that love, a safe classroom, and a great teacher play a huge role in students' well-being.
What is Freedom Writers about essay?
'Freedom Writers' is an American movie, based on a true story about a devoted and visionary teacher, Erin Gruwell. Erin motivates and teaches her class of combative and confrontational students, that there is another life outside of being a gang banger and death.
Is Freedom Writers worth watching?
'Freedom Writers' was filled with drama, humor, and more. It was a really nice film and a must see.
Who are the main characters in the movie Freedom Writers?
Eva BenitezApril Lee Hernández, Giselle BonillaMiep GiesPat CarrollMarcusJason Finn, Earl WilliamsMargaret CampbellImelda StauntonGloria MunezKristin HerreraAndre BryantMario, MarioFreedom Writers/Characters
Is Freedom Writers based on a true story?
Based on the true story of Erin Gruwell and her 1994 freshmen class, "Freedom Writers" at least intimates that the teacher has as much to learn as her charges.
Is Freedom Writers a good film?
A richly rewarding film experience that rises to the top of its genre. While it is, like its genre brethren, inspiring and uplifting, Freedom Writers glosses over so much material that it makes the process look too easy.
Who is the author of Freedom Writers?
For other uses, see Freedom Writers (disambiguation). Freedom Writers is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey and Mario . It is based on the 1999 book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell and students who compiled the book out ...
How much did Freedom Writers gross?
Freedom Writers had a domestic gross of $36,605,602 and had a foreign gross of $6,485,139 bringing the movie to a total gross of $43,090,741 worldwide. On the film's opening weekend it grossed a total of $9,405,582 ranking 4th behind Children of Men (3rd), The Pursuit of Happyness (2nd), and Night at the Museum (1st).
What is the movie Freedom Riders based on?
The movie is also based on the DC program called City at Peace. The title of the movie and book is a play on the term " Freedom Riders ," referring to the multiracial civil rights activists who tested the U.S. Supreme Court decision ordering the desegregation of interstate buses in 1961.
Where is Freedom Writers Diary based?
It is based on the 1999 book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell and students who compiled the book out of real diary entries about their lives that they wrote in their English class at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California.
Who made the documentary Erin Gruwell?
The idea for the film came from journalist Tracey Durning, who made a documentary about Erin Gruwell for the ABC News program Primetime Live. Durning served as co-executive producer of the film. The film was dedicated to the memory of Armand Jones, who was killed after filming Freedom Writers.
Is Freedom Writers a good book?
Freedom Writers has received mostly positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes provides links to 126 reviews, 70% of which are positive. The critical consensus is that " Freedom Writers is a frank, formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank leading the appealing cast of unknowns." Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 64/100 based on 29 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
What did Erin Gruwell say about self promotion?
In defense of the critique of being too self-promotional, Gruwell said that it was attention forced upon her in the media as a catalyst for education reform. She said that she would be profiting from self-promotion if she were, but she hadn’t. Erin Gruwell in 2015 — From Erin Gruwell on Wikipedia Commons.
What about the millions of other classrooms out there whose stories go unheard?
What about the millions of other classrooms out there whose stories go unheard?
Why do some teachers get jealous of Gruwell?
Beard thinks that the reason why some teachers got jealous is that Gruwell and her students received widespread media attention and got lucky.
Why was the department head reluctant to give Gruwell’s students full versions of books like The Diary of Anne Frank?
The depiction of the department head in the film was reluctant to give Gruwell’s students full versions of books like The Diary of Anne Frank and Romeo and Juliet because she thought kids might lose and damage the books.
Did Erin Gruwell work at Woodrow Wilson?
In real life, however, Er in Gruwell actually did do some great work at Woodrow Wilson High School (whose name a Change.org petition is now urging to change) in Long Beach, but real life is, of course, more ambiguous than the movie. Gruwell did a lot of good with her student, but other teachers in the school did too. She was the only one that got mass media attention, and it’s not like she didn’t deserve it, but other teachers deserved it too.
Who said that any large urban high school was going to have problems?
A Long Beach board member, Karin Polacheck, said that any large urban high school was going to have problems, but that Gruwell probably overstated its problems. Polacheck was more understanding of the fact that some of Gruwell’s students had been exposed to gangs, and that the film wasn’t dependent on that.
Is the story of Gruwell true?
The true story is a balance between the reactionary perception that Gruwell manipulated and used her kids’ academic success for personal gain, and the white savior narrative that she changed her students’ lives.
What is the movie Freedom Writers about?
Freedom Writers is a film about modern-day Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses in the early 60s to test the US Supreme Court’s decision to desegregate buses. The Freedom Writers were students inspired by their pioneering teacher to embrace racial integration.
How long did it take Richard LaGravenese to write the Freedom Writers Diary?
It took writer and director Richard LaGravenese six years to craft a narrative from The Freedom Writers Diary’s entries. From that story, he created the inspiring film Freedom Writers.
Who encouraged her students to journal their experiences?
Erin encouraged her students to journal their experiences, bringing them closer together. Excerpts from the journals feature in The Freedom Writers Diary . Erin talked to PBS SoCal about how she got her students to share their journal entries:
How did Gruwell's approach work?
Gruwell’s approach worked as the students learned of the power of personal storytelling. They also learned of the destructive potential of racial stereotypes and the ruin racial wars had brought upon the world.
What is freedom writers about?
The movie “Freedom Writers” was about Erin Gruwell, a young teacher who accepted a position teaching freshman and sophomore English at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Mrs.
Why did the Marriot teacher take two jobs?
The teacher decided to take on two jobs, one as a lingerie salesperson and the other as a concierge at the local Marriot, in order to purchase supplies to reach the students in a different way. Her husband began to worry; she told him it was only temporary. She moved the students around, out of their racial divisions.
How did Anne Frank teach her students?
Her most effective form of teaching aid came in the form of a black and white composition notebook. She gave each student a notebook and asked them to write in it every day. They could write in any form they wish, as long as it was continuous. She told them that it was completely private and she would not read their journals unless they put them into the locked cabinet in the back of the classroom. She decided to rebuke their hatred of one another by having them read The Diary of Anne Frank and wrote about their own experiences in a daily journal.
Who helped Ann Frank?
The students raised money to have their hero Miep Gies, the lady that helped Ann Frank, flew in to speak to them. Miep Gies told them she is not a hero; she just did the right thing. Lastly, Mrs. Gruwell told her students that for their final project, they will be typing up their journals and binding them. She told them to give their book a title. In the end, most of her students graduated and went on to post-secondary education, leaving behind s legacy.
Why did Erin create the Freedom Writers Foundation?
Erin created the Foundation to spread the message about issues teenagers face in high school.
Who encouraged students to record their personal lives in journals?
Erin ripped up the rule book and taught English her way. Instead of Shakespeare, students read The Diary of Anne Frank. Gruwell encouraged them to record their personal lives in journals, which excerpts would later form the New York Times Bestseller, The Freedom Writers Diary .
Why does Erin feel like the teachers trained by the Foundation have far better chances of success than she did?
Erin feels like the teachers trained by the Foundation have far better chances of success than she did because they have help. She told PBS SoCal:
Who were the Freedom Writers?
The Freedom Writers, including Erin Gruwell (front, center), in 1999. (File photo) Sue Ellen Alpizar wiped away tears as she talked about the darkest days of her teenage years in Long Beach. That was 20 years ago, but she remembered her suffering like it was yesterday.
What room was the Freedom Writers documentary in?
A documentary depicting what happened before, during and after the Freedom Writers entered Room 203 at Wilson 20 years ago will be shown free from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Crystal Cove Auditorium at University of California, Irvine. The documentary, “Freedom Writers, Stories from an Undeclared War,” will be followed by a question-and-answer period and book signings by Gruwell and some of the Freedom Writers.
How many teachers have attended the Freedom Writers Institute?
Gruwell said more than 600 teachers have attended the Institute from all 50 states, along with 20 countries.
Who is on the cover of Freedom Writers Diary?
Many of those stories were published in the bestselling book, “The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them.” Sue Ellen is on the cover of that book with Gruwell and other Freedom Writers. This also is the 10th anniversary of the Freedom Writers movie starring Hilary Swank.
Who said "I am proud to watch my kids become adults"?
Speaking like a proud parent, Gruwell said, “Over the years, I have been proud to watch my ‘kids’ become adults. I am still their cheerleader, their mentor, their confidante. I learn from them every day, and, in this way, I have also become their student.”
Sophmore Year
In Andre's Sophmore year, his personality changed for the better. He began to interact with his classmates, and was respectful to Ms. Gruwell and others.He also liked to participate in class assignments such as reading the diary of Anne Frank, and raising money for Miep Gies to come to Wilson High.
End of Sophmore Year
Overall, Andre has made an big journey throughout the two years with Ms.Gruwell at Wilson High. He started out as a student who didn't care about his education to a very passionate student trying to make it through high school. Although with bumps along the way, Andre has made a long journey to success in life.
Who were the Freedom Writers?from presstelegram.com
The Freedom Writers, including Erin Gruwell (front, center), in 1999. (File photo) Sue Ellen Alpizar wiped away tears as she talked about the darkest days of her teenage years in Long Beach. That was 20 years ago, but she remembered her suffering like it was yesterday.
Who wrote the Freedom Writers Diary?from ourhairstyle.com
The Freedom Writers Diary is a 1999 book written by the Freedom Writers with intros by Erin Gruwell. It is the basis of the 2007 movie Freedom Writers, starring Hilary Swank, and Gruwell is the subject of the 2019 PBS Documentary, Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart.
Why did Erin create the Freedom Writers Foundation?from voxbliss.com
Erin created the Foundation to spread the message about issues teenagers face in high school.
How many teachers have attended the Freedom Writers Institute?from presstelegram.com
Gruwell said more than 600 teachers have attended the Institute from all 50 states, along with 20 countries.
What room was the Freedom Writers documentary in?from presstelegram.com
A documentary depicting what happened before, during and after the Freedom Writers entered Room 203 at Wilson 20 years ago will be shown free from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Crystal Cove Auditorium at University of California, Irvine. The documentary, “Freedom Writers, Stories from an Undeclared War,” will be followed by a question-and-answer period and book signings by Gruwell and some of the Freedom Writers.
Who said "I am proud to watch my kids become adults"?from presstelegram.com
Speaking like a proud parent, Gruwell said, “Over the years, I have been proud to watch my ‘kids’ become adults. I am still their cheerleader, their mentor, their confidante. I learn from them every day, and, in this way, I have also become their student.”
Overview
Freedom Writers is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey and Mario.
It is based on the 1999 book The Freedom Writers Diary by teacher Erin Gruwell and students who compiled the book out of real diary entries about their lives that they wrote in their English class at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California. The movie is also based on th…
Plot
In 1994 in Long Beach, California, Erin Gruwell has been accepted to teach English for at-risk students at Woodrow Wilson High School—a once highly acclaimed school that has declined since voluntary integration had been enforced and where racial tension has increased since the Los Angeles riots two years before. Erin struggles to form a connection with her students and observes numerous fights between some of them, who are in rival gangs.
Cast
• Hilary Swank as Erin Gruwell
• Patrick Dempsey as Scott Casey
• Scott Glenn as Steve Gruwell, Erin's Father
• Imelda Staunton as Margaret Campbell
Release
Freedom Writers had a domestic gross of $36,605,602 and had a foreign gross of $6,485,139 bringing the movie to a total gross of $43,090,741 worldwide. On the film's opening weekend it grossed a total of $9,405,582 ranking 4th behind Children of Men (3rd), The Pursuit of Happyness (2nd), and Night at the Museum (1st).
Reception
Freedom Writers has received mostly positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes provides links to 126 reviews, 70% of which are positive. The critical consensus is that "Freedom Writers is a frank, formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank leading the appealing cast of unknowns." Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mains…
Criticisms
Freedom Writers is set in California during the 1990s, which is still feeling the effects of the 1992 Los Angeles riots two years after the time period of the movie. The scene is set by the opening news montage chronicling the riots, and the narration from Eva explaining the racial dynamics that still pervade her city and her school. From the beginning, the perception of race is demonstrated by the students’ reception of Gruwell and their attitudes towards each other, but a…
Effect on education
Since its release, Freedom Writers has become a topic of conversation in the reshaping of teaching styles, especially in classrooms with at-risk children. Following the success of The Freedom Writers Diary, Erin Gruwell founded the Freedom Writers Foundation. The non-profit encourages a more diverse and inclusive classroom experience with the specific goal of providing further educational opportunities for minority and at-risk students. Gruwell, the original Freedo…
Soundtrack
Common lent his talents to the soundtrack with "A Dream", featuring and produced by The Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am. The soundtrack also includes the Tupac Shakur song "Keep Ya Head Up".
Instrumental sections of Sia's "Breathe Me" accompany the film's television trailer.
The Freedom Writers soundtrack contains the following songs: