Freedom Writers (2007)

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PG-13 | 2 hr 3 mins | Drama, Biopic, Teen, Adaptation | Released: 1/5/2007 |Box Office Total: $36.5M

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Synopsis:

Fresh–faced, idealistic twenty–three–year–old Erin Gruwell is ready to take on the world as she steps inside Wilson High School for her first day of teaching. Her class, a diverse group of racially charged teenagers from different walks of life--African Americans, Latinos, Asians, juvenile delinquents, gang members, and underprivileged students from poor neighborhoods--hope for nothing more than to make it through the day. On the surface, the only thing they share is their hatred for each other and the understanding that they are simply being warehoused in the educational system until they are old enough to disappear. Despite her students’ obstinate refusal to participate during class, Erin tries various means to engage them on a daily basis. But then ghetto reality steps in to focus the picture. A racially motivated gang shooting witnessed by a Latina gang member in Erin’s class, and an ugly racial cartoon that Erin intercepts during class, become the most unwittingly dynamic teaching aids. They spark a transformation in the classroom, compel them to listen and force her to take off her idealistic blinders and take in the kids’ survival stories of their undeclared war on the streets. Erin begins to connect with them. She brings in music from the ‘Hood, and literature from another kind of ghetto, The Diary of Anne Frank, and with these simple tools she opens her students’ eyes to the experiences of those suffering intolerance throughout the world and the struggles of those outside their own communities. Knowing that every one of her students has a story to tell, Erin encourages them to keep a daily journal of their thoughts and experiences. After sharing their stories with one another, the students see their shared experience for the first time and open up to the idea that there are possibilities in life outside of making it to the age of eighteen.

Full Cast & Crew

Theatrical Release
1/5/2007

Studio	Credit
Paramount Pictures	Studio
Director	Credit
Richard LaGravenese	Director
Cast	Credit
Hilary Swank	Erin Gruwell
Imelda Staunton	Margaret Campbell
Scott Glenn	Steve Gruwell
Mario	Andre
Robert Wisdom	Dr. Carl Cohn
Will Morales	Paco
Patrick Dempsey	Scott Casey
Kristin Herrera	Gloria
April Lee Hernandez	Eva
Jason Finn	Marcus
Hunter Parrish	Ben
Deance Wyatt	Jamal
Vanetta Smith	Brandy
John Benjamin Hickey	Brian Gelford
pat carroll	Miep Gies
jaclyn ngan	Sindy
sergio montalvo	Alejandro
gabriel chavarria	Tito
antonio garcia	Miguel
Giovonnie Samuels	Victoria
armand jones	Grant Rice
Ricardo Molina	Eva's Father
Angela Alvarado	Eva's Mother
Anh Nguyen	Sindy's Boyfriend
Liisa Cohen	Brandy's Mother
Brian Bennett	Brandy's Father
Mr Horace Hall	Himself
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	The Holocaust Survivor, as Themself
eddie ilam	The Holocaust Survivor, as Themself
elisabeth mann	The Holocaust Survivor, as Themself
gloria ungar	The Holocaust Survivor, as Themself
Production Credits	Credit
Jordana Glick-Franzheim	Associate Producer
Stacey Sher	Producer
Hilary Swank	Executive Producer
Michael Shamberg	Producer
Tracey Durning	Executive Producer
Nan Morales	Executive Producer
Danny DeVito	Producer
Dan Levine	Executive Producer
Production Companies	Credit
Double Feature Films	Production Company
Jersey Films	Production Company
MTV Films	Production Company
Distribution Companies	Credit
United International Pictures	Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Paramount Pictures	Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Paramount Home Entertainment	Domestic Video Distributor
Locations
Los Angeles, California USA
Writer	Credit
The Freedom Writers	Book as Source Material
Richard LaGravenese	Screenplay
Erin Gruwell	Book as Source Material
Accounting	Credit
Sandra White	Auditor - Construction Auditor
Marie Elder	Production Auditor
Jeanine Wilson	Auditor - Assistant Auditor
Karen Garlich	Auditor - Assistant Auditor
Rebekah Stevens	Auditor - Assistant Auditor
Katy Tatian-Genovese	Auditor - Payroll Auditor
Art Department	Credit
Linda Sutton-Doll	Set Decorator
Rod Nunnally	Painter - Paint Supervisor
Macie Vener	Assistant Art Director
Linda Griffis	Art Department Coordinator
Donald Kaeding	Lead Person
Mike Malone	Set Dresser
Steve Miller	Greensman - Greensperson
Peter Borck	Art Director
Laurence Bennett	Production Designer
Thomas Betts	Set Designer
albert rico	Art Department - Graffiti Artist
Mark Boucher	Painter - Paint Foreperson
Dennis Paul de la Rocha	Painter
rodney garvin	Painter
Jason Puga	Painter - On-Set Painter
Casting	Credit
Margery Simkin	Casting
julianne weiss	Casting Associate
Orly Sitowitz	Casting - Search Casting
Michelle Juskowitz	Casting - Search Casting
Katharina Eggmann	Casting - Search Casting
Tina Kerr	Casting - Background Casting
Craft Services	Credit
david alan kasubowski	Craft Service
Film Camera	Credit
david goldsmith (goldy)	Video Assist/Playback - Video Assist
Patrick Rousseau	Camera Operator
Rick Whitfield	Video Playback - 24 Frame Supervisor
Geoff Haley	Steadicam Operator
Marco Fargnoli	Photography - 1st Assistant Photographer
George Chavez	Color Timer
Jim Denault	Director of Photography
yen p nguyen	Loader - Film Loader
doug oh	Photography - 2nd Assistant Photographer
Geoff Haley	Camera Operator
Christopher Regan	Color Timer
Robert Stenger	Photography - 1st Assistant Photographer
Tomoka Izumi	Photography - 2nd Assistant Photographer
Jamie Trueblood	Photography - Still Photographer
Music	Credit
Sandy DeCrescent	Music Contractor - Orchestra Contractor
Conrad Pope	Orchestrations
Miri Ben-Ari	Music Performer - Violin Solos
Cypress Hill	Song Performer
Mike Nowak	Music Conductor - Orchestra Conductor
Shawn Murphy	Score Mixing - Mixer
Shawn Murphy	Score Recording - Recorder
Norm Dlugatch	Music Engineer - Technical Engineer
Mary Ramos	Music Supervisor
Carl Kaller	Music Editor
Kasey Truman	Music Coordinator
larry e muggerud	Song
Mark Isham	Music
padraic kerin	Music Engineer - will.i.am Engineer
lawrence dickens	Song
The Outlaw Blues Band	Song Performer
Jason Ruder	Music Editor
Wendi Morris	Music Coordinator - will.i.am Music Coordinator
Nan Schwartz	Orchestrations
Paul Wertheimer	Score Recording - Recordist
Peter Maunu	Music Performer - Guitar Solos
Will.i.am	Music
Tyler Parkinson	Music - Electronic Prerecords
naughty by nature	Song Performer
ethan willoughby	Music Engineer - will.i.am Engineer
louis m freese	Song
2Pac	Song Performer
Vincent Brown	Song
Erik Swanson	Music - Pro Tools Operator
Zapp	Song Performer
Keir Gist	Song
Dominic Gonzales	Music - Floor Person
Gang Starr	Song Performer
Anthony Shawn Criss	Song
Digable Planets	Song Performer
Ernie Isley	Song
Marvin Isley	Song
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers	Song Performer
O'Kelly Isley	Song
Talib Kweli	Song Performer
Ronald Isley	Song
Fred Williams and the Jewels Band	Song Performer
Rudolph Isley	Song
Emandu Imani Rashaan Wilcox	Song Performer
Christopher H Jasper	Song
The Pharcyde	Song Performer
Montell Jordan	Song Performer
Tupac Shakur	Song
daryl anderson	Song
Slick Rick	Song Performer
Common	Song Performer
Roger Troutman	Song
Stan Vincent	Song
Will.i.am	Song Performer - Featuring
Will Jennings	Song
jeannie ortega	Song Performer
gemstar	Song Performer - Featuring