Freedom Writers (2007)

Cast

Patrick Dempsey
as Scott Casey
Hilary Swank
as Erin Gruwell
Hunter Parrish
as Ben Daniels
Scott Glenn
as Steve Gruwell

Get more information about Freedom Writers (2007) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Biography Crime Drama

7.5 / 10

It's 1994 in Long Beach, California. Idealistic Erin Gruwell is just starting her first teaching job, that as freshman and sophomore English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School, which, two years earlier, implemented a voluntary integration program. For many of the existing teachers, the integration has ruined the school, whose previously stellar academic standing has been replaced with many students who will be lucky to graduate or even be literate. Despite choosing the school on purpose because of its integration program, Erin is unprepared for the nature of her classroom, whose students live by generations of strict moral codes of protecting their own at all cost. Many are in gangs and almost all know somebody that has been killed by gang violence. The Latinos hate the Cambodians who hate the blacks and so on. The only person the students hate more is Ms. Gruwell. It isn't until Erin holds an unsanctioned discussion about a recent drive-by shooting death that she fully begins to ...

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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

cq33xx

bad remake of the dangerous minds, bad acting fake atmosphere, an OK movie, not for 7.5 - @Monday, October 31, 2016 8:42 PM

Blank

Best movie หนังดีจริมๆ ทำจากเรื่องจิงด้วย ขนลุกเลย TT - @Saturday, December 5, 2015 9:16 PM

Frank Rizzo

I am currently pursuing my degree to become a teacher. I will most likely decide to teach at a high school with lower income students because although many students in class talk a good game I still believe many of them will try to get jobs at the higher end schools because the pay is usually a little better, the students are better behaved, and quite frankly it is the easier way. I am watching this movie for the first time for an assignment. I can only hope that I can change some of these kids life for the better. - @Saturday, April 11, 2015 2:32 AM

HispanicCausinPanic

I fucking hate this stupid ass movie. It goes to over the top with gang violence. Fucking retarted. The stories are the shit an try there best to make it sound real. -_- - @Sunday, February 8, 2015 11:44 PM

TheDinoscifi

Don't make movies like this anymore. I know its from 2007, but things have changed a lot in 8 years. Also, its a shame how Hilary Swank's career went south after this. - @Sunday, February 8, 2015 7:31 AM

icha capore

love it - @Friday, December 19, 2014 7:09 PM

MrManne87

Eric Cartmenez - @Tuesday, December 16, 2014 5:39 PM

rock and also roll

Watched this in school. By far my favourite movie. - @Friday, October 24, 2014 3:55 PM

MFM

any good movies that have kind of the same story ? - @Friday, October 17, 2014 1:52 PM

Amel Esperanza

A very inspiring movie <3 - @Thursday, September 4, 2014 2:40 PM

Dont-be Evil

"nice white lady" Madtv is right - @Wednesday, August 6, 2014 7:11 AM

Best Girl

This is a good movie I remember my teacher made us watch it in year 10 (2010) I never knew this happened in America until then. - @Tuesday, July 8, 2014 5:56 PM

Alex Try

Is this long beach, California? I have family down there, and also what high school is this based on - @Friday, June 20, 2014 4:34 PM

Mounir aftis

plz can you give me the names of the books they have been reading in the movie the one on the wommen and the other one on i forget it plz - @Wednesday, April 2, 2014 7:49 PM

WhatsWithAndyy !

such an good movie! - @Thursday, March 27, 2014 8:07 PM

Hripsime Davtjan

The best movie ever!! - @Tuesday, March 25, 2014 7:00 PM

yesenia arriaga

The guy who wrote this movie came to my school today and Hus name was Mr. Scott and he really did make a change at our school :) - @Tuesday, March 18, 2014 9:00 PM

Edward Bernays

Swolenasty dot kom is hiring medical researchers and writers specifically for the topic of anabolic steroids. - @Friday, March 14, 2014 11:18 PM

Vanessa R. Perez

Hahahahaha!!! Just went to the Gabriel Iglesias show and he said he went to this high school the year this movie is based in and put it out there saying HIS SCHOOL WAS NOT THAT GHETTO, THE MOVIE IS BS! - @Sunday, March 2, 2014 3:18 PM

Luqee Vieytes

RESPECT - @Tuesday, February 25, 2014 3:49 PM

Matt Pressman Pressman

I first saw this movie in 10th grade and we all loved it. Our favorite part was when Marcus said he got books about Miep Gies from the library and said that he didn't have a library card when Mrs. Gruwell asked if he used it. We all laughed so hard and we were like, "He stole them?!" - @Wednesday, February 12, 2014 11:36 PM

whatevercomesnext11

umbridge! - @Tuesday, February 4, 2014 11:20 AM

mariam taaima

thats one of the best films I ever see - @Saturday, February 1, 2014 2:26 PM

Song_Bird

This is such an amazing film :) - @Wednesday, January 15, 2014 6:33 PM

Emily Eng

I love this movie. The perfect combination of humor, sadness, heart touching, hope and happiness. It taught me a lot. its really deep and even made me cry while watching it. (including a few boys). It is truly amazing and one of my favorite movies. Thanks for introducing me to this movie Ms. Beaucock. - @Wednesday, December 4, 2013 6:52 AM

Tr. Vp

This is one of those make you cry movies, its so heart warming. - @Thursday, November 14, 2013 2:29 AM

Victor Villanueva

That looks like a great movie! - @Tuesday, November 12, 2013 8:38 PM

suspendedfromthemoon

have you seen the madtv parody? search "nice white lady" - @Thursday, November 7, 2013 6:15 PM

MelissaaB1994

Amazing movie - @Monday, November 4, 2013 10:07 PM

Shaun

I live in CA thumbs up if you do - @Monday, November 4, 2013 7:54 PM

shygirl gamer

i have a dream common ft will i am - @Saturday, October 26, 2013 5:54 PM

Natasha Villafañe

SHE ALSO CAME TO MS.#7 MY SIS GOES TO LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL - @Thursday, October 10, 2013 11:55 PM

Coral Iriana

April Hernandez came to our school today, her story was and still is very touching. Thank you for coming to Lincoln Highschool, Jersey City,NJ Lions Nation 3 - @Wednesday, October 9, 2013 2:08 AM

Kasuni Bieber

She came to our school. Erin gruwell. Very nice lady :) - @Thursday, September 26, 2013 12:40 AM

Maria Leon

Watching this movie at school :D - @Monday, September 9, 2013 10:33 PM

Msptomb

Best.movie.ever! - @Saturday, September 7, 2013 9:25 PM

Darrius Garrett

LOOK----->All Freedom Writer Book & Movie fanz don't forget to grab your copy of the New book that places a period on the whole Freedom Writer Experience, the full story of Darrius Garrett...the guy in which the character "Marcus" is portrayed as in the movie Freedom Writers Grab the NEW book DIARY OF A FREEDOM WRITER "The Experience" available on Amazon.com Barnes & Noble and everywhere books are sold. - @Saturday, August 3, 2013 3:34 AM

KatyAndTheKats

Um she wasnt the author, Anne Frank wrote her own diary, just letting you know. - @Thursday, August 1, 2013 7:44 PM

Alessia Meacci

DOLORE JANE UMBRIDGE! O.O - @Tuesday, July 9, 2013 3:05 PM

Lizzy Pritchard

No. You've got that wrong. Have you even seen the movie!? Ann Frank's Author even said "The hero isn't me. The hero is you". I doubt you'd understand. But at least try and comprehend what the movie is about. Segregation is what one of the problems were. But in Freedom Writers it SHOWS and tells you of others experiences. They all have faced challenges! Do you REALLY think that if the teacher were.......lets say Asian, Black, Hispanic that they wouldn't also try and help!? Understand! Good day. - @Wednesday, June 12, 2013 2:36 AM

Yasmeen Alawadhi

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. (<<<<---------Enough said.) - @Sunday, June 9, 2013 11:04 PM

chesiregirl

Clearly you have nothing better to do than argue about a movie. But I do. - @Thursday, June 6, 2013 7:26 PM

chesiregirl

Well, it's based off a true story, so you can't bitch at the producer and/or director for the storyline... - @Thursday, June 6, 2013 7:00 AM

chesiregirl

I still need to finish watching this movie....I watched part of it a good few years ago and loved what I saw. - @Thursday, June 6, 2013 6:59 AM

Masa Fulgur

watched this movie for my education plan. loved it - @Sunday, June 2, 2013 4:27 AM

Jenny A.

Me too! @Hunter Kabbai - @Friday, May 31, 2013 1:26 AM

BackRowRacing98

haha - @Wednesday, May 22, 2013 1:14 PM

Konohas Oyabun

Look at Gary still crying. Keep changing the world one youtube paragraph at a time Gary. - @Wednesday, May 22, 2013 4:41 AM

BackRowRacing98

I think you can build a relationship with all of your kids, but is there any report of how these kids got on afterwards, and I think this movie is probably like Patch Adam where a lot of stuff like the advanced teacher was either demonized or glorified. What I was going on about the NASCAR thing is that you can't motivate everyone to get into something no matter I do or say, some people won't care. My main point is that teachers aren't the only reason for kids failing in schools. - @Wednesday, May 22, 2013 3:05 AM

IceMetalPunk

It wasn't an exaggeration, it was based directly on the first-person journals the students kept. You can call it lucky, but that undermines the work the teacher put into motivating the kids. Are you really comparing the inspiration to lead a productive life to "do you like NASCAR or not"? That's not what inspiration is... - @Tuesday, May 21, 2013 7:43 PM