Freedom Writers

2h 3m 2007

Brief Synopsis

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Fresh-faced, idealistic twenty-three-year-old Erin Gruwell is ready to take on the world as she steps inside Wilson High School for her first day of teaching. Her class, a diverse group of racially charged teenagers from different walks of life--African Americans, Latinos, Asians, juvenile delinquents, gang members, and underprivileged students from poor neighborhoods--hope for nothing more than to make it through the day. On the surface, the only thing they share is their hatred for each other and the understanding that they are simply being warehoused in the educational system until they are old enough to disappear. Despite her students' obstinate refusal to participate during class, Erin tries various means to engage them on a daily basis. But then ghetto reality steps in to focus the picture. A racially motivated gang shooting witnessed by a Latina gang member in Erin's class, and an ugly racial cartoon that Erin intercepts during class, become the most unwittingly dynamic teaching aids. They spark a transformation in the classroom, compel them to listen and force her to take off her idealistic blinders and take in the kids' survival stories of their undeclared war on the streets. Erin begins to connect with them. She brings in music from the 'Hood, and literature from another kind of ghetto, The Diary of Anne Frank, and with these simple tools she opens her students' eyes to the experiences of those suffering intolerance throughout the world and the struggles of those outside their own communities. Knowing that every one of her students has a story to tell, Erin encourages them to keep a daily journal of their thoughts and experiences. After sharing their stories with one another, the students see their shared experience for the first time and open up to the idea that there are possibilities in life outside of making it to the age of eighteen.

Cast & Crew

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Richard Lagravenese

Director

Hilary Swank

Patrick Dempsey

Scott Glenn

Imelda Staunton

April L Hernandez

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Drama
Teens
Release Date
2007
Production Company
Robert K Maxfield
Distribution Company
Paramount Pictures
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
2h 3m

Synopsis

Fresh-faced, idealistic twenty-three-year-old Erin Gruwell is ready to take on the world as she steps inside Wilson High School for her first day of teaching. Her class, a diverse group of racially charged teenagers from different walks of life--African Americans, Latinos, Asians, juvenile delinquents, gang members, and underprivileged students from poor neighborhoods--hope for nothing more than to make it through the day. On the surface, the only thing they share is their hatred for each other and the understanding that they are simply being warehoused in the educational system until they are old enough to disappear. Despite her students' obstinate refusal to participate during class, Erin tries various means to engage them on a daily basis. But then ghetto reality steps in to focus the picture. A racially motivated gang shooting witnessed by a Latina gang member in Erin's class, and an ugly racial cartoon that Erin intercepts during class, become the most unwittingly dynamic teaching aids. They spark a transformation in the classroom, compel them to listen and force her to take off her idealistic blinders and take in the kids' survival stories of their undeclared war on the streets. Erin begins to connect with them. She brings in music from the 'Hood, and literature from another kind of ghetto, The Diary of Anne Frank, and with these simple tools she opens her students' eyes to the experiences of those suffering intolerance throughout the world and the struggles of those outside their own communities. Knowing that every one of her students has a story to tell, Erin encourages them to keep a daily journal of their thoughts and experiences. After sharing their stories with one another, the students see their shared experience for the first time and open up to the idea that there are possibilities in life outside of making it to the age of eighteen.

Director

Richard Lagravenese

Director

Cast

Hilary Swank

Patrick Dempsey

Scott Glenn

Imelda Staunton

April L Hernandez

Dominic Daniel

Armand Jones

Eddie Ilam

Earl Williams

Angela Alvarado

Jason Finn

Hunter Parrish

Vanetta Smith

Donald Kaeding

Lead Person

John Benjamin Hickey

Kristin Herrera

Robin Skye

Mr. Horace Hall

Himself

Angela Sargeant

Deance Wyatt

Sergio Montalvo

Jaclyn Ngan

Lisa Banes

Elisabeth Mann

Antonio Garcia

Larry Cahn

Giovonnie Samuels

Gloria Ungar

Sharaud Moore

Dj Motiv8

Anh Nguyen

Carl Paoli

Abel Soto

Patsy Carroll

Cody Chappel

Juan Garcia

William Morales

Renee Firestone

Chil Kong

Giselle Bonilla

Randy Hall

Miri Ben-ari

Performer

Peter Maunu

Performer

Tim Halligan

Brian Bennett

Blake Hightower

Gabriel Chavarria

Ricardo Molina

Robert Wisdom

Liisa Cohen

Dan Warner

Crew

Marisa Aboitiz

Costume Supervisor

Jared Abramson

Production Assistant

William Adams

Music

William Adams

Song Performer

William Adams

Song

Edwin Almonte

Song

Gregory Alpert

Location Manager

Jorge Luis Alvarez

Assistant Location Manager

Daryl Anderson

Song

Tina Anderson

Post-Production Supervisor

Greg Anthony

Stunts

Christopher Assells

Sound Effects Editor

Tena Austin

Makeup

Justin Babin

Rigging Grip

Karen M. Baker

Supervising Sound Editor

The Outlaw Blues Band

Song Performer

Bob Baron

Adr Mixer

Ron Bedrosian

Adr Mixer

Laurence Bennett

Production Designer

Craig Bernatzke

Props

Thomas Betts

Set Designer

Corwin Bibb

Chief Lighting Technician

David Bolton

Adr Mixer

Charles Bolwell

Production Coordinator

Steve Boone

Song

Peter Borck

Art Director

Luke Borghi

Assistant Editor

Mark Boucher

Painter

Richard J Boyle

Grip

Janet Brady

Stunts

Ben Bray

Stunts

Lou Brown

Song

Vinnie Brown

Song

Gary Burritt

Negative Cutter

Dieter Busch

Assistant Director

Ishmael Butler

Song

Jwaundace Candece

Stunts

Michael D Caplan

Visual Effects Producer

Paul Carden

Adr/Dialogue Editor

Robert J Carlyle

Construction Coordinator

John F Cassidy

Grip

George Chavez

Color Timer

Bonnie Clevering

Hair Stylist

Eugene Collier

Stunts

Donna Corwin

Tutor

Peter Costelli

Assistant Location Manager

Don Coufal

Boom Operator

Skip Crank

Assistant Property Master

Chris Crivier

Grip

Sandy De Crescent

Music Contractor

Dennis Paul De La Rocha

Painter

Danny De Vito

Producer

Jim Denault

Director Of Photography

Debra Denson

Makeup

Yvonne Depatis-kupka

Hair Stylist

Louis Di Cesare

Chief Lighting Technician

Lawrence Dickens

Song

Dino Dimuro

Sound Effects Editor

Norm Dlugatch

Music Engineer

Amanda Dragon

Assistant

Tracey Durning

Executive Producer

Timothy R Durr

Rigging Grip

Katharina Eggmann

Casting

Marie Elder

Production Auditor

Kris Elgin

Production Assistant

Cindy Evans

Costume Designer

Deon Evans

Song

Roel Failma

Stunts

Marco Fargnoli

Photography

Eddie Fernandez

Stunts

Marisa Ferrey

Assistant Director

Jimmy Flores

Props

Bill Fobert

Props

Louis Freese

Song

Joann Fregalette Jansen

Acting Coach

Amanda Gardner

Tutor

Karen Garlich

Auditor

Gerrit Garretsen

Dolly Grip

Darrius Garrett

Song Performer

Darrius Garrett

Song

Rod Garvin

Painter

Katy Tatian Genovese

Auditor

Keir Gist

Song

Jordana Glick-franzheim

Associate Producer

David Goldsmith

Video Assist/Playback

Dominic Gonzales

Music

Bob Good

Rigging Grip

Roy Granada

Electrician

Jason C Green

Hair Stylist

Linda Griffis

Art Department Coordinator

Erin Gruwell

Book As Source Material

Geoffrey Haley

Camera Operator

Geoffrey Haley

Steadicam Operator

Per Hallberg

Supervising Sound Editor

Trevant Hardson

Song

Robin Harlan

Foley Artist

Justin Hart

Production Assistant

Eric Heavens

Compositing Supervisor

Dan Hegeman

Sound Effects Editor

Kristen Heiden

Dga Trainee

Mila Hermanovski

Key Costumer

Steven Ho

Stunts

Kwame B Holland

Song

Natascha Hopkins

Stunts

Mark Isham

Music

Ernie Isley

Song

Marvin Isley

Song

O'kelley Isley

Song

Ronald Isley

Song

Rudolph Isley

Song

Tomoka Izumi

Photography

Craig Jaeger

Foley Editor

Chris Jasper

Song

Will Jennings

Song

Kashaun Johnson

Song

John Paul Jones

Property Master

Montell Jordan

Song

Montell Jordan

Song Performer

Michelle Juskowitz

Casting

Carlton Kaller

Music Editor

David Kasubowski

Craft Service

Kenny Keavy

Props

Michael Keller

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Ted Kennedy

Dolly Grip

Padraic Kerin

Music Engineer

Tina Kerr

Casting

Dr. Martin Luther King

Song

Ahmed Kirdar

Production Assistant

Alex Kivlen

Assistant Location Manager

Christina Knizer

Stunts

Jon Ko

Medic

John Koyama

Stunts

David Kudell

Assistant Sound Editor

Susan Kurtz

Adr/Dialogue Editor

Talib Kweli

Song

Talib Kweli

Song Performer

Richard Lagravenese

Screenplay

Anne Laoparadonchai

Costumer

Chris Leidholdt

Rigging Grip

Dan Levine

Executive Producer

Kim Lincoln

Graphic Designer

Brenda Lopez

Script Supervisor

Mary Lum

Hair Stylist

Mike Malone

On-Set Dresser

Jessie Mann

Costumer

Allan Marasco

Post-Production Assistant

Bianca Margiotta

Assistant

Chris Anthony John Martin

Song

John Martinez

Song

Big Mato

Song Performer

Robert K Maxfield

Cable Operator

Byron Mcculloch

Grip

Meghan Mcelheny

Assistant

Scott Mcgeo

Rigging Grip

Tom Mertz

Special Effects Coordinator

Scott Millan

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Andrew Miller

Production Assistant

Steven Miller

Greensman

Sarah Monat

Foley Artist

Johnny Morales

Foreman

Marco Morales

Stunts

Nan Morales

Unit Director

Nan Morales

Executive Producer

David Moritz

Editor

Philip D. Morrill

Assistant Sound Editor

Wendi Morris

Music Coordinator

Nancy Morrison

Hair Stylist

Rebecca Morton

Assistant

William Morts

Stunt Coordinator

Vanessa Motta

Stunts

Lawrence Muggerud

Song

Shawn Murphy

Music Scoring Mixer

Shawn Murphy

Score Recording

Anastacia Nemec

Production Assistant

Stephen Newton

Production Assistant

Yen Nguyen

Loader

Todd Nicodemus

Grip

Thomas Nittmann

Visual Effects Producer

Mike Nowak

Music Conductor

Rod Nunnally

Painter

Cindy O'connor

Assistant

Lin Oeding

Stunts

Douglas Oh

Photography

James Orendorff

Foreman

Jeanette Ortega

Song

Jeannie Ortega

Song Performer

Jane Oshida

Stunts

David Owen Krupnick

Medic

Domenic Pacino

Rigging Grip

David Parker

Sound Mixer

Tyler Parkinson

Music

Lisa Parmet

Key Costumer

Oji Pierce

Song

Conrad Pope

Original Music

Austin Priester

Stunts

Beverly Jo Pryor

Makeup

Jason Puga

Painter

Ralphy Ramirez

Song

Mary Ramos

Music Supervisor

Kevin Ravenell

Song

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Drama
Teens
Release Date
2007
Production Company
Robert K Maxfield
Distribution Company
Paramount Pictures
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
2h 3m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Winter January 5, 2007

Wide Release in United States January 12, 2007

Released in United States on Video April 17, 2007

Based on "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Group of Extraordinary Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them," edited by Erin Gruwell, written by a group of Long Beach High School students known as The Freedom Writers published by Main Street Books October 12, 1999.

Cameron Diaz previously attached to star.

Previously set up at Miramax after initially being set up at Universal Pictures.

Literary Sale Date: 05/07/2002.

Released in United States Winter January 5, 2007

Wide Release in United States January 12, 2007

Released in United States on Video April 17, 2007

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