Inspirational teacher films are pretty easy to come by. Most people quote Dead Poets Society from memory and many others are familiar with Renaissance Man or Lean On Me among others. How many of those can claim their stories are both written and told by young people who came from the environment portrayed in the film though? Freedom Writers can.
Inspired by the book The Freedom Writers Diary, the film tells the story of Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank), a California teacher who attempted to help her students overcome gang violence and the problems of the educational system and tell their own stories. Diary is made up of the stories of Gruwell’s students and became the basis for Freedom Writers.
Starring Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, and Imelda Staunton, the film also uses a cast of younger actors, many of whom grew up in similar situations to Gruwell’s students – surrounded by gang violence.
The Freedom Writers DVD is coming out April 17th with a load of extras, including:
- Feature-length commentary with director/writer Richard LaGravenese and Hilary Swank
- Deleted scenes
- Making ‘A Dream’
- Freedom Writers Family
- Freedom Writers: The Story Behind The Story
- Photo gallery
Check out Freedom Writers on DVD on April 17th.
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