FREEDOM WRITERS

US, 2006, 123 minutes, Colour.
Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April L. Hernandes, Mario.
Directed by Richard la Gravenese.

This is a must for educators.

Over the decades, a standard Hollywood interest has been the ups and downs of American education systems. Fifty years ago or more, the challenge of unruly gangs in school and in the classroom were introduced in Blackboard Jungle (which, incidentally, used Bill Haley and the Comets’ epoch changing song, Rock Around the Clock). Forty years ago, Sidney Poitier on this side of the Atlantic, won over his students in To Sir With Love. The same year Sandy Dennis had to cope with students in Up the Down Staircase.

The film that made a great impact in the 1980s was Dead Poets Society. At the same time, Morgan Freeman was a tough school principal in Lean on Me and Edward James Olmos taught calculus to Hispanic students in Stand and Deliver. In the 1990s there was Michelle Pfeiffer trying to work with Dangerous Minds. In recent years there have been Kevin Kline in The Emperor’s Club and Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile. These two were set in the past and looked at elite schools.

It is still worth seeing at these films to appreciate how education has been considered on the big screen.

This is background to Freedom Writers, a very welcome addition to the genre. It is based on actual characters and events. (The group appears in a photo in the final credits.)

Erin Gruwell came from affluent Newport Beach, California, and, all smiles, was ready to take on the world and transform the students. While, ultimately, she did, it did not look like that at the start. She asked to teach at the recently integrated Woodrow Wilson High in Long Beach. The students came from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds (with some token white students), all hostile, all experienced in gang and street warfare, all with their angers, bitterness and practical apartheid.

A breakthrough came for Erin Gruwell when a caricature sketch of an African American was passed around the class and, emotionally, she took the opportunity to raise the issue of anti-Semitic prejudice in Hitler’s Germany. The class had not heard of the Holocaust.

She then found books that they might read, a story of a gang member and, then, a book that they identified with, The Diary of Anne Frank. It was a revelation to them. They visited the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and had dinner with and listened to survivors. They even raised money to bring Miep Gies, the woman who had sheltered the Frank family, to visit and speak with them.

The other thing that Erin Gruwell did was to buy them exercise books and get them to write their diaries (memories, poems, anything) – and they gave her permission to read them. Education led to an awareness of potential, to affirmation and a group cohesion.

Clearly, this is an ‘inspirational’ film. There are the expected clashes with the traditional teachers, some of whom dislike and despise the students. There are the moments of triumph. But, her work meant sacrifices for Erin Gruwell and the loss of support from her husband who felt that he could not measure up to her energy and achievement.

Now a winner of two Oscars, Hilary Swank has become a strong presence on screen. She really enters into the role of Erin Gruell making her early mistakes credible yet showing that the transition in herself and in the students was possible.

Imelda Staunton (quite unlike Vera Drake) is the teacher who feels threatened, cannot understand these methods and opposes her. Patrick Dempsey is sympathetic as the husband and Scott Glenn is her conservative father who joins in Erin’s activities with the students.

The title is a play on words on the Freedom Riders of the 1960s who stood up for civil rights.

1.An inspirational film? Based on actual events and characters? A film about American education? Social concerns? Universal impact?

2.The tradition of films about American school systems? Freedom writers for the 21st century? The events of the 1990s and into the 21st century?

3.The title, the freedom writers for civil rights in the 1960s? Play on words? Freedom and tolerance? Writers and creativity?

4.The Long Beach setting, Californian schools, high schools, homes, streets, the gangs and the shoot-outs? The contrast with Newport Beach, the affluent hotel, restaurants? The Simon Wiesenthal Centre? Musical score? Rap songs?

5.A true story, Erin Gruwell, the adolescents, the high school, her methods, her experience, the results? The publication of the book? The website?

6.The opening with Eva’s diary, its tone, Eva’s age, Hispanic background, her father and her admiration, the humiliation of his arrest, in prison, his bitterness, Eva’s visits to him? Her mother at home? Eva growing up, the gangs, the rape and the violence, at school, resentful? Her hating whites? Visits to her father, giving him the book to read? Her witnessing the crime? Her asking to testify against the African American? Her willingness, the challenge to her conscience, her decision in court, the repercussions? Her perspective on the freedom writers?

7.Hilary Swank as Erin Gruwell, her initial enthusiasm, training, her affluent background? Her marriage? The initial interviews with Margaret Campbell? Her smile, ingenuous, choosing to come to the integrated school, expectations and hopes, her pearls – and being advised not to wear them? Her relationship with Scott? Her father and the outings, the meals and discussion? His disapproval?

8.Scott, his love for Erin, his work as an architect, the outings and his relationship with his father-in-law, the meals at home, her absence, talking with her, his packing his cases, leaving, Erin’s shock at having a divorce?

9.Her father and his expectations, seeing teaching as a job, his eventually helping, driving the students, calling Andre, the meals and the celebration with the Holocaust survivors? His change of attitude, his final affirmation of her?

10.The staff, the principal and his coping? The school and its high standards, the change, integration? Margaret Campbell and her attitudes, the traditions? Going to the headmaster? Her resentfulness of the media? Brian Gelford and his elitist attitudes, his dislike of the students, wanting to teach the special students, his resentment of Erin, his rudely telling her off, his hostility at the meetings?

11.Doctor Cohn, the visits by Erin, her requesting the permission for the outings, his listening, agreement, Margaret Campbell and her being upset? The permits, the final appeal, his being on Erin’s side?

12.Erin and her first class, her dress, the chalk on the dress, her smile, the hostility of the students, the introduction, each of the students, her smile – and their wanting her to lose it? Her mistakes, pronunciations, introducing Homer? The difficulties in the classes, the violent outbursts, the helpers having to come in and break the groups up? Her observing life in the school?

13.The visit to Margaret Campbell in the library, Margaret’s unwillingness to lend the books, showing that they were destroyed? Erin and her argument about the children’s capacities, that they were urged to get an education but then the teachers not fulfilling their demands?

14.The Jewish element? The cartoon circulated about the African American and his lips, Erin likening it to the caricatures of the Jews? Her strong outburst about the comparisons with racism in America and in Germany? Her explanation of the Holocaust, their never having heard of it? Her getting permission to take them to the Wiesenthal Centre? The impact of the Holocaust Museum, the information, the tableaux, the electronic aids, their listening to the stories, being overwhelmed? The dinner with the survivors, listening to them? Her giving them The Diary of Anne Frank, their identifying with it, Eva wanting to know about it and resentful at the unhappy ending? Marcus and his enthusiasm? The decision to invite Miep Gies to the school? The money-raising, the concert, the efforts? Margaret Campbell and her wariness?

15.Erin giving the students the books for their diaries, their all taking them, the parents’ night and nobody coming, all the diaries in the cupboard for her to read? The impact on her, the visualising of the hard lives they led, especially the gangs and the violence? The deaths of friends?

16.The line game, getting them to come up to the line, each segregated part eyeing off the other? The shared experiences? The effect?

17.The store, the crime, Eva witnessing it, the set-up, the Hispanics against the African Americans? The Cambodian girl witnessing it? The pressure on Eva for her testimony, her mother’s pressure? In court?

18.The segregation of each of the groups, even in the school yard, the dining room, in class? Erin asking them to shift desks? The line game? The shared experience of killings? The bonding?

19.The sense of family, sharing, the change, their talking to each other, learning, personal affirmation, potential, creativity? Assessing their lives?

20.Eva and the danger, the aftermath of her testimony in court and the threats? Letting her be because of her father? Andre and the harsh sentence for his brother? Marcus and his mother, the reconciliation? His welcoming of Miep Gies? The Cambodian girl and her friendship with Eva, the make-up? Gloria and her reading? The African Americans? The Hispanics? Asians? The boy with the gun and throwing it away? Ben as timid, the only white student? His fear?

21.The group effort, working to raise the money, combined for the appeal to have Erin teach them in their senior years? The happy result?

22.The publishing of the Freedom Writers book, the making of the film, the website? Motivation and inspiration for others to follow?