Freedom Writers (2007)

Andre: Why should I give you my respect to you? Because you're a teacher? I don't know you. How do I know you're not a liar standing up there. How do I know you're not a bad person standing up there? I'm not just gonna give you my respect because you're called a teacher.

By Richard LaGravenese
With Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn 

I found this film entirely by coincidence. I was browsing some YouTube videos of Ellen DeGeneres shows and an interview with Hilary Swank showed up in the related videos. Seeing it, I decided to check out what other films she made and discovered this little gem I'd never heard about.

Freedom Writers is based on the true story of Room 203's transformation from an underachieving class to a class that made history -- quite literally, as to date they have published a book based on their experiences in the class and the story has gone on to be dramatized in this film. In most ways it's an entirely feel-good movie and I found myself grinning and crying in turns. It isn't deeply profound in any way nor does it have a special message that has never been delivered, but it tells a compelling and engaging story, albeit a cliched and at times problematic one.

The lessons she teaches in class have their effect on both her as well as the students and their lives. For one girl, she has to make a choice between standing up for her gang and and lying in court, a decision which can result in the unjust imprisonment of a bystander. She is only able to make the "right" decision after much support from the class, in which she hears about the heroism of those helping the prosecuted Jews during the Holocaust. Another boy has had a falling out with his mother after joining a gang, and he slowly wins her approval back. For yet another boy whose family has recently been evicted from their apartment, this classroom feels like his home. In a particularly charged interaction, one boy addresses her as "Ma" -- to which she vehemently retorts, I'm not anybody's mother. The question is: is that really true?

Her investment to the classroom results in her taking on two other jobs in order to take the class to field trips, bring noted guest speakers (such as Miep Gies) and buy new books and journals for them. It seems very much that she begins to consider them her children, even if metaphorically. As such, I thought it would have been appropriate and interesting to address the boundaries she would have to erect between them and her, even if against her will, if this film strove to be more realistic. Her role as a surrogate caregiver, parent and even therapist grows stronger as the movie progresses. The fact that the classroom represents a "home" to these students is vocalized time and again -- is this in any way problematic? At what point does a school become an alternate home, and to what extent is it a teacher's duty to play these roles?

What puzzled me, and occurred to me as as a poorly justified story element was her marriage. Her husband, resenting the amount of time she is spending on the class as opposed to time they can spend together, decides to pack up and leave without as much as having a single discussion with her before hand. What was the purpose in her being married if he was just going to be a jerk and they'd get divorced anyway? Much less, her complete lack of reaction/emotion over it (she just sat down, drank two glasses of wine and I think shed one tear before moving on to normal). Just to show how a dedicated teacher will never have time for a spouse or kids of her own? And if that's the case, is this hinting at and/or even endorsing the dichotomy people seem to build between career vs. family? Does a woman always have to face this either/or situation? In their final conversation he says, "I cannot be your wife [calmly sit by and support you]". What does that even mean? That only one person in the family has to have a career or be fulfilled and that has to be the man?   While this could have been a critique, of course, I was surprised that the protagonist did not have more to add to this. Wasn't this her battle? Why did she have to sacrifice her family and her chance at a family just in order to be a good teacher? Couldn't she fight for both? Something about this didn't feel right to me.

In all, the film came to me at the right time as in the past week, one of my teachers in high school died. Seeing this film was inspirational in a way, reinforcing the idea that big changes can have minute catalysts and that everyone can make a difference in whatever small capacity they have.

I liked: The message, the positivity, and the stellar performances, especially but not limited to the lovely Hilary Swank, who really outdid herself in this role.

I disliked: People change, but not this quickly. It seemed a little cheesy to see how readily the kids in the class changed their ways. It's not that easy and it doesn't come this quick. Some important issues were overlooked, as mentioned in the paragraphs earlier. Film could have been braver, could have addressed issues more realistically. Instead, at times it felt a little made-for-TV cliche.

76/100
A well acted gem of a movie that gave me great satisfaction to see. A must-see for anyone interested in mentoring films and teacher-student films.