Freedom Writers

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2:16

Freedom Writers

PG-13,

2007,

2h 3m,

Drama/

Mystery & Thriller/

Comedy/

Crime

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Freedom Writers: Trailer 1

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - We Mattered

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - You Are Not Failing

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - You Don't Even Like Them

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - Paco Did It

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - I Am Home

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - When Will I Be Free?

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - You Are The Heroes

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - Not So Different

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - I Saw the War for the First Time

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Watchlist

69%

124 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

250,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

69%

Tomatometer

124 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

A dedicated teacher (Hilary Swank) in a racially divided Los Angeles school has a class of at-risk teenagers deemed incapable of learning. Instead of giving up, she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning their future. She assigns reading material that relates to their lives and encourages them all to keep journals.

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Critics Consensus

Freedom Writers is a frank, formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank leading the appealing cast of unknowns.

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Kat Halstead

Little White Lies

Feb 27, 2007

3/5

You'll be embarrassed, sad, happy then exhausted.

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Anna Smith

BBC.com

Feb 27, 2007

3/5

Has its inspiring moments - especially given the true story - and some tense, dramatic scenes amid the speedy montages of confusing gang action.

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Liz Moody

Empire Magazine

Feb 27, 2007

2/5

Despite solid work from the engaging cast, there's nothing new here to distinguish Freedom Writers as anything beyond a C+.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Aug 19, 2023

LaGravenese tends to simplify and lean on the melodrama but he tells the stories of the students with compassion, notably Eve (April Lee Hernandez), who has grown up in a war zone of an inner city defined by ethnic boundaries.

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Oct 21, 2022

3.5/5

This film delivered an injection of fresh ideas into a stale genre.

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Kaleem Aftab

The List

Nov 3, 2018

3/5

A touching performance from Hilary Swank ensures that Freedom Writers is not just another tripe genre movie.

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Anakin R

Mar 29, 2019

Of the many white-teacher-in-an-inner-city-school films, this one is excellent. Hillary Swank is convincing as a teacher determined for her students to succeed. Patrick Dempsey, as her hapless husband, is a good villain. Watch this and root for the students. The soundtrack is also very good.

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Oct 11, 2017

worth watching it for sure!!!

Draco L

Jun 1, 2017

Freedom Writers features a powerful performance by Hilary Swank and a decent arc about rising above the turmoil around us.

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Theodore L

Apr 22, 2017

I've already seen Sister Act, thank you. And Dangerous Mind too.

Luke S

Apr 8, 2017

Despite touching upon important issues, it feels like the truth has been sugar coated and at times reduced to cliches. Thankfully the cast somewhat overcomes this even if their characters stories feel overly stylized and underdeveloped.

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Ron R

Feb 8, 2017

Saw this movie in english class, and it was interesting. Not a great movie, but a powerful one, definetly shows its material well. Again, not that memorable to me, but still pretty good.

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Richard LaGravenese

Director

Hilary Swank

Erin Gruwell

Patrick Dempsey

Scott

Scott Glenn

Steve

Imelda Staunton

Margaret Campbell

April L. Hernandez

Eva

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - We Mattered

2:06

Now Playing

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - You Are Not Failing

1:35

Now Playing

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - You Don't Even Like Them

2:13

Now Playing

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - Paco Did It

2:05

Now Playing

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - I Am Home

2:01

Now Playing

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - When Will I Be Free?

1:54

Now Playing

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - You Are The Heroes

2:05

Now Playing

Freedom Writers: Official Clip - Not So Different

1:45

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Freedom Writers: Official Clip - I Saw the War for the First Time

1:27

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Freedom Writers: Trailer 1

2:16

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Synopsis

A dedicated teacher (Hilary Swank) in a racially divided Los Angeles school has a class of at-risk teenagers deemed incapable of learning. Instead of giving up, she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning their future. She assigns reading material that relates to their lives and encourages them all to keep journals.

Director: Richard LaGravenese
Producer: Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher
Screenwriter: Richard LaGravenese
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Double Feature Films, Paramount Pictures, Jersey Films, MTV Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Material|Language|Violent Content)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Comedy, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 5, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $36.6M
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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