Freedom Writers (2007)

Director:

Richard LaGravenese

Writers (WGA):

Richard LaGravenese (screenplay)
Freedom Writers (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

our story. our words.

Plot:

A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | High School | Marriage | Journal | Writing

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Hilary Swank	...	Erin Gruwell
Patrick Dempsey	...	Scott Casey
Scott Glenn	...	Steve Gruwell
Imelda Staunton	...	Margaret Campbell
April L. Hernandez	...	Eva Benitez (as April Lee Hernandez)
Mario	...	Andre Bryant
Kristin Herrera	...	Gloria Munez
Jaclyn Ngan	...	Sindy
Sergio Montalvo	...	Alejandro Santiago
Jason Finn	...	Marcus
Deance Wyatt	...	Jamal Hill
Vanetta Smith	...	Brandy Ross
Gabriel Chavarria	...	Tito
Hunter Parrish	...	Ben Daniels
Antonio García	...	Miguel
Giovonnie Samuels	...	Victoria
John Benjamin Hickey	...	Brian Gelford
Robert Wisdom	...	Dr. Carl Cohn
Pat Carroll	...	Miep Gies
Will Morales	...	Paco
Armand Jones	...	Grant Rice
Ricardo Molina	...	Eva's Father
Angela Alvarado	...	Eva's Mother
Anh Tuan Nguyen	...	Sindy's Boyfriend (as Anh Nguyen)
Katie Soo	...	Sindy's Friend
Liisa Cohen	...	Brandy's Mother
Brian Bennett	...	Brandy's Father
Horace Hall	...	Himself (as Mr. Horace Hall)
Tim Halligan	...	Principal Banning
Lisa Banes	...	Karin Polachek
Giselle Bonilla	...	Young Eva
Earl Williams	...	Young Marcus
Blake Hightower	...	Clive
Angela Sargeant	...	Marcus' Mother
Robin Skye	...	PTA Mom
Chil Kong	...	Store Owner
Juan Garcia	...	Defense Attorney
Larry Cahn	...	Prosecutor
Sharaud Moore	...	Hall Monitor
Abel Soto	...	Gang Member
Dan Warner	...	Cop #1
Randy Hall	...	Cop #2
Carl Paoli	...	Cop #3
Dominic Daniel	...	Drug Dealer
Cody Chappel	...	Bookstore Clerk
DJ Motiv8	...	DJ
Renee Firestone	...	Herself - The Holocaust Survivor
Eddie Ilam	...	Himself - The Holocaust Survivor
Elisabeth Mann	...	Herself - The Holocaust Survivor
Gloria Ungar	...	Herself - The Holocaust Survivor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jorge Luis Alvarez	...	Maitre'd (uncredited)
Rock Anthony	...	Honors Class Student (uncredited)
Sonny Mario Ayon	...	Eva's Hispanic Gang Member / Student (uncredited)
Dre Bowie	...	Black Student (uncredited)
David Cohen	...	Carnival Attendee (uncredited)
Chrissy Crook	...	Student (uncredited)
Ashley Glenn	...	Student (uncredited)
Robert Gonzalez	...	Roberto / Evas cousin (uncredited)
Robert Christopher Henderson	...	Student (uncredited)
Annie Hsu	...	Student (uncredited)
Elizabeth Ince	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Michael James Lazar	...	Marcus's Dead Friend (uncredited)
Don Le	...	Asian Student (uncredited)
Deon Lucas	...	Black Student (uncredited)
Angela Nesbitt	...	Student (uncredited)
Ihuoma Ofordire	...	Black Gang Member (uncredited)
Jeran Pascascio	...	Marcus' Dead Friend #2 (uncredited)
Palma Lawrence Reed	...	Grant's Mother (uncredited)
Kirsten Roeters	...	White Dinner Companion (uncredited)
Joe Seo	...	Sindy's Asian Gang Member / Student (uncredited)
Joe Towne	...	Obnoxious Waiter (uncredited)
Audia Tulloch	...	Student (uncredited)
Anthony E. Valentin	...	Latin Gangster (uncredited)
Alfredo Viramontes	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard LaGravenese

Writing credits (WGA)
Richard LaGravenese		(screenplay)
Freedom Writers		(book "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them") and
Erin Gruwell		(book "The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them")

Produced by
Danny DeVito	....	producer
Tracey Durning	....	executive producer
Jordana Glick-Franzheim	....	associate producer
Daniel S. Levine	....	executive producer (as Dan Levine)
Nan Morales	....	executive producer
Michael Shamberg	....	producer
Stacey Sher	....	producer
Hilary Swank	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mark Isham
Will i Am		(as Will.i.Am)

Cinematography by
Jim Denault

Film Editing by
David Moritz

Casting by
Margery Simkin

Production Design by
Laurence Bennett

Art Direction by
Peter Borck

Set Decoration by
Linda Lee Sutton

Costume Design by
Cindy Evans

Makeup Department
Tena Austin	....	makeup artist
Bonnie Clevering	....	hair stylist: Ms. Swank
Debra Denson	....	key makeup artist
Yvonne Depatis-Kupka	....	hair stylist (as Yvonne Depatis Kupka)
Jason Green	....	key hair stylist (as Jason 'Orion' Green)
Mary Lum	....	hair stylist
Nancy Martinez-Morrison	....	hair stylist (as Nancy Morrison)
Beverly Jo Pryor	....	makeup department head
Theraesa Rivers	....	hair stylist
Ronnie Specter	....	makeup artist: Ms. Swank (as Ronnie Spector)
Judy Twine	....	makeup artist
Candy L. Walken	....	hair department head
Kentaro Yano	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tina Anderson	....	post-production supervisor
Leigh Shanta	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ime Etuk	....	additional second assistant director
Marisa Ferrey	....	second second assistant director
Kristen Heiden	....	dga trainee
Donald Sparks	....	first assistant director
Yumiko Takeya	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Craig Bernatzke	....	propmaker foreman
Thomas Betts	....	set designer
Jeanne Bueche	....	property assistant
Robert J. Carlyle	....	construction coordinator
Kevin Chambers	....	set dresser
Tony Chavez	....	propmaker
David Corral	....	greensman
Skip Crank	....	assistant property master
Tim Donelan	....	set dresser
Jimmy Flores	....	set construction foreman
Linda Griffis	....	art department coordinator
Kurt V. Hulett	....	lead man
Don Kaeding	....	leadman
Kim Lincoln	....	graphic designer
Mike Malone	....	on-set dresser
Roderick Nunnally	....	paint supervisor
Jason Puga	....	stand-by painter
Kim Richey	....	second assistant property master
Suzanne Shugarman	....	art department assistant
Gary Stel	....	general foreman
Macie Vener	....	assistant art director
Larry J. White II	....	set dresser
Sandra J. White	....	construction accountant
Tony Wright	....	laborer
Adam Zerkel	....	set dresser
Teresa Raschilla	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christopher Assells	....	sound effects editor
Karen Baker Landers	....	supervising sound editor
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer
Don Coufal	....	boom operator
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Per Hallberg	....	supervising sound editor
Robin Harlan	....	foley artist
Dan Hegeman	....	sound effects editor
Michael Keller	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Kudell	....	assistant sound editor
Susan Kurtz	....	dialogue editor
Robert Maxfield	....	utility sound
Scott Millan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Monat	....	foley artist
Philip D. Morrill	....	assistant sound editor
Thomas O'Neil Younkman	....	dialog editor
David Parker	....	production sound mixer
Tyler Parkinson	....	pre-record engineer
Joe Seo	....	adr
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer
Frederick H. Stahly	....	dialogue editor
Drew Webster	....	digital sound mix technician
Kerry Dean Williams	....	adr supervisor
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Tony Chavez	....	special effects
Thomas Mertz	....	special effects director

Visual Effects by
Michael Caplan	....	visual effects producer
Mary Dowd	....	digital compositor
Simon Halpern	....	previs artist: Pixel Liberation Front
Eric Heavens	....	compositing supervisor
Thomas Nittmann	....	visual effects producer: Lola Visual Effects
Jim O'Hagan	....	digital compositor: Pacific Title
Dan Schmit	....	visual effects supervisor
Edson Williams	....	visual effects supervisor: Lola Visual Effects
Loeng Wong-Savun	....	lead Inferno artist: Lola Visual Effects
Ryan Zuttermeister	....	visual effects coordinator: Lola Visual Effects
Adam Simpson	....	visual effects editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Greg Anthony	....	stunt performer
Sonny Mario Ayon	....	stunt performer (as Sonny Ayon)
Jwaundace Candece	....	stunts
Marly Coronel	....	stunts
Roel Failma	....	stunts
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunt gang
Jason Finn	....	stunt performer
Steven Ho	....	stunts
Natascha Hopkins	....	stunts
John Koyama	....	stunts
Delma Miranda	....	stunt double
Billy Morts	....	stunt coordinator
Vanessa Motta	....	stunt performer
Kai Nuuhiwa	....	stunts
Lin Oeding	....	stunts
Jane Oshita	....	stunts
Austin Priester	....	stunts
Darryl Reeves	....	stunts
Hayley C. Rosales	....	stunts
Mika Saito	....	stunt performer
Marcus Salgado	....	stunts
Sam Situmorang	....	stunts
Larnell Stovall	....	stunts
Stan Tinay	....	stunts
Van Vander Pluym	....	stunts
Jose L. Vasquez	....	stunts
Chrissy Weathersby Ball	....	stunts
Boni Yanagisawa	....	stunts
Marco Morales	....	utility stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Anderson	....	libra technician
James Atkins	....	best boy grip: additional unit
Justin Babin	....	grip
Corwin A. Bibb	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Roger Chingirian	....	additional rigging electrician
Christopher Crivier	....	grip
Jose Danner	....	rigging grip
David Darwin	....	rigging lighting technician
Louis DiCesare	....	chief lighting technician
Tim Durr	....	rigging chief lighting technician
Marco Fargnoli	....	first assistant camera
David Goldsmith	....	key video assist operator
Bob Good	....	rigging assistant chief lighting technician
Roy C. Granada	....	lighting technician
Geoffrey Haley	....	Steadicam operator
Geoffrey Haley	....	camera operator
Joe Hill	....	grip
Tomoka Izumi	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Bruce Jagoda	....	rigging lighting technician
Chris Leidholdt	....	rigging key grip
John McCormack	....	rigging lighting technician
Byron McCulloch	....	grip
Yen P. Nguyen	....	film loader
Todd England Nicodemus	....	grip
Miro Pokorny	....	electrician
Martin Reder	....	lighting technician
Gavina Reitnauer	....	still photographer
Nikola Ristic	....	lighting technician
Andrew Robison	....	key grip: splinter unit
Patrick Rousseau	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Red Sinclair	....	electrician
Robert Stenger	....	first assistant camera
Jaimie Trueblood	....	still photographer
Peter Villani	....	rigging electrician

Casting Department
Scott Blasko	....	extras casting assistant
Michele Juskowitz	....	search casting
Tina Kerr	....	extras casting
Sari Knight	....	casting associate
Jacque Lawson	....	extras coordinator: on set
Vinnie Potestivo	....	casting
Orly Sitowitz	....	search casting: Los Angeles
Julianne Weiss	....	casting associate
Karin Aragon	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marisa Aboitiz	....	costume supervisor
Mila Hermanovski	....	key costumer
Anne Laoparadonchai	....	costumer: Ms. Swank (as Annie Laoparadonchai)
Maria Lorenzana	....	costumer
Philip Maldonado	....	costumer
Elizabeth Martucci	....	additional set costumer
Stephen Newton	....	wardrobe assistant
Lisa Parmet	....	key costumer
Susan Saldutti	....	costumer
Alison M. Schmidt	....	costumer
Deborah Zimmerman	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Jared Abramson	....	post-production assistant
Luke Borghi	....	assistant editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
George Chavez	....	color timer
Gina Zappala	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Miri Ben-Ari	....	musician: violin solos
Dylan Berry	....	composer: title music
Carlton Kaller	....	music editor
Peter Maunu	....	musician: guitar solos
Wendi Morris	....	music coordinator
Shawn Murphy	....	scoring mixer
Cindy O'Connor	....	music assistant
Steve Pageot	....	musician
Conrad Pope	....	orchestrator
Mary Ramos	....	music supervisor
Peter Rotter	....	orchestra contractor
Jason Ruder	....	music editor
Kasey Truman	....	music coordinator
Paul Wertheimer	....	score recordist
Greg Hamilton	....	additional music preparer (uncredited)
Scott McRae	....	music preparation (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Casey Boden	....	driver
Rob Byer	....	driver
Bruce Callahan	....	driver
Matthew DeAmicis	....	driver
James Nordberg	....	generator driver
Mike Riportella	....	transportation captain
Joey Soriano	....	driver
Paul Tumber	....	driver: Ms Swank
Greagrey Waldrop	....	transportation captain (as Greag Waldrop)
Robert G. Williams	....	driver
Wayne Williams	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jared Abramson	....	set production assistant
Gregory Alpert	....	location manager
Jorge Luis Alvarez	....	assistant location manager
Sam Alvelo	....	production assistant
Charlie Bolwell	....	production coordinator
Peter Costelli	....	key assistant location manager
William P. Davis	....	misc crew
Amanda Dragon	....	assistant: Mr. DeVito
Marie Elder	....	production accountant
Heidi Falconer	....	unit publicist
Derek Ferguson	....	executive assistant
Jay Floyd	....	clearance administrator
Jenny Fumarolo	....	production secretary: additional
Karen Garlich	....	second assistant accountant
Darrius Garrett	....	technical consultant
Katy Genovese	....	payroll accountant
Scotty Goudreau	....	production van
Casey Green	....	video/computer playback operator
Caz Harleaux	....	adr actor
Natalie Hsieh	....	production assistant
JoAnn Fregalette Jansen	....	acting coach
Dave Kasubowski	....	craft service
Ahmed Kirdar	....	set production assistant
Alex Kivlen	....	key assistant location manager
Jon Ko	....	set medic
David O. Krupnick	....	construction medic
Brenda Lopez	....	script supervisor
Bianca Margiotta	....	assistant: Mr. Shamberg
Meghan McElheny	....	assistant: Ms. Swank (as Meghan Riley McElheny)
Tricia Miles	....	post executive
Rebecca Morton	....	assistant: Mr. LaGravenese
Andrew Jackson Murphy	....	location assistant
Jason Neudecker	....	set production assistant
Michael Pettengill	....	office intern
Sonia Pineda	....	production assistant
Allie Rivera	....	photo double
Matthew Roseman	....	production assistant
Rebekah Stevens	....	second assistant accountant
Shelley Tassin	....	production secretary
Dawn Terashima	....	production assistant
Besnik Vlashi	....	office production assistant
Linda Warrilow	....	assistant production coordinator
Matt Weiss	....	assistant: Ms. Sher
Jeanine Wilson	....	first assistant accountant
Scott Yeats	....	set production assistant
Jennifer Bydwell	....	product placement (uncredited)

Thanks
Don Cheadle	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Double Feature Films
• MTV Films
• Jersey Films
• Kernos Filmproduktionsgesellschaft & Company

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Engine Room (visual effects)
• Lola Visual Effects (additional visual effects)
• Pacific Title and Art Studio (opticals)

Other Companies

• All Balloons All The Time  balloon decor
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack
• Movie Movers  production trailers
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Orbit Digital  Avids / HD services
• Tomkats Catering  catering

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent content, some thematic material and language

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 | Malaysia:U | Finland:K-11 | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | Argentina:13 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | Brazil:16 | Mexico:B | Japan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Hamilton High School, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles is featured in the film. Gruwell takes the students on a field trip to the museum. An exterior view of the museum is shown, and there are scenes inside the museum, showing simulated entrances to gas chambers in death camps.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The scene where Miep Gies tells the day Anne Frank was captured was told with some factual errors. Gies never went back to her house that very day to get bribery materials.

Quotes:

Erin Gruwell:I love you.
Steve Gruwell:You love the idea of me.

Movie Connections:

References Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Soundtrack:

Colors

Truly Moving Picture

I saw this film on December 13th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival's Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture "…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life." Heartland gave that award to this film.

Woodrow Wilson High School is located in Long Beach, California. The school is voluntarily integrated, and it isn't working. The Asians, the Blacks, the Latinos, and a very few whites not only don't get along, but also stay with their own and are part of protective and violent gangs. There isn't much teaching or learning going on at the school. It is a warehouse for young teenagers until they can drop out or are kicked out.

With this background, an idealistic teacher (Hilary Swank) arrives to teach Freshmen English. She is very educated, pretty, middle class, non-ethnic, well-dressed, and smart. From day one, she doesn't fit in the classroom with these tough kids, and she doesn't fit in with the faculty, who have all but given up and resigned themselves to being the keepers of the student warehouse.

But our idealistic teacher will not give up. She slowly and painfully tries to teach by first learning about "…the pain…" the students feel. She encourages each of her students to keep a journal of their painful and difficult life, and then to share the journal with her. She also attempts to get the four ethnic groups to come together by getting them to recognize what they have in common; specifically, their music, their movies, their broken families, and their broken community surroundings.

While struggling with the students, she has to deal at the same time with two complicated and demanding male relationships. Her husband (Patrick Dempsey) is often supportive, but often jealous of her time commitments. Her father (Scott Glenn) is often disappointed of her career choice, but often proud of her courage and tenacity.

This story feels real. It is beautifully done. The acting of Swank, Dempsey and Glenn is professional and believable. More importantly the story highlights our society's challenges in schooling the children of poor and one-parent families.

The movie doesn't give miracle answers. But it does give hope. And in the end, sincere effort appears to count for something … maybe everything.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.