Freedom Writers
Ashley Knowles
Freedom Writers
When schools were first getting segregated many people of all races were having problems with it. Freedom Writers show this through out the whole movie. The movie aired its first time in 2007, but this movie storyline takes place between 1992-1995. From the beginning the director, Richard LaGravenese, wanted the audience to think that this movie was going to have a lot of violence in it. It was done through random noises of fire trucks, people screaming, gun shots, and many news reporters talking about the Los Angeles Riots. Erin Gurwell, played by Hilary Swank, was a new, excited, and courageous teacher that wanted to teach at Woodrow Wilson High School were it had recently become integrated. Once she is there she finds out that she will be teaching the “at-risk” students (LaGravenese). The students segregate themselves in the classroom through gangs. Erin decides she wants to be the person to make a difference. She fights through gang violence, racist issues, and no school support to become a very memorable person in society. After the opening scene, Eva, one of the young teens, becomes the temporary narrator and shows the audience the effects of gangs on a young person life. She watched a man get shot and her father get arrested for retaliating. Gangs effects a young child’s life mentally, emotional, and sometimes physically. “… you could be basted just walking out your front door” (LaGravenese). A child should feel safe at home, but these children are overwhelmed with fear. The fear is not an irrational fear simply because it was happening all around the teens. Gangs are not the only issue facing the teens; race among the students is a big draw back and problem. So Erin decides to teach her students about the Holocaust. She lets the students know that the Holocaust started because one group did not like another. The goal of that was to change her students’ behavior and respect while learning. That is the goal of any
Freedom Writers
When schools were first getting segregated many people of all races were having problems with it. Freedom Writers show this through out the whole movie. The movie aired its first time in 2007, but this movie storyline takes place between 1992-1995. From the beginning the director, Richard LaGravenese, wanted the audience to think that this movie was going to have a lot of violence in it. It was done through random noises of fire trucks, people screaming, gun shots, and many news reporters talking about the Los Angeles Riots. Erin Gurwell, played by Hilary Swank, was a new, excited, and courageous teacher that wanted to teach at Woodrow Wilson High School were it had recently become integrated. Once she is there she finds out that she will be teaching the “at-risk” students (LaGravenese). The students segregate themselves in the classroom through gangs. Erin decides she wants to be the person to make a difference. She fights through gang violence, racist issues, and no school support to become a very memorable person in society. After the opening scene, Eva, one of the young teens, becomes the temporary narrator and shows the audience the effects of gangs on a young person life. She watched a man get shot and her father get arrested for retaliating. Gangs effects a young child’s life mentally, emotional, and sometimes physically. “… you could be basted just walking out your front door” (LaGravenese). A child should feel safe at home, but these children are overwhelmed with fear. The fear is not an irrational fear simply because it was happening all around the teens. Gangs are not the only issue facing the teens; race among the students is a big draw back and problem. So Erin decides to teach her students about the Holocaust. She lets the students know that the Holocaust started because one group did not like another. The goal of that was to change her students’ behavior and respect while learning. That is the goal of any
Cited: LaGravenese, Richard, Dir. Freedom Writers. Dir. Richard LaGravenese. Perf. Hilary, Swank. 2007. Film. “Erin Gruwell – Freedom Writers Movie – The Real Story.” Movie-O – Movie Trailers, DVD Releases, Reviews, Showtimes… Web. 17 November 2010. .