Freedom writers
(DVD)

Based on the book "The Freedom Writers diary: how a teacher and 150 teens used writing to change themselves and the world around them" by the Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell.

Released in 2007 as motion picture.

Special features: commentary by director Richard LaGravenese and actor Hilary Swank; deleted scenes (11 min.); "Making a dream" (6 min.); "Freedom Writers family" (20 min.); theatrical trailer (3 min.); "Freedom Writers: the story behind the story" (10 min.); photo gallery.

Director of photography, Jim Denault ; editor, David Moritz ; music, Mark Isham, RZA ; costume designer, Cindy Evans ; production designer, Laurence Bennett.

Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, April Lee Hernandez, Mario, Kristin Herrera, Jaclyn Ngan, Sergio Montalvo, Jason Finn, Deance Wyatt, Vanetta Smith, Gabriel Chavarria, Hunter Parrish.

A true story about a teacher in a racially divided school who gives her students what they've always needed, a voice. Erin Gruwell comes to a southern California high school bubbling over with naive optimism. She quickly discovers that her unruly classroom is not easily won over by her good intentions. After a few floundering attempts to connect with her students, Gruwell gives them the assignment of keeping journals about their own lives, This assignment is something that the class can bite into with relish. This eventually bonds them together and pushes racial rivalries aside. Draws heavily from the published journals of the real students themselves.

MPAA rating: PG-13; for violent content, some thematic material and language.

DVD; region 1; widescreen presentation.

in English (Dolby 5.1, Dolby 2.0) or dubbed French (Dolby 5.1) with optional English and Spanish subtitles; Closed-captioned in English.