Freedom Writer’s

I seen this movie at the theater with Joelle Schmidt probably two years ago.  I loved it then… I love it still now.

Justin and I decided to watch a movie on Saturday evening and this was the pick.  Watching this for the second time (I’ve had it on the shelf…. just hadnt watched it since the theater) was a great feeling.  This movie is an inspiration!

Based ona true story about a first year teacher at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, Erin Gruwell is placed in a teaching position with a room of “unteachable, at-risk” students.  The school “powers that be” have written these kids off as nothing but trouble.  “Don’t try to teach them anything,” Erin had been told.  “I wouldn’t wear any nice ewelery into that class,” another teacher advised….

Yet Erin looked at this group of angry teens… mived from white, black, asian, mexican, etc… all in their own way trying just to survive day to day from the gangs, racism, unbearable home lives, and in some cases… homelessness.

When Erin intercepts a note being passed with an ugly racial caricature of one of the students, her temper flares and this is where the movie really kicks in… she explains that it was pictures just like this that led to the Holocaust and she received a response of blank stares.  No one in the class knew about the Holocaust.

Trying to get books into the kids hands was near impossible as the Principal denied her the schools books believeing that these kids would destroy them.  Erin then picks up a second, and then a third job, to pay for books on her own for the classroom and to take them to have an experience to see more about the Holocaust.

I could go on and on about this movie – but really want every one who reads this to see the movie… the main theme here is undieing hope and faith as Erin reaches beyond the obstacles that would stop your average teacher in their tracks.  Her willingness to sacrifice for these kids leads to painful happenings in her own life, yet in the long run… what you will see happen to these kids is amazing.

I have the book – which actually is about the diaries that these students wrote…  I dont want to g ive any more away.  I highly reccommend this movie.  You will walk away from it elightened and a little more impressed with the difference that one person – one person, can make.