Freedom Writers Full of Emotion

The Daily Collegian - 1/29/07

"Freedom Writers"
Directed by Richard LaGravenese
Rated PG-13
Grade: B-

"Freedom Writers" does for the 2000's what "Stand and Deliver" did for the 1980's except with less fun, not as many life lessons, and more drama. The basic concept behind "Freedom Writers" is that even underprivileged inner-city youth deserve the same opportunities that suburban white kids do.

It is a true message that the film sometimes overlooks in order to add senseless scenes to help create "emotion." While not everything in "Freedom Writers" is perfect, the emotions and overall acting are done, for the most part, superbly. Let's use the "Sergio Leone" method of evaluation.

The good: While first impressions are always the best, sometimes actors can overcome a weak beginning to a film by creating a strong middle and end. Hilary Swank, playing the part of a teacher named Erin Gruwell, managed to do just that in "Freedom Writers." As the movie started, she seemed too fake in her portrayal of a real-life person. She seemed like she was, unfortunately, acting the part.

As the movie progressed though, more specifically at the start of her first monologue, there was a change in both her attitude as an actor, her character as a teacher, and the audience's reaction to the film. It's a truly moving scene. One of the best parts of "Freedom Writers" is the number of emotional scenes. While some came across as over-the-top, many were really touching and made the experience worthwhile.

The bad: The main place where "Freedom Writers" went wrong was by having scenes that did not contribute to the overall message of the film. Although these scenes helped with character development, there could have been some added scenes that developed characters more thoroughly while sticking to the central theme a little better. Also, the intensity of the film wavered throughout. The first third of the movie is full of racial tension and, although the tension's eventually lost, the intensity dies with it. If "Freedom Writers" is a truly great film, the same intensity showed by racism would have been carried through the film by other driving forces.

The ugly: The film is one of the most slowly moving movies of this year. With a two hour running time, "Freedom Writers" really feels much longer. Classroom scenes need to be amped up and given a boost of pizzazz - or even just better dialogue. The problem in the dialogue was not in its simplicity, but in its monotony. Although some scenes were quite moving, the bulk of the talking in the movie just seemed canned and passé.

"Freedom Writers," although it has its shining moments, really ends up being an attempt to create a reaction from the audience while trying to force emotions where there aren't any. At some times the actors, script, and direction fall together so perfectly but at other times they seem so distant. "Freedom Writers" is definitely a good film if you are into movies about education, but it lacks the substance to make it truly great. If you were expecting the next Hillary Swank Academy Award, look somewhere else. She gives a great emotional performance but the rest of the movie does not fall neatly into place around her.